Riot Games’ new League of Legends Trading Card Game, Riftbound, released its first set Origins today—for the first time globally in English.
Taking the world of Legends of Runeterra off the screen and into real life. Riot Games’ new League of Legends Trading Card Game (TCG), Riftbound, released its first set Origins today—for the first time globally. This marks Riot Games’ debut in the physical TCG, bringing League of Legends champions, locales, and items to life in a tabletop format. Riftbound: Origins is the first set of the two announced sets, but the first one offers everything a player needs to begin playing in this new TCG space. CGMagazine also gained more insight into the new TCG by speaking with Riftbound EMEA Lead Nicola Cencherle at Lucca Comics & Games 2025.
Riftbound brings the deep lore and iconic champions of Runeterra into a strategic, competitive format. Designed for both new players and veterans in the TCG community, Riftbound blends accessible mechanics with rich deck-building complexity, offering fresh ways to engage with the League of Legends universe. Players will build powerful decks from across the factions of Runeterra, unleash champion-led strategies, and battle for dominance in fast-paced, decision-heavy matches. Whether you’re outwitting your opponent in the 1v1 format or discovering synergies in 2v2 or the 4-person free-for-all modes, this game delivers an ever-evolving experience shaped by regular updates and new expansions.
Cencherle stated, “Our approach to gameplay formats was centered on finding the right balance between competitive gameplay and casual fun. We focused on making sure players could interact in meaningful ways, creating memorable moments not just through gameplay mechanics, but through the social aspect as well.”
The game is designed for both competitive and social play. Riftbound supports 1v1, 2v2, and free-for-all multiplayer formats. Origins features over 300 cards, including ready-to-play Champion Decks for Jinx, Lee Sin, and Viktor, and the Proving Grounds starter box for new players.
- Each Champion Deck includes 56 cards across a variety of types such as units, legends, champions, spells, gear, runes, and battlegrounds.
- Riftbound: Proving Grounds is designed for 2–4 players and provides an accessible way to learn and play.
- Players can expand their collections with 14-card booster packs featuring a variety of rarities, which are available at launch.
When asked about differentiating this TCG from others and creating an esports scene out of this new TCG, Cencherle specified: “While the competitive TCG space is certainly growing, we believe our deep League of Legends roots allow us to offer something uniquely aligned with esports culture and competitive play. While we’re focused on delivering an exceptional global community experience and online tournaments in the short term, we definitely see the potential for larger-scale esports events in the future. The engagement and passion we’ve seen from fans of League of Legends and Valorant give us a strong foundation to build on, and we’re constantly evaluating how to bring competitive Riftbound to a wider stage.
League of Legends TCG has only been tested in Chinese markets so far. But on a global scale, this could be very interesting to watch and witness if this will get more people around the world into the TCG world. Much like Cencherle’s sentiments, hopefully the League of Legends name and lore will entice new and returning TCG players. Cencherle also went on to talk about how they are already monitoring for evolving the meta builds that competitive and community players are using. He mentioned how they want to “foster diversity in deck builds.” But if the adapting meta changes in this TCG follow Riot Games’ video games, players can expect some reasonable changes and weird ones.
One of the most troubling concerns across the TCG market and communities has been related to market inflation, scalping, and supply shortages. Cencherle reassured players, they are already “working to ensure that card availability and pricing remain in line with the game’s core values of accessibility and community. For example, [they’re] leveraging digital tools to help prevent scalping and ensure that players can get their hands on cards without overpaying.” He added that as the game grows, they will continue monitoring these issues and adjust accordingly.
This is not the best answer to hear, but it is the right one for now. Cencherle also highlighted that they are “exploring options for online play and digital rewards so that players can enjoy a great experience without worrying about the physical scarcity of cards.” As someone who does not typically play TCGs but collects the cards, I hope there are benefits to both the physical and digital spaces. Otherwise, it just makes sense to keep collecting solely physical cards. Also, those who loved Netflix’s Arcane world can expect characters and skins from those worlds.
At Lucca Comics & Games 2025, Cencherle spoke about how he and his team (along with Riot Games as a whole) were “excited to hear directly from the players and gather valuable feedback on the experience. Our main goal is to ensure that players feel engaged and excited about what’s to come with the launch. This event gives us a chance to fine-tune things like game balance, player engagement, and community support, all while continuing to build excitement for Riftbound’s official global debut.
When asked about what Cencherle personally loves about Riftbound, he said it was “deck-building freedom.” Diving deeper, he explained, “I love how you can experiment with different strategies and playstyles, whether you’re going for an aggressive deck, a control-heavy build, or a combo strategy. Also, the artwork and the world of Runeterra come to life in ways that are really exciting to see on the tabletop. The visual storytelling of each card and how it ties back to the broader League of Legends lore is something I hope players will really appreciate.”
Players can purchase Riftbound: Origins Proving Grounds starter boxes ($29.99 USD MSRP), booster boxes ($119.99 USD MSRP for a set of 24 packs), Champion Decks ($19.99 USD MSRP), and other accessories on the Riot Games Merch Store or at select local game shops. Be sure to secure Set 1 before the second set, Spiritforged receives its English release on February 13th, 2026. Riot Games noted that players can expect about four sets per year.
