Brand Buffs Pulled From LoL Patch 26.14 as Mages Ruin Bot Lane
Riot Games has announced League of Legends Patch 26.14, which will introduce multiple champion adjustments and system changes. The upcoming update includes buffs and nerfs across various champions, with new champion Locke receiving nerfs following his recent release.
However, planned buffs for Brand in the jungle were removed from the patch following significant community backlash regarding the prevalence of mages in the bot lane. The mage meta has become increasingly prominent, particularly at the ongoing League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) esports tournament, where teams are frequently selecting mage champions for bot lane roles traditionally filled by marksmen and supports.
Despite the community’s frustration with the mage-heavy meta, Riot Games maintains that the current state of the game is healthy and encourages diverse playstyles. Lead gameplay designer Matt “Phroxzon” Leung-Harrison acknowledged the bot lane concerns in his patch preview, though the company continues to monitor the meta’s development. The decision to pull Brand’s jungle buffs reflects Riot’s responsiveness to community feedback, while the broader shift toward mages in bot lane remains part of the developers’ intended game balance strategy.