LoL Patch 26.10 Tier List: 5 Champions to Climb, 3 to Drop

Gen G CEO Arnold did not hold back: "Not a single pro team or player thinks having this change in the middle of the season is a good idea." The change goes live in competitive play during Weeks 8-9, right in the middle of the playoff push 🏆. That timing is the real issue.

Riot designer Drew Levin defended the removal, arguing the mechanic was understood by roughly 10,000 players globally and had minimal impact on overall balance. Ironically, many pro players admitted they had no idea it existed.

5 Champions to Climb With in Patch 26.10

🟢 1. Lee Sin — Jungle

Lee Sin's shield is now usable on all jumps again, restoring the mobility toolkit that was quietly removed. Add Dragon's Rage now chaining on kills, and you have a jungler who snowballs fights faster than ever.

He's a top priority pickup in jungle right now. His early pressure and one-shot potential are back in full force, and he punishes slow-paced games hard.

Check Lee Sin's full meta breakdown on Amber

🟢 2. Quinn — Jungle

Quinn is now a legitimate jungle pick 🎯. Patch 26.10 added bonus monster damage to her passive and Q, giving her the clear speed she was missing to compete with meta junglers.

She brings incredible gank pressure from unexpected angles, especially against immobile carries. Expect Quinn jungle to become a niche counter-pick as players figure out her optimal paths.

Track Quinn's jungle win rate as data rolls in

🟢 3. Galio — Mid

Galio's mana costs dropped, Justice Punch damage went up, and his ult now scales with bonus magic resistance. He's a legitimate tank mid with global presence, and this patch gives him more bite in lane too.

Particularly strong against AP-heavy comps. Stack magic resistance items and your ult becomes a genuine threat to carries across the map.

🟢 4. Wukong — Jungle/Top

Wukong's clone duration increased from 3.25s to 4s, and clone damage jumped from 30-50% to 40-60%. That's a straight-up buff to his dueling window and his ability to bait skillshots.

He was already a solid flex pick. These changes push him up a tier, especially in melee-heavy games where clone pressure messes with enemy spacing.

🟢 5. Zeri — ADC

Zeri got base damage buffs to her early game, which was the one thing holding her back. Her late-game carry potential was never in question — she just needed to survive the laning phase.

If you've been sleeping on Zeri, now's the time to pick her up before her win rate climbs and she gets contested in champion select every game.

3 Champions to Drop This Patch

🔴 Naafiri — Mid

Naafiri took nerfs to both Q and R damage in 26.10. She was already high-variance as a melee assassin in a ranged meta, and losing damage on her key abilities makes the ceiling lower without improving the floor.

Track Naafiri's current win rate before queuing — the numbers will tell you when she recovers.

🔴 Smolder — ADC

Smolder's base AD dropped along with Q damage scaling. He's a late-game champion by design, but a weaker early game makes the stacking grind even more painful and punishable.

There are better ADC options right now. Zeri is a direct upgrade in almost every game state this patch.

🔴 Zed — Mid

Zed's passive max health damage was reduced and his E shadow AD ratio dropped. The passive nerf specifically hurts his ability to pressure tanky frontliners, which is exactly the champion type dominating this meta.

He still has kill pressure on squishy targets, but if the enemy has two or more frontliners, you'll feel the gap 📉.

System Changes That Matter

Deathfire Touch nerfed: early lane trading damage is down. Aggressive bullies who used this keystone to build an early lead will feel the difference. It's worth experimenting with alternatives if you've been running it by default.

Gluttonous Greaves cost increased: this hybrid defensive-offensive item is now more expensive at 1000g, with adjustments to omnivamp stacking. Rushing it as a first item is harder to justify. Plan your item timings accordingly.

The Patch 26.10 Verdict

Lee Sin and Wukong are your priority jungle picks this week 🔥. Quinn is worth learning if you want to catch opponents off guard. On the other side, Naafiri, Smolder, and Zed players should explore alternatives until the meta stabilizes around their strengths.

The minion aggro removal will shape pro play more than solo queue, but champion power levels are what actually win you LP. Stick to the winners above heading into the playoff push.

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