LoL 26.22 Preview: Mel's W Changes the Interaction
Mel's planned rework replaces reflected enemy abilities with a projectile-destroying nova that shields and speeds up allies. Patch 26.22 is scheduled for November 4, 2026, Pacific Time, according to Riot's patch calendar. It remains a preview; the schedule and final values can change.
As of October 28, the newest full live notes are 26.21. RiotPhroxzon's October 28 full numerical preview supplies the planned changes below. Use it to decide what to revisit after release, rather than treating a preview as a new live build or tier list.
Mel: Protect the Team Without Returning the Enemy's Spell
Riot's Mel developer article describes W destroying projectiles, granting allied shields and movement speed, and retaliating for a small amount of damage. It no longer reflects the actual incoming ability.
That distinction changes what both sides should expect. A Mel player should think about protecting the ally being threatened and using the team benefit, rather than planning around returning a particular enemy ultimate. An opponent should distinguish losing a projectile from having that spell's own effect sent back at the team.
The rest of the intended rework supports longer combat sequences:
- Some early durability and passive damage shift toward health and armour scaling.
- Q is less front-loaded; a champion hit supplies a cooldown refund, supporting another rotation.
- E's root is shorter nearby and longer at range; the ultimate gains more cooldown reduction as it ranks up.
For your first sessions after the update, watch whether Q actually hits a champion before planning the next rotation. Review the distance at which E connects as well. Those observations answer more useful questions than assuming the old W interaction still determines every matchup.
Selected Numbers to Recheck After Release
This is a focused selection from the full preview, not the entire roster. The values are planned changes, and each suggests a different question for players.
| Champion / item | Full-preview change | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Viktor | Health growth 100 → 105. R's initial conjure AP ratio 50% → 60%. | Separate the opening R hit from later damage. Riot says this does not revert the previous mobility nerf. |
| Locke | Q stack bonus damage 18/26/34/42/50 → 15/22/29/36/43. W duration 6 → 5 seconds. | Reassess the damage and timing available inside W. Do not confuse a shorter duration with a cooldown change. |
| Doran's Bow | Attack damage 8 → 7. | Recheck early last-hitting and trades with the starter you actually use, rather than changing items solely because a preview says “nerf.” |
| Overlord's Bloodmail | Attack damage 30 → 40. Maximum missing-health total-AD bonus 12% → 10%. | Read both changes together: more flat AD comes with a lower maximum missing-health bonus. The item is not simply gaining the same damage in every health state. |
The source chart's labels describe the direction of Riot's changes. They do not supply win rates, best builds or proof that an item is optimal for every champion who can buy it.
Use the Full Preview, Then the Final Notes
Aurora and Renekton appeared in the earlier target list but are absent from the full numerical chart. Do not carry their preliminary adjustment labels into a list of confirmed numerical changes.
Before playing after release, compare the final notes and client tooltips with the preview: check the skill or item you use, distinguish a duration from a cooldown, and confirm whether a listed damage change affects the first hit or a later component. Keep your familiar setup as a reference while evaluating what actually changed.
If your next session is in a different mode, also check that mode's rules. The separate League Classic access guide covers its own queue and pass conditions; this preview should not be assumed to define every Classic or Mayhem balance interaction.
Reviewed October 28, 2026 against Riot's full preview, Mel developer article and patch schedule. No regional rollout hour, live 26.22 deployment or firsthand testing is claimed.
