Riftbound

Riftbound
Publishers
  • UVS Games (WW)
  • Shining Soul (China)
Release date31 October 2025[1]
Players2+
Related games
League of Legends
Websiteriftbound.com

Riftbound: League of Legends Trading Card Game, also known as Riftbound, is a trading card game developed by Riot Games, set in the League of Legends universe. The English version is being published by UVS Games, while the Chinese release is handled by Shining Soul.

Development and release

Development of Riftbound began in 2023,[2] led by game director Dave Guskin, who previously served as director for Riot Games' digital trading card game (TCG) Legends of Runeterra,[3] and executive producer Chengran Chai.[4] In September 2024, a trailer for Rune Battlegrounds, an upcoming TCG based on the League of Legends intellectual property, was leaked on Twitter. The game was scheduled for release in early 2025 exclusively in China, with no plans for a global release.[5] In December 2024, Riot Games officially announced the TCG under the working title Project K, confirming its release for early 2025 in China. A global release was also confirmed; however, no release date was provided, as Riot had yet to secure a publishing partner for other regions.[2] In February 2025, UVS Games was announced as official publishing and distribution partner for English-speaking countries, with additional global regions planned for 2026.[6] In the following month, Riot announced the title of the game as Riftbound: League of Legends Trading Card Game, with a planned launch in China in Summer 2025. Shining Soul was confirmed as the publisher and distributor in the region.[7]

The first set, titled Origins, was released in China in August 2025,[8] followed by an English-language release on October 31, 2025.[9][10] The launch encountered three problems. First, supply was insufficient to meet the high demand.[11] Second, some cards had burred or rough edges.[12] Third, a certain percentage of booster packs contained fewer rare cards than intended due to a collation error.[13] The collation problem also affected the second set and Riot offered replacement cards, limited to three per person and six per household.[12]

Gameplay

A typical game of Riftbound involves two or more players who engage in a battle representing a Champion from the League of Legends universe. Every player must bring their own main deck and rune deck, along with a Champion Legend and a number of Battlefields determined by the selected game mode. The rune deck consists of 12 rune cards which serve as resource for playing cards from the main deck. The main deck must contain at least 40 cards, including spells, units and gear cards.[14][15]

Sets

# Set name Set code Release date Size Notes Ref.
1 Origins OGN October 31, 2025 298 [9]
2 Spiritforged SFD February 13, 2026 221 [16][17]
3 Unleashed UNL May 8, 2026 Introduces several new keywords (Ambush, Level, Hunt) and the Ultimate card rarity. [18][19][20]
4 Vendetta July 31, 2026 [18][19]
5 Radiance October 23, 2026

Reception

Hamish Hector, writing for TechRadar, praised Riftbound for being easy to pick up for newcomers, even those without prior TCG experience, while still offering tactical depth.[21] Lauren Bergin of PCGamesN highlighted the unique feeling of different champions, but expressed concerns about the game's longevity in an already saturated market where it needs to compete with other TCGs such as Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon Trading Card Game, and Disney Lorcana.[14]

References

  1. ^ Coombes, Lloyd (2025-07-30). "Riot Games' League of Legends Card Battler Riftbound Gets Release Date and Product List". IGN. Archived from the original on 2025-07-31. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  2. ^ a b Goslin, Austen (2024-12-06). "League of Legends trading card game will bring teamfights to the real world". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2025-05-02. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
  3. ^ Mamon, Mike (2025-06-27). "Riftbound Is an Impressive League of Legends Trading Card Game". IGN. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  4. ^ Marnell, Blair (2024-12-06). "Riot Unveils Project K, The League of Legends TGC". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2026-01-15. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
  5. ^ Robertson, Joshua (2024-09-09). "Rune Battlegrounds, A TCG Made By Riot, Leaks Online". TheGamer. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
  6. ^ Maas, Lea (2025-02-25). "League of Legends TCG secures publishing and distribution partner". Esports Insider. Archived from the original on 2025-08-13. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  7. ^ Sheehan, Gavin (2025-03-31). "Riftbound: League Of Legends TCG Fully Revealed". bleedingcool.com. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  8. ^ Daniels, Tom (2025-10-30). ""Our players are competitors": How Riftbound is using esports to push the TCG". Esports Insider. Retrieved 2025-11-01.
  9. ^ a b Hore, Jamie (2025-08-04). "'Overwhelming demand' for League of Legends TCG Riftbound causes pre-order chaos". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
  10. ^ Wickens, Katie (2025-04-01). "Riot Games Executive Producer "humbled" by response to League of Legends TCG, taking heed of fans' calls for better UI and original art". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 2025-06-28. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
  11. ^ Coleman, Jack (2025-12-02). "Riftbound Has A Serious Product Problem, And It's Not Going Away Any Time Soon". TheGamer. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  12. ^ a b Chancey, Tyler (2025-11-11). "Riot Games Addresses Launch Issues with Riftbound: Origins". TechRaptor. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  13. ^ Bergin, Lauren (2025-11-03). "Riot admits its League of Legends TCG Riftbound might have short-changed you on rare cards". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on 2026-01-14. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  14. ^ a b Bergin, Lauren (2025-11-15). "League of Legends TCG Riftbound is the best thing Riot's done since Arcane, but I'm not convinced it has MTG's staying power". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  15. ^ "Core Rules - Official Gameplay Guide | Riftbound". riftbound.leagueoflegends.com. 2025-06-06. Archived from the original on 2026-02-15. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  16. ^ Sheehan, Gavin (2025-08-08). "Riftbound: Spiritforged Announced For December Release". bleedingcool.com. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  17. ^ Carter, Chris (2025-11-05). "Riftbound's 2v2 Multiplayer Format Shakes Up the Trading Card Game Scene". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
  18. ^ a b Fanelli, Jason (2025-11-28). "Riftbound Exclusive Champion Unit Reveal And What's Next For The Hit League Of Legends Spin-Off". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2025-11-28. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
  19. ^ a b Carter, Chris (2026-02-23). "Riftbound Continues Its Momentum With Set 2, But Can It Keep It Up?". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 2026-03-02. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
  20. ^ Coleman, Jack (2026-03-16). "Riftbound's Unleashed Set Introduces New Mechanics: Token Battlefields, Experience And Ambush". TheGamer. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
  21. ^ Hector, Hamish (2025-11-15). "I have a new gaming obsession in Riftbound: the League of Legends spinoff I've been waiting for". TechRadar. Archived from the original on 2025-12-15. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
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