Which LoL teams benefit most from patch 26.16? Best betting picks by region

Naerlyn Published August 17, 2026

Since the start of the Mid-Season Invitational, teams gravitated more and more towards roaming bruiser supports paired with bot lane mages. Then on patch 26.16, Riot made a series of changes aimed at weakening bot lane mages and roaming supports. Which teams will benefit the most from ADCs being more powerful again, and who should you bet on for the rest of the Summer Split?

Who to bet on in the LEC in 26.16

The center of interest in the LEC is on Karmine Corp and G2 Esports – both in general and for this topic. Caliste “Caliste” Henry-Hennebert adapted well to playing mages, while Steven “Hans Sama” Liv always looked shakier on them. If they could both play the same champions, G2’s bot laner did not display the same proficiency on them.

Additionally, the extra hectic Camille games caused G2 to make more mistakes for opponents to punish. With 26.16, they’re gonna be even better to bet on.

Besides them, the most notable teams affected are Fnatic and Movistar KOI. FNC isn’t proficient on bot lane mages, be it because of Elias “Upset” Lipp or the team itself. On the other hand, MKOI’s ADC was ahead of his time, even inaugurating bot lane Akali.

Riot nerfed mages and buffed ADCs on patch 26.16. Image credit: Riot Games

Who to bet on in the LCS in 26.16

Overall, these changes don’t affect the LCS much. Most teams had already moved on from mages, including all of the top teams – instead, they opt for Jhin when they want a spell-based bot laner. While this might impact matchups in the bottom half, that’s all this could lead to.

Who to bet on in the LPL in 26.16

In the LPL, this change strongly affects the top four of the leagues. Top Esports has devastating mages picks, and Bilibili Gaming loves having more options for their duo lane. Among the top four though, Team WE have preferred going for marksmen and will not be punished by the changes.

Now, WE will not face either BLG or TES anymore during the regular season, and the outcome of other games during the round robin should not be affected. However, playoffs will be a different story.

During the playoffs, both Invictus Gaming and Team WE will get a little boost to make strides. BLG and TES remain the obvious favorites either way, but it wouldn’t be the first time WE would come and challenge Bilibili Gaming out of the blue. As for IG, they’re going to be the unknown quantity in this bracket, with the potential to place among the top. With the 26.16 changes, IG and WE may well join BLG and TES as the top four candidates.

Gen.G remains a strong betting pick on patch 26.16. Image credit: Riot Games

Who to bet on in the LCK in 26.16

Patches or not, the LCK has been and remains largely unpredictable in Rounds 3-4. With that being said, 26.16 should affect this league internationally more so than regionally.

Most teams in the LCK have functioned better with ADCs in the bot lane. Mages mean faster-paced games, which lead to more mistakes. When Korea’s main strength is their signature slow, calculated play, these cracks give other regions a welcome point of attack.

For the region, the teams affected are Gen.G and Dplus KIA. The former likes to put their top laner on a marksman, and the latter can play anything and enjoys those choices. However, both teams will still find their ways to play the comps they need and remain the current favorites to bet on in the LCK.

Featured image credit: Riot Games