Patch 26.10, set to go live on May 13, leans heavily on its buff column, with four champions receiving meaningful upgrades that could shift priority across fearless drafts, as all leagues will soon enter the BO5 phase of their second split. Riot Lead Gameplay Designer Matt "Phroxzon" Leung-Harrison framed this as a measured, surgical patch.
Top lane: Ambessa returns home, Anivia pushed out
Ambessa receives the patch's most pointed restoration of power. After last patch's R rework brought her down further than intended, she sat at a 25% win rate in LCK and a brutal 0% combined win rate in jungle across LCK, LPL, and LEC. The Q1/Q2 percent max HP damage doubling at low ranks (2-6% to 4-6%) and the bumped R healing numbers push her throughput up enough to make her a solid top-lane priority again. Expect her to reappear in opening drafts, almost exclusively in top, and likely off the table as a jungle option because of the nerfs on her clear.
Anivia, meanwhile, takes a targeted hit aimed squarely at her non-mid roles. With base armor down (21 to 19) and armor growth reduced, she becomes substantially more vulnerable to all-ins in top lane — exactly the trading patterns Riot called out. Her presence outside of mid should drop noticeably, even in support.
Mid lane: Galio reopens as an anti-mage bully option
Galio's buffs are quiet but consequential. The Q mana cost reduction, increased E damage, and — crucially — an R that now scales with 100% bonus magic resistance give him a renewed argument as an answer to mages and AP bullies. He had been steadily fading from priority boards, but with better lane sustain and a peeling-plus-teamfight package that scales naturally with MR items, he should re-enter rotation, potentially as a flex pick for toplane as well thanks to his improved lane presence.
