Graves, Tier 1 jungle, targeted by nerfs in LoL Patch 26.07.

LoL Tier List Patch 26.07: Champions Winners & Losers

Amber.gg • 5 min read •

LoL Patch 26.07 landed on April 1, and the post-patch data is in. Updated with live op.gg stats: Graves and Nami held their Tier 1 spots despite targeted nerfs, while Cassiopeia and Kalista are still waiting for their buffs to translate into win rate. Here is who actually rose and fell in this week's ranked meta.

🏆 Patch 26.07 Winners: Champions Who Got Stronger

Rell: Support Finally Gets Mobility 🔥

Rell has been stuck in Tier 3 support for too long, and Riot is fixing that. Her E movement speed bonus doubles from 15% to 30%, and her ultimate damage gets a meaningful bump on the base values.

This makes Rell a genuine threat in engage-heavy compositions. If you've been sleeping on her, check out Rell's meta stats on Amber.gg to see how her win rate responds after the patch.

Rell
Rell—Mobility + Ult Buff
Gefährlicher Galopp
Gefährlicher GaloppE

E MS: 15% → 30% (3s duration). R base damage: 120/200/380 → 150/250/350 (+110% AP)

14 / 13 / 12 / 11 / 10s40 Mana1200
Magnetsturm
MagnetsturmR

E MS: 15% → 30% (3s duration). R base damage: 120/200/380 → 150/250/350 (+110% AP)

120 / 100 / 80s100 Mana200
Rell, League of Legends champion, riding her armored mount.

Riot Games

Cassiopeia: AP Mid Gets Early Teeth 🐍

Cassiopeia's starting mana buff landed as expected, giving her more room to Q poke early and follow up with E in extended trades. Post-patch data tells a different story though: she's still Tier 5, rank 48 out of 54 mid laners, sitting at a 50% win rate.

The mana breakpoint helps in theory, but players haven't adapted yet. She's worth watching over the next few patches. If her win rate climbs toward 51-52%, she could land in Tier 3 or 4. For now, Ahri and Xerath remain safer mid picks for ranked climbing.

Cassiopeia
Cassiopeia—Early Game Buff
Giftexplosion
GiftexplosionQ

Starting mana increased. Q/E combo more sustainable in laning phase. Reinforces sustained DPS identity.

3.5s50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70 Mana850
Doppelzahn
DoppelzahnE

Starting mana increased. Q/E combo more sustainable in laning phase. Reinforces sustained DPS identity.

0.75s45 Mana700

Kalista: Buff Landed, Still Bottom of the Barrel

Kalista entered Patch 26.07 as the worst ADC in the game (Tier 5, rank 34/34, 47% win rate). Her E stack damage scaling got a meaningful upgrade on paper. Post-patch, she is still Tier 5, still rank 34 out of 34 ADCs, still sitting at 47% win rate.

The buff didn't move the needle. Her structural issues go deeper than stack scaling. Kalista needs a coordinated support and snowball momentum to function, and solo queue rarely provides both. She remains the weakest ADC in the game for now.

Kalista
Kalista—Stack Damage Scaling Buff
Reißen
ReißenE

E bonus AD scaling per stack: 20/25/30/35/40% → 20/27.5/35/42.5/50% AD

30 Mana1000

💀 Patch 26.07 Losers: Who Gets Hit Hard

Graves: The Nerfs Didn't Stick 📉

Riot nerfed Graves and he responded by climbing from rank 2 to rank 1. He is still Tier 1, still 51% win rate, still the most dominant jungler post-patch. The adjustments hit his raw numbers, but didn't translate to meaningful win rate drops in live games.

Graves mains, keep playing him. The nerf wasn't enough to hurt your win rate. Nocturne (Tier 1, rank 2) and Briar (Tier 1, rank 3) are your best alternatives if you want to get ahead of a potential second nerf pass.

Nami: The Best Support Gets Tapped Down

The W bounce ratio nerf landed, and Nami is still rank 1 support with a 52% win rate. Her early-mid poke and sustain combo absorbed the adjustment. The change made a dent on paper and didn't matter in practice.

She is still mandatory. Riot may need a bigger adjustment to move her down. Tier 2 options like Karma and Seraphine are creeping up, but Nami is the safest support pick this patch. Track support rankings on the LoL meta page on Amber.gg to see how the tier gap narrows over the next week.

