LoL Patch 26.13: Locke, Jungle Meta & Ranked 5s Return
New ADC Locke drops, Olaf/Poppy/Qiyana shake up the jungle, Cassiopeia and Senna get nerfed, and Ranked 5s returns June 26 with Tournament Draft.
Patch 26.13 is live and it's a big one: new champion Locke joins the bot lane as League's newest ADC, the jungle meta cracks open for fighters and assassins, and Ranked 5s returns June 26 with Tournament Draft. 🎯 Here's everything that matters before you queue up.
🆕 Locke: The Ashen Exorcist ADC
Locke is League's first demon-hunting marksman, a high-skill ADC built around the mark-and-execute loop. His passive (Silver Stake) makes auto-attacks deal bonus magic damage based on enemy missing health. Q (Ritual Nails) throws soul nails that mark enemies and can be consumed for burst damage.
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His W (Soul Ignition) burns HP to gain attack and move speed then heals back a portion of the damage taken. High risk, massive reward. E (Ashen Pursuit) gives a blink-dash for trading or escaping. He's mechanically demanding with a very high ceiling: a squishy, skillshot-based ADC that punishes passive opponents hard.
🌿 Jungle Meta: Three New Contenders
Riot is breaking the fighter stranglehold on the jungle. Three distinct styles get meaningful buffs this patch.
Buffs, New Contenders:
- Olaf: Q Monster Bonus Physical Damage from 80 to 120 at max rank. Bruiser carry jungle is back.
- Poppy: Q Monster damage cap from 170 to 195 at rank 5. Tank jungle is now genuinely viable.
- Qiyana: Q Monster Damage from 155% to 175%. Assassin jungle returns to relevance.
Riot Games
Mixed jungle compositions are back on the menu. Check the Patch 26.13 Tier List for the full jungle ranking post-patch.
⚔️ Cassiopeia Nerfed: Pro Play Impact
Cassiopeia's HP per level drops from 104 to 98. It's a subtle number, but it compounds: by level 16, she's almost 100 HP squishier than before.
Base HP per level: 104 → 98. Easier to all-in after laning phase.
This change targets her MSI dominance while preserving her speed and laning strengths. She remains strong in skill matchups, but she's no longer a safe blind pick against dive compositions. See the Cassiopeia meta page for updated builds and runes.
🤝 Senna Repositioned: Support Role Only
Riot is pushing Senna back to her designed support role. Soul drop chance on kills drops from 10% to 5%, while ally kills increase from 28% to 32%.
Own kills: soul drop 10% → 5% | Ally kills: 28% → 32%. Crit damage reduced by additional 5%.
Farming Senna is effectively dead. Q cooldown refund also changes from on-hit to on-attack, hurting her poke-heavy lane patterns. If you're playing Senna, commit to full support: roam, set up picks, and let your carries last-hit. Updated builds on the Senna meta page.
📈 ADC Buffs: Aphelios and Kai'Sa Rise
Two carries get significant buffs that shift the bot lane power rankings.
Aphelios: all four guns receive bonus AD scaling increases after last patch's over-nerf. He's playable again at a high level.
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Kai'Sa: W cooldown reduced, R shield buffed from 70/90/110 to 100/150/200. She's back as the safest comfort ADC in solo queue. If you're grinding the LoL meta this patch, start with Kai'Sa and transition to Aphelios for the higher carry ceiling.
🏆 Ranked 5s Returns: June 26
Ranked 5s (premade 5v5 with Tournament Draft) goes live June 26 at 8 PM. No player restrictions, unique rewards tied to coordinated play.
This is the biggest competitive news in Patch 26.13. Ranked 5s rewards team synergy over individual carry mechanics: LP gains reflect your organized play, not just your KDA. Stack voice comms, assign roles ahead of draft, and treat every game as a practice scrim. Ladders are already filling up for the June 26 launch.
Quick Summary
- Locke (ADC): new high-skill marksman, mark-and-execute loop, bot lane
- Olaf/Poppy/Qiyana: jungle diversity unlocked, all three viable
- Cassiopeia: -6 HP/level heading into MSI, easier to all-in
- Senna: support-only, farming dead, repositioned by design
- Aphelios/Kai'Sa: both buffed, strong ADC meta incoming
- Ranked 5s: June 26, Tournament Draft, no restrictions
For a full tier list breakdown by role, see the Patch 26.13 Tier List.
