Caitlyn’s Piltover Peacemaker gains base damage after rank one in League of Legends patch 26.21, while Headshot loses late-game damage and critical-strike scaling. Riot describes the change as a shift away from her full-build Headshots toward earlier Q damage.
These are changes in the regular 26.21 patch. Worlds uses the locked tournament patch, so this is not a mid-event alteration to Caitlyn’s Worlds balance.
Q’s first rank is unchanged
Piltover Peacemaker’s base damage changes from 50 / 90 / 130 / 170 / 210 to 50 / 95 / 140 / 185 / 230.
The gain is therefore zero at rank one, then 5, 10, 15 and 20 at the later ranks. A level-one Q does not gain damage from this particular adjustment; the extra base damage grows as points go into the ability.
Riot frames this as a power-curve adjustment rather than a blanket buff. The stronger ranked-up Q is paired with reductions to the attack that becomes especially threatening as Caitlyn’s build develops.
What Headshot loses
Headshot’s listed base AD scaling changes from 60–100% AD to 60–80% AD. The bottom of that range stays the same, while the top is reduced.
The two additional scaling terms also fall:
- The contribution per 1% critical-strike chance changes from 1% AD to 0.8% AD.
- The contribution per 1% bonus critical damage changes from 1% AD to 0.8% AD.
Both coefficients are one-fifth smaller than before. That does not make every Headshot deal 20% less damage: the attack combines several terms, and the final difference depends on Caitlyn’s stats and the target.
Why the direction matters
Riot says Caitlyn had sustained high pick and ban rates and that her late-game scaling was too strong. Reducing both critical-strike-related terms directly targets the growth of her Headshot rather than removing all of her early lane damage.