League patch 11.6 notes: Xin Zhao rework, Battle Academia skins
League of Legends patch 11.6 is here — here’s what you need to know about the update, including a hefty rework for jungle duelist Xin Zhao, changes to item life steal, and more.
The ever-changing balancing act continues for Riot heading into LoL patch 11.6, as they attempt to keep their new Season 11 items under control.
This time around, a number of life steal items are copping a hit.
This includes Blade of the Ruined King, Stridebreaker, Sterak’s Gage, and more. The popular Domination rune Ravenous Hunter is also set to get tweaked slightly, while a number of high-class ability power items are getting a boost to manage their struggling Season 11 damage numbers.
Xin Zhao has also received his hefty overhaul.
The ever-popular “Battle Academia” skins are here, too. The high school set —which channels My Hero Academia— will get five new releases.
What’s changing in League of Legends patch 11.6?
Karthus, Akali headline 11.6 changes
While a dozen champions are on Riot’s changelist for League patch 11.6, two stand out above the rest: Karthus and Akali.
The Deathsinger has quietly reigned supreme across the Rift this season. He boasts a 53.46% win rate average across all five roles, with only support below 53%. To help tone this down, Riot have nerfed his Q damage in the later stages.
#Karthusis getting nerfed in LoL patch 11.6.
The Deathsinger has a 53.46% win rate as a jungler, in around 42,213 ranked games. In the last seven days, the AP mage has won 61.41% of matches.
🔹 Top: 53%🔹 Jungle: 53%🔹 Mid: 53%🔹 Bot: 57%🔹 Support: 47%
(via@MarkYetter)pic.twitter.com/IaDGTgfX3K
— Dexerto League (@DexertoLeague)August 21, 2025
Akali, on the other hand, is getting a big buff after her win rate was down in the low-40’s. Her kit has been rejigged a little; with her Q costing less energy but doing less damage to minions, her W now grants more base energy, and her E and R do more damage.
“Struggling” Xin Zhao gets upgrade
Xin Zhao was Riot’s big ‘rework’ project for League patch 11.6, and the changes are now live. New buffs and changes to his passive and all four of his abilities should give him a “meaningful” upgrade, the devs said.
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The jungler’s win rate —50.03% off the back of a small 1.23% play rate— isn’t low in the grand scheme of things, but Riot has pulled the trigger on a rework.The new overhaul will target his passive healing (Determination), as well as his Q damage (Three Talon Strike), his W (Wind Becomes Lightning), and his E range (Audacious Charge).
His ultimate, “Crescent Guard,” will also have its numbers tweaked.
The objective,Yetter said on Twitter, is to build focus around his “Wind Becomes Lightning” ability, and its second activation. This should give “meaningful gameplay outputs” for those who pick the Seneschal of Demacia in Season 11.
Riot is planning a Xin Zhao “upgrade” in Season 11 to boost his win rate by at least 2%. His passive and all four of his abilities will be tweaked, with his passive, W, and R set to have their base AP scaling boosted.
(via@MarkYetter)pic.twitter.com/xfqbcZ3ty6
— Dexerto League (@DexertoLeague)August 01, 2025
New “Battle Academia” skins
The next LoL skin line, more entries in the super popular high school-themed “Battle Academia” set, will be added in patch 11.6. Five champions have been tipped for the new skins, including Leona, who will get a Prestige edition.
Here’s the full list of champs getting “Battle Academia” skins:
Each Battle Academia skin will also get a half dozen chromas.
The skin event will add emotes, summoner icons, and Battle Academia 2021 capsules. These loot boxes will have “three random skin shards” as well as a 4% chance to unlock a Durandal Bag. Gemstone and Mythic drop rates are also increased slightly in the new capsules.
The Battle Academia event will likely be tied together with the Space Groove event launching on League patch 11.7 in two weeks time.
Battle Academia Leona Prestige Edition revealed ️🔥pic.twitter.com/CaV3SWvrxz
— Dexerto League (@DexertoLeague)June 13, 2025
You can find the fullLeague of Legends patch 11.6 notesbelow.
League of Legends patch 11.6 early notes
Base stats
Passive: Assassin’s Mark
Q: Five Point Strike
W: Twilight Shroud
E: Shuriken Flip
R: Perfect Execution
Q: Rampage
Q: Lay Waste
W: Distortion
R: Lilting Lullaby
E: Phantom Undertow
R: Dominus
Passive: Petricite Burst
W: Kingslayer
W: Frenzied Maul
E: Sky Splitter
Passive: Determination
Q: Three Talon Strike
W: Wind Becomes Lightning
E: Audacious Charge
R: Crescent Guard
Blade of the Ruined King
Liandry’s Anguish
Luden’s Tempest
Immortal Shieldbow
Ironspike Whip
Rabadon’s Deathcap
Seeker’s Armguard
Shureyla’s Battlesong
Sterak’s Gage
Stridebreaker
Sunfire Aegis
Verdant Barrier
Void Staff
Fleet Footwork
Ravenous Hunter
Summoner Spells
Battle Academia Caitlyn
“A feared and respected second year, head of the Luminary Club, and class president of Labrys God-Weapon Academy. Caitlyn enrolled herself in the famously troubled school specifically to whip the delinquents there into prime fighting shape, hoping to one day become the greatest battlefield general in history. With her perfect record, she’s not too far off.”
Battle Academia Garen
“Brother’ to Lux, Garen is the only biological child of his family, but was neglected from an early age as his parents spent all their time developing the god-weapon fragment that would one day become their daughter. As he vented his anger in increasingly delinquent ways, Labrys sought him out for enrollment, where he eventually joined the Battle Club.”
Battle Academia Wukong
“A consummate troublemaker and prankster, Wukong has failed out of every high school in the region, eventually washing out into Labrys as an ‘enrollment of last resort’. A naturally gifted fighter in the Battle Club, he still hasn’t learned discipline, and only listens to Caitlyn because she can beat him up.”
Battle Academia Yone
“Yone is a brooding, quiet member of the Assassin Club, one whose morose and serious attitude belies the colossal chip on his shoulder. The bad blood between him and his brother is well known, and even speaking about it casually has been known to invoke Yone’s fury– something Caitlyn has picked up on for her own purposes.”
Battle Academia Leona
“An oddly cheery member of Labrys Academy’s Battle Club, Leona’s dark side comes out in combat, when her motherly, protective persona is utterly replaced by bloodlust. The change is so dramatic that even the most violent students tend to stay on her good side, hoping to avoid her wrath.”
