PATCH 26.9 ANALYSIS

League of Legends patch 26.9 champion buffs nerfs are aimed at two places ranked players feel immediately: fights that start suddenly, and fights that last longer than expected. Ambessa now has a slower ultimate cast time (0.55 to 0.70 seconds), so more opponents will react with movement or crowd control before she reaches them.

On the other side, several picks get more reliable value over time. Ezreal ability power builds hit champions much harder, while his ultimate clears minion waves worse. Gragas takes less damage when he uses W, Tahm Kench saves teammates more consistently, and Teemo gains stronger damage in longer trades. Briar is easier to kill later, so extended fights are less forgiving.

What This Means for Ranked

Should I still pick burst-divers in jungle? Be more selective. Ambessa will miss more openings because her R takes longer to cast, which gives enemies time to dodge or interrupt. Briar losing health growth means she is easier to kill as levels rise, so tower dives and long chases are riskier unless you are already ahead.

What are the safest gains for solo queue? If you want a frontline who survives fights longer, Gragas is a cleaner pick now because his W reduces more damage, especially once you have some levels and items. For support, Tahm Kench is better at turning a losing skirmish into a reset: he converts more grey health into real health early, and his ally Devour gives more move speed to reposition.

What should I do with carries and lane picks? Ezreal ability power builds are a real ranked option now because his Q and W scale much harder with ability power, but do not rely on R to clear waves like before. In top lane, Teemo benefits more from attack damage in long trades, so on-hit or hybrid builds gain value when you can keep hitting the same target.

For the full details, read the patch notes at Riot's official website, and check our per-champion breakdowns at baronbuff.com/champions.

See you in the Rift — LP