League of Legends: Patch 26.15 Kicks Off Season 3 with Bel’Veth Rework and New Mode

A new era begins today in League of Legends: Patch 26.15 officially kicks off Ranked Season 3, and Riot Games is seizing the opportunity for a hefty patch featuring balance changes, a completely overhauled champion, and a genuine nostalgia mode.

What's Changing with Patch 26.15

This time, Riot is addressing balance from multiple angles simultaneously. The following champions are receiving nerfs:

• Mordekaiser
• Naafiri
• Riven
• Sylas
• Locke

On the flip side, fans of these champions can look forward to noticeable buffs:

• Alistar
• Kai’Sa
• Maokai
• Volibear
• Zac

However, the biggest individual change in the patch affects Bel’Veth: The Empress of the Void is undergoing a significant overhaul, losing some of her previous early-game dominance but now scaling much more strongly in the late game. Players who jungle Bel’Veth should therefore adapt their playstyle accordingly, focusing more on a controlled late game rather than a quick early snowball.

League Classic: 60 Champions in Their Old Skins

For nostalgia enthusiasts, Patch 26.15 also introduces a completely new game mode: League Classic brings back 60 champions in older gameplay versions, including their previous abilities and stats. Players who missed the intermediate steps on the path to current balancing, or simply long for the “good old days,” can specifically dive into past metas here. Additionally, the patch also introduces two new Prestige skins for Jax and Veigar in a Magma Chamber design.

For the community, this is more than just a nice addition: Many players regularly complain that constant balance adjustments ruin beloved champion interpretations. League Classic is Riot's answer to this, without diluting the actual live balancing – players in the normal mode won't notice the time travel. The next regular Patch 26.16 is already announced for August 12.

Source: League of Legends (Official Patch Notes)

Which change hits you the hardest – a nerf, a buff, or the Bel’Veth rework? Let us know in the comments!