TFT Patch 18.1 Notes Summary: Enchanted Wilds Launch, Wisps and the First Balance Pass
Patch 18.1 launched Set 18, Enchanted Wilds, on 25 August 2026, together with the game's move to a new engine. Alongside the new champions and traits it changed several core systems, and three mid-patch updates followed in the first week to fix bugs and rebalance the early meta.
The new mechanic: Wisps
- Wisps are bought during the planning phase and appear in every other shop. When planning ends, an unbought Wisp disappears and reveals the champion behind it.
- They come in seven categories (champion, combat, miscellaneous, shop, gold/XP, risky and item), each with its own colour and icon. The icon appears by a player's health bar when they buy one, so you can scout what others are doing.
- From stage 5 onward, every other Wisp is guaranteed to be a combat Wisp.
What it means: Wisps are a steady side-choice every other round. Early on they compete with experience and rerolls for your gold, so the question each time is whether the Wisp is worth more than what the same gold would buy.
System changes
- The Carousel is back, and it can now hold more champions, or higher-cost ones, than usual.
- No retargeting after crowd control. Units that are stunned or knocked up keep their target instead of switching to the closest enemy. That favours assassins and divers that reach a backline and stun it.
- PvE loot overflows. Loot missed in the stage 4 monster round (or later ones) now carries over to the next monster round.
- Opening encounters were reshuffled toward more predictable starts, including item-anvil and reroll openers.
- A long list of augments from the previous set was removed.
First balance changes (mid-patch, 31 August)
The strongest early comps were toned down and the weakest units lifted:
- Riftbeast (7) stats: 6% AD/AP/AS → 5%
- Cinderling ability damage: 340/510/765/1300 AD → 310/465/700/1200 AD
- Cassiopeia ability damage: 440/660/1050 AP → 400/600/950 AP
- Master Yi resists: 60 → 55
- Ahri ability damage: 450/675 AP → 425/640 AP
- Amumu mana: 30/140 → 30/125
- Draven mana and attack speed: 0/120, 0.8 → 0/110, 0.85
- Soraka first star damage: 190/285 AP → 225/335 AP
- Elder Dragon attack damage: 115 → 125
What it means: the patch's early reroll leaders (Cinderling, Cassiopeia Defender and Master Yi) lost some power, while Amumu and Draven, the weakest 5-cost at the time, became real options.
Source: Teamfight Tactics patch 18.1 notes (Riot Games). This is PivotTFT's summary; the official notes list every change.