Riftbound: Ultimate Guide to the League of Legends TCG and All 5 Amazing Sets
Riftbound is the League of Legends trading card game from Riot Games, and it has quickly become one of the most talked-about new card games in years. Launched in English on 31 October 2025, Riftbound lets you team up with a League champion, build a deck around their domains and battle over the lanes of Runeterra. This guide explains how Riftbound works, lists every set released so far, breaks down what is inside a booster pack and helps you decide what to buy in Australia.
If you already play games like Disney Lorcana or One Piece, you will pick up Riftbound quickly. If League of Legends is your first love, you will recognise many of the champions, abilities and places straight away.
Table of Contents
What is Riftbound?
Riftbound is a trading card game set in the League of Legends universe. Instead of reducing an opponent’s life total, players fight over battlefields, which represent locations across Runeterra. Holding and conquering those battlefields scores points, and the first player to 8 points wins a standard one-on-one game. Team games are played to 11 points.
- Publisher: Riot Games
- English launch: Origins, 31 October 2025
- Goal: be the first to score 8 points in a one-on-one game
- Deck: a Champion Legend, a Chosen Champion, a 40-card main deck and a 12-card rune deck
- Copy limit: up to 3 copies of any card in the main deck
- Domains: each Champion Legend has two domains that decide which cards you can play
The game feels familiar to League players in clever ways. Battlefields work a little like lanes, champions have abilities that echo their in-game kits, and the push and pull of holding objectives mirrors the way a real match is won by controlling the map rather than by chasing kills.
How to play Riftbound
Every deck is built around a Champion Legend, such as Jinx, Lee Sin or Viktor. The Legend starts the game in play and sets the two domains your deck can use. Your Chosen Champion is a matching champion unit that waits in its own zone, ready to be played when you need it. Runes from your rune deck are your resources, used to pay for units, spells and gear.
- Channel runes to build up your resources
- Play units, spells and gear from your hand
- Move units to battlefields to contest them
- Fight opposing units in showdowns at each battlefield
- Score points by conquering battlefields and by holding them at the start of your turn
There is one twist that decides many games: your final point usually has to come from holding a battlefield, or from scoring every battlefield in the same turn. That rule stops games from ending on a single lucky push and rewards careful planning.
Domains are the colour system of the game. There are six of them, Fury, Calm, Mind, Body, Chaos and Order, and each has its own style. Fury tends to be aggressive, Calm is steady and defensive, Mind rewards clever spells, Body favours big units, Chaos is unpredictable and Order likes structure and teamwork. Every Champion Legend combines two of them, which gives each deck a clear identity.
Every Riftbound set so far
Riot has released a new set roughly every three months since launch. Here is the full list of Riftbound sets in English.
- Origins, 31 October 2025: the first set, featuring dozens of champions from across Runeterra
- Spiritforged, 13 February 2026: more than 200 new cards and 12 new champions, many with Spirit Blossom themes
- Unleashed, 8 May 2026: a set led by champions such as Vi, Vex, LeBlanc, Master Yi and Rengar
- Vendetta, 31 July 2026: a smaller set with 166 cards and nine new Champion Legends, including Akali, Ambessa, Mel, Shen and Zed
- Radiance, 23 October 2026: 180 new cards, including around 60 showcase cards and nine new Champion Legends
Vendetta was also the first set to release on the same date in China and the rest of the world, which means English players now get new cards at the same time as everyone else.
New sets have steadily broadened the roster. Each release adds new Champion Legends, so the number of possible