LoL Arena Tier List (2026): Best Champions, Duos & Augments

Arena is back—and it’s here to stay, at least until Summer 2026. Riot reintroduced the mode in League of Legends Patch 25.13, with plans to keep it alive for at least 12 months. Since it’s here for the long haul, tracking the best Arena champions matters now more than ever.

This guide is built to be both a quick pick tool and a deeper explanation of why certain champions and augments work in LoL Arena.

League of Legends Arena champion using empowered abilities during a match
LoL Arena trailer – Sett. Image source: Riot Games

Best LoL Arena Champions In 2026

Our LoL Arena tier list is based on a combination of data from statistics sites like U.GG and in-game experience. It’s built to reflect what actually works in the current Arena meta, not just what looks good on paper.

Top 10 Arena Champions In LoL

At the moment, the best Arena champion by far is the recently released champion Zaahen, who ticks pretty much all the boxes on what makes a champ great for this mode. He’s a classic stack-check bruiser with tons of sustain, decent crowd control, and huge AD scaling potential.

ChampionNotes
ZaahenHigh win rate, high pick and ban rate, fits many duo styles
OlafBrutal early rounds, snowballs first with the right augments
Xin ZhaoReliable duelist, strong engage, easy to play
YorickGreat pressure, decent sustain, difficult to counter
PantheonSimple engage, great for setups, strong with bruisers and tanks
Cho’GathTanky scaling, oppressive fight control in tight spaces
ViSimple engage, strong target access with R, great against immobile champions
SettBrawls well, wins extended fights, can be paired with almost anything
JaxScaling duelist, high DPS in extended fights, spikes hard with right augments
YuumiBest enabler for bruisers, adds sustain and uptime
Aatrox wielding a massive blade during a League of Legends Arena fight
LoL Champion Zaahen. Image source: Riot Games

Best LoL Arena Duo Combinations In 2026

Duo synergy is one of the main factors when you’re deciding which champion to pick in LoL Arena. A champion can be strong on a given patch, but the pairing might feel off. While, in theory, any two champions can work together, a couple of pairings certainly stand out.

Arena Top Duo Champion Comps

Champion DuoWhy It Works
Sett + ZaahenBrawl + follow-up pressure, excellent in extended fights
Jax + YuumiHypercarry + enchanter scaling
Amumu + Aurelion SolHard engage with layered damage and CC
Sion + Dr. MundoDouble frontline that refuses to die
Bel’Veth + YuumiSnowball carry, safety, sustain
League of Legends Arena versus screen showing two champion duos facing off
LoL Arena Matchup. Image source: Riot Games

What Makes A Champion Good In LoL Arena?

League of Legends Arena awards flexible champions that can always have a plan.

In 2v2v2v2, there’s not much room for scaling and not enough time to wait for your farm gold to kick in. Beyond that, there are also fewer teammates to cover your potential misplays.

That’s why the best Arena champions in LoL typically bring at least two of these traits:

  • Reliable engage or target access
  • Sustain and extended fight potential
  • Zone control in tight spaces
  • Low dependence on perfect compositions

Best Augments To Pick In LoL Arena

Augments are the mechanics that shape how Arena works and have become extremely popular. 

Most significantly, they add another factor to a champion’s kit, which can completely change how they work. This popularity is also reflected in Riot’s decision to extend the ARAM Mayhem game mode.

Top 10 Arena Augments In LoL

Here’s a list of the 10 best Arena augments. We didn’t include any augments that are specific to only one champion, like Draven’s Blood Brother or Zaahen’s Undying Guard.

AugmentTierNotes
Transmute: PrismaticGoldGrants a random Prismatic Augment
DesecratorSilverImmobilizing enemies grants permanent Cursed Power, which increases Armor and MR
It’s Killing TimeGoldCasting an ultimate applies Death Mark to all enemies (stores damage, then detonates)
Demon’s DanceGoldGives Fleet Footwork + Grasp of the Undying Keystones
Jeweled GauntletPrismaticAbilities can crit, plus bonus crit chance
Draw Your SwordPrismaticTurns your champion melee and converts the lost range into big stat gains
Outlaw’s GritGoldGives Attack Speed, then adds permanent AS after each round
Tank EngineGoldGives bonus HP and increased size on takedowns
Thread the NeedleGoldGrants Armor Penetration and Magic Penetration
GoliathPrismaticIncreases size, HP, and Adaptive Force
League of Legends Arena augment selection screen showing Firebrand, Vengeance, and With Haste
LoL Arena Augments. Image source: Riot Games

FAQs

Is Arena permanent in 2026?

No. Riot Games did not confirm that Arena will remain a permanent game mode throughout 2026, but the devs revealed it will remain in-game at least until June.

Who are the best Arena champions right now?

The best Arena picks at the moment are Zaahen, Cho’Gath, Vi, Sett, Olaf, and Sion, based on the latest available pick and win rates in the current meta.

What’s a strong Arena duo to start with?

If you want a clean starting point for your LoL Arena duo play, Zaahen + Sett is one of the strongest pairings in the game right now—and they are not hard to play.

What are the best Augments for LoL Arena in 2026?

Currently, the five best augments you can pick in Arena are Transmute: Prismatic, Desecrator, It’s Killing Time, Demon’s Dance, and Jeweled Gauntlet.

References

  1. The Best League of Legends Builds LoL Build Champion Probuilds LoL Runes Tier List Counters Guides (U GG)