Getting started
This part of the guide is for players who are new to Riftbound: the League of Legends trading card game. It explains what the game is, who makes it, what you need for a first game and where to find other players.
- 3 parts
- 15 articles
About Riftbound
What Riftbound is, where it comes from and how it compares to the trading card games you may already know.
- What is Riftbound?Riftbound is the trading card game of League of Legends, made by Riot Games. Two players each build a deck around a champion, send units to fight over battlefields and score points for taking and holding them, and the first to 8 points wins.4 min
- Who makes Riftbound?Riot Games, the studio behind League of Legends, designs Riftbound and writes its rules. UVS Games manufactures the cards and gets them to stores, and partners publish the Chinese editions: Shining Soul in mainland China and Glorious Soul in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.5 min
- When did Riftbound come out?Riftbound came out in China on 1 August 2025 and in English on 31 October 2025, both times with Origins as its first set. Spiritforged, Unleashed, Vendetta and Radiance follow it, with English release dates of 13 February, 8 May, 31 July and 23 October 2026.5 min
- Do you need to know League of Legends to play Riftbound?No. Riftbound has its own rules, and its Core Rules never mention League of Legends, so a player who has never touched the video game learns it as quickly as a League fan. Knowing League helps you recognize the champions, items and places on the cards, not win games.6 min
- How does Riftbound compare to Magic, Pokémon and Lorcana?Riftbound plays much like Magic, Pokémon and Lorcana, with three big differences: you win with 8 points from taking and holding battlefields, you pay with runes from a separate deck of 12, and a main deck of at least 40 cards is built around a Legend.7 min
- Which languages is Riftbound printed in?Riftbound is printed in five editions: English, Simplified Chinese, French, Traditional Chinese and Korean. Cards of every language are the same card in the rules, so one deck can mix them, and Riot has paused adding more languages for now.7 min
- Can you play Riftbound online?Not in an official way. Riot has no digital version of Riftbound and has announced none, though it says it is thinking about one. Players who want to play at a distance use their own cards over a video call, or fan-made simulators that leave the rules to the players.6 min
Your first steps
How to go from no cards at all to your first game, at home or in a store.
- How do you start playing Riftbound?To start playing Riftbound, get a ready-made deck such as Proving Grounds, a Champion Deck or a Showdown box. Learn by playing a first game with a friend who already plays and explains each step, or from the booklet inside, then join a Learn to Play event or a weekly Nexus Night at a local store.8 min
- What do you need for a game of Riftbound?Each player needs a Riftbound deck of their own: a Champion Legend, a Main Deck of at least 40 cards with the chosen champion, 12 runes and three battlefields. Add a table, a way to count points and damage, and something to stand in for tokens. Sleeves and a playmat help, but a game at home needs neither.8 min
- What is the quickest way to learn the rules of Riftbound?The quickest way by far to learn Riftbound is to play a real first game with a friend or someone you know who plays and explains each step as you go. Without a teacher, read one short guide, such as Riot's quick start guide or the booklet in a ready-made deck, and learn the rest by playing.8 min
- Can you play Riftbound at home with a friend?Yes. Riftbound is played face to face with physical cards, so two friends need only a complete deck each and a table. A Showdown box or Proving Grounds gives both players a deck at once, and a game at home follows the same Core Rules as a game in a store, without a judge.6 min
- Where can you play Riftbound with other people?Most Riftbound players meet other players at a local game store that runs official events, above all the weekly Nexus Night. Learn to Play and Pre-Rift events, games with friends at home, open tournaments and conventions are the other places to play.7 min
- How much does it cost to start playing Riftbound?Riftbound can be started with one Champion Deck, a complete deck ready to play with a launch price of $19.99. Two players can share a Showdown box, launched at $34.99, or Proving Grounds, reprinted in 2026 at $39.99, and a weekly Nexus Night at a store most often costs 5 to 10 dollars or euros.9 min
Words to know
The words that come up in every game and every conversation about Riftbound.
- What do the most common Riftbound terms mean?Riftbound has words of its own. A Legend leads your deck, runes pay for cards with Energy and Power, units conquer and hold battlefields for points, and keywords such as Accelerate and Hidden are short names for abilities. These are the terms you meet in nearly every game.8 min
- What do set codes and abbreviations like OGN and SFD stand for?OGN, SFD and the other three-letter codes are Riot's short names for the Riftbound sets: OGN is Origins, OGS the Proving Grounds cards, SFD Spiritforged, UNL Unleashed, VEN Vendetta and RAD Radiance. Every card prints the code of its set before its number.6 min