Nami
Nami—W Nerf: Bounce Ratio Reduced
Ebbe und Flut
Ebbe und FlutW

W bounce ratio nerfed, reducing early-mid game poke and sustain power.

10s70 / 75 / 80 / 85 / 90 Mana725

Veigar: Both Mid and ADC Roles Take a Hit

Veigar is Tier 2 mid (rank 6) and Tier 2 ADC (rank 6), and both profiles are getting nerfed this patch. He's been overperforming in scaling compositions and Riot is reining him in.

For mid laners, consider switching to Ahri or Xerath (both Tier 1). For off-meta ADC players, Veigar ADC loses a lot of what makes the build work.

Ornn and Singed: Two Tier 1 Tops Get Tuned

Ornn is Tier 1 with a 53% win rate and a rank 2 spot. Singed sits Tier 1 at rank 4 with a 53% win rate. Both are being brought down this patch.

If you're playing top lane, Garen (Tier 1, 52% win rate) and Malphite (Tier 1) remain untouched and are safer picks right now.

Ornn
Ornn—Ornn Nerf
Ruf des Schmiedefeuers
Ruf des SchmiedefeuersR

Stats adjusted downward. Tier 1 top laner losing some of its dominance.

140 / 120 / 100s100 Mana2500

🐉 Jungle Spotlight: Shyvana Adjustments

Shyvana is sitting at Tier 3 jungle (48% win rate, rank 55) and Tier 5 top (42% win rate) going into this patch. Riot has her listed under adjustments, not just nerfs or buffs, which suggests a rework of some ability values.

Her exact adjustment details are still being finalized on the PBE, but expect changes aimed at improving her jungle clear consistency.

Shyvana
Shyvana·Jungle
BOTH · Patch 16.22
58.1% WR39.0% PR
Präzision
Dominanz
Zauberei
Entschlossenheit
Inspiration
Fokussierter Angriff
Tödliches Tempo
Leichtfüßigkeit
Eroberer
Leben absorbieren
Triumph
Geistesgegenwart
Legende: Eifer
Legende: Hast
Legende: Blutdurst
Gnadenstoß
Niedermäher
Letztes Gefecht
Präzision
Dominanz
Zauberei
Entschlossenheit
Inspiration
Hextech-Blitzfalle
Magisches Schuhwerk
Dreifach-Tonikum
Rückzahlung
Alleskönner
Kekslieferung
Kosmische Einsicht
Anziehungskraft
Tonikum der Zeitkrümmung
Adaptive Force
Attack Speed
Ability Haste
Adaptive Force
Move Speed
Health
Health
Health
Tenacity
Summoner Spells
Blitz
Zerschmettern
Items
Starter
Brandklauenwelpe
Core Build
Stärke der Dreieinigkeit
Speer von Shojin
Tanz des Todes
Boots
Beschichtete Stahlkappen
Situational Items
4th Item
Jak'Sho, der Proteaner
Steraks Pegel
Tanz des Todes
5th Item
Jak'Sho, der Proteaner
Steraks Pegel
Randuins Omen
6th Item
Experimentelle Hexpanzerung
Panzer des toten Mannes
Naturgewalt
Ability Max Order
QQ
WW
EE
60.1%1,293 Games
Schuppenpanzer
Glutschlag
Inferno-Ägide
Schmelzstoß
Erbe des Drachen
1
Q
2
E
3
W
4
Q
5
Q
6
R
7
Q
8
W
9
Q
10
W
11
R
12
W
13
W
14
E
15
E

⚙️ System Changes Worth Knowing

Support Farming Penalty: Riot is adjusting how supports are penalized for taking CS. This affects funnel strategies and off-meta support builds that rely on gold income.

Ranked LP Changes: LP gains and losses are being rebalanced. If you've been stuck in a low MMR bracket due to streaky results, this update might help more accurately reflect your current skill level.

For a full breakdown of the ranked system overhaul coming this season, read the LoL Ranked 2026 guide: Aegis of Valor, dodging changes at Master+, duo queue returning to all ranks, and more.

Ready to Climb with the New Meta?

Patch 26.07 rewards players who adapt quickly. Rell made gains post-patch and Graves is still worth climbing on before a second nerf comes. If you want to test your meta knowledge in competitive ladders with real cash prizes, join League of Legends ladders on Amber.gg and put it to work.

Also check our breakdown of Olaf and Skarner in the previous patch 26.6 to see how the jungle meta has evolved. And if you're struggling with ranked consistency, our guide on solo queue problems for competitive players has the answers.