# Teamfight Tactics 16.5 — Teamfight Tactics patch 16.5

- Product: Teamfight Tactics (https://whatsnew.fyi/product/teamfight-tactics)
- Vendor: Riot Games
- Date: 2026-02-18
- Version: 16.5
- Original notes: https://teamfighttactics.leagueoflegends.com/en-us/news/game-updates/teamfight-tactics-patch-16-5
- Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/teamfight-tactics/releases/16.5
- Labels: Platforms: Windows, macOS, Mobile

What's New is an index, not a publisher: every entry below links to the vendor's own release notes, which are the authoritative source. Entries are labelled where they are hand-curated sample data, pre-releases, or drawn from a secondary source such as a developer blog.

Reuse: the summaries, labels and curation here are © What's New. Quote freely with attribution and a link back; wholesale republication of the corpus is not permitted — terms: https://whatsnew.fyi/terms. The vendors' own release notes remain their publishers'.

---

- **added** — Enable download, patching, and launching of TFT directly from the Riot Client Game Hub with desktop shortcut support
- **changed** — Sylas unlock condition changed from selling two-star Garen/Lux/Jarvan IV to selling two-star Garen/Jarvan IV and reaching Level 9
- **changed** — Arcanist Teamwide AP reduced from 18/25/40 to 15/20/35
- **changed** — Arcanist AP increased from 25/40/60 to 25/50/70
- **changed** — Demacia Resists reduced from 12/35/35 to 12/30/30
- **changed** — Ixtal Play Ixtal for X Rounds requirement increased from 13 to 15 rounds
- **changed** — Ixtal Have Less than 30 Health Quest reward reduced from 400 to 300
- **changed** — Noxus Atakhan Bonus AS increased from 0/20/35% to 0/40/70%
- **changed** — Noxus (5) HP Mod by Stage increased from 4.5/5.25/6.5x to 5.25/6.75/8.5x
- **added** — Void Royal Husk grants +10% Max Health
- **fixed** — Zaun units no longer become Shimmer-Fused for the remainder of combat when health drops to 60% while Zaun (5) or (7) trait is active
- **changed** — Aphelios Ability Damage increased from 70/105/175/245 to 80/120/200/280 AD
- **changed** — Ashe Base AD increased from 53 to 58
- **changed** — Ashe Arrow Damage reduced from 5% to 4% basic Attack Damage
- **changed** — Graves AD Ability Damage increased from 180/270/405/540 to 180/270/450/630
- **changed** — Orianna Ability Damage adjusted from 220/330/500/670 to 200/300/550/800
- **changed** — Rek'sai Spin Damage increased from 110/165/260/355 to 110/165/300/435 AD
- **changed** — Yasuo AD Ability Damage increased from 85/125/190/255 to 95/145/215/285 AD
- **changed** — Darius Heal increased from 180/220/280 to 210/280/420 AP

What’s up Tacticians?
Patch 16.5 is starting just one day after these notes release (Thursday for most servers at your usual patch time). 16.5 is a buff-heavy patch following up on last patch’s leveling and odds changes, which made it easier to hit three-star 3-costs, but this time we’re making them stronger! And it doesn’t stop at 3-costs—you’ll notice a lot of buffs for 2-costs too as we try to bring reroll strategies closer to fast Level 8/9.
Yours truly,
Katie "Riot Ukime" Guo
Rodger "Riot Prism" Caudill
PATCH HIGHLIGHTS
RIOT CLIENT UPDATE
Starting this patch, you’ll be able to download, patch, and launch TFT directly from the Riot Client Game Hub. You’ll also be able to add a new desktop shortcut for TFT or quickly launch it from the side bar.
SYSTEM CHANGES
UNLOCK CONDITIONS
 
 With Sylas’s go-to line being Arcanist flex comps, it was really hard to sell your Lux and then build a board around Sylas from a gameplay perspective, but when you factor in the actual lore of this mage rebellion leader, he greatly benefitted from Lux being around. This change should make unlocking Sylas slightly easier, while also doubling down on the lore part of Lore & Legends. Just in time for an Arcanist buff too!
- Sylas: Sell two-star Garen/Lux/Jarvan IV ⇒ Sell two-star Garen/Jarvan IV + Reach Level 9
LARGE CHANGES
Large, like Atakahn’s puffy jacket.
 
 
 TRAITS
 
 Arcanist verticals have vanished from lobbies, with just a trace of their spark appearing in vertical Demacia comps. We’re buffing Arcanist’s later breakpoint while bringing down the (2) as well as vertical Demacia just a tad to allow more AP variations to fight for the number one spot.
We’ve got decent sized nerfs to the two Ixtal quests that are just too good. The player Health quest was too easily activated by swapping out of Ixtal after selecting it, then swapping back in after going below 30 Health.
With the new League of Legends season, Atakahn has been removed from Summoner’s Rift, but there’s no need for him to be absent in Noxus (5) as well. Atakhan’s getting a big buff at (5), especially for his mid and late-game.
- Arcanist Teamwide AP: 18/25/40 AP ⇒ 15/20/35 AP
- Arcanist AP: 25/40/60 AP ⇒ 25/50/70 AP
- Demacia Resists: 12/35/35 ⇒ 12/30/30
- Ixtal Play Ixtal for X Rounds: Round Requirement: 13 ⇒ 15
- Ixtal Have Less than 30 Health Quest: Reward: 400 ⇒ 300
- Noxus Atakhan Bonus AS: 0/20/35% ⇒ 0/40/70%
- Noxus (5) HP Mod by Stage (4-6+): 4.5/5.25/6.5x ⇒ 5.25/6.75/8.5x
- Void Royal Husk: Grants +10% Max Health
- Zaun Bug Fix: Units no longer become Shimmer-Fused for the remainder of combat when the Zaun unit's health drop to 60% while Zaun (5) or (7) trait is active during combat round
UNITS: TIER 2
 
 As a general trend, we’re buffing 2 and 3-cost reroll comps to bring these strategies up to par with 4 and 5-cost carries.
Graves, Orianna, and Rek’Sai are all strong units that fall off once they hit three stars. We’re giving relatively large buffs to their three-star form, but for Orianna, who is really strong at one and two-stars already, we’re lowering her power until she can get to that three-star point.
We’re buffing three AD reroll champions that love Darkin Scythe especially when three-starred, so to make sure these comps can be viable without it—we will be nerfing the Artifact that was previously the only way these comps have been able to succeed.
- Aphelios Ability Damage: 70/105/175/245 AD ⇒ 80/120/200/280 AD
- Ashe Base AD: 53 ⇒ 58
- Ashe Arrow Damage: 5% basic Attack Damage ⇒ 4% basic Attack Damage
- Graves AD Ability Damage: 180/270/405/540 ⇒ 180/270/450/630
- Orianna Ability Damage: 220/330/500/670 ⇒ 200/300/550/800
- Rek’sai Spin Damage: 110/165/260/355 AD ⇒ 110/165/300/435 AD
- Yasuo AD Ability Damage: 85/125/190/255 AD ⇒ 95/145/215/285 AD
UNITS: TIER 3
 
 With our 2-cost buffs we’re also shipping a few 3-cost buffs, also with a focus on their three-star form.
If there’s one champi

_[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://teamfighttactics.leagueoflegends.com/en-us/news/game-updates/teamfight-tactics-patch-16-5]_