Smolder Nerf Hotfix Added to LoL Patch 26.10
Riot Games has released an emergency hotfix just one day into League of Legends Patch 26.10, addressing the overwhelmingly dominant ADC champion Smolder with significant nerfs to his Q and E abilities.
The small dragon ADC had become a major concern for balance, posting a 54.42% win rate in the previous patch—the highest among AD Carry picks, with only Brand maintaining a higher win rate at a substantially lower pick rate. Smolder’s dominance extended to the competitive scene, where the champion was pivotal in earning streamer xQc the MVP award at the Jynxzi streamer League of Legends tournament.
The urgency of the hotfix is underscored by the fact that Smolder was notably absent from the original Patch 26.10 balance changes, which instead targeted other problematic champions including Anivia, Ashe, Naafiri, Shyvana, and Zed. This oversight appears to have prompted Riot’s rapid response, resulting in the emergency nerfs less than 24 hours after the patch went live.
The hotfix targets Smolder’s core damage output through adjustments to his Super Scorcher Breath (Q ability) and his E ability. These changes represent Riot Games’ commitment to addressing balance issues quickly when they threaten the integrity of the patch, even if it means releasing emergency updates within hours of a patch’s launch.