League of Legends Patch 26.13 goes live today, June 24, 2026, and with it arrives Locke, the Ashen Exorcist — one of the most anticipated champion releases in years. A Demacian exorcist who wields Soul Nails and forbidden rites to hunt his prey and expose the darkness within, Locke is the first dedicated AP assassin in the mid lane since Sylas debuted nearly seven years ago. The gap has been long, and the community is eager to see how he fits into the meta.
A Kit Built for Magic Burst
Locke's passive gives his attacks bonus magic damage that scales with the target's missing health — a natural execute curve. His Q lets him throw Soul Nails that mark hit enemies, which he can then consume to deal bonus damage on subsequent attacks. His W ignites his soul for 6 seconds, granting up to 70% bonus attack speed and up to 60% bonus movement speed (+ 2% per 100 AP) — but here's the twist: while active, he stores grey health equal to damage taken from enemy champions, giving him a uniquely tanky window for an assassin.
Ashen Pursuit and Purgatory: Mobility Meets Execution
Locke's E, Ashen Pursuit, is his gap-closer: for 4 seconds, he gains 275 bonus range and can target an enemy. He then dashes toward them, dealing magic damage to enemies in his path and applying on-hit effects to the primary target. His ultimate, Purgatory, throws a binding artifact that deals damage and can execute enemies — and each time Locke seals away an enemy champion, he grows more powerful. The full combo creates a burst assassin pattern with a deeper execution-scaling layer than most AP mids.
High Noon Locke and Pro Play
Locke launches alongside his release skin, High Noon Locke (1,350 RP), releasing alongside High Noon Akshan in the same patch. On the competitive side, Riot confirmed Locke will not be enabled for MSI 2026 — standard protocol requires at least two weeks on live servers before a champion can appear in professional tournaments. Pros will have to wait, but ranked queues are already open for business on day one.
Locke fills a seven-year gap in the AP assassin roster. His grey health mechanic and execute scaling make him one of the most mechanically interesting champions Riot has released in recent memory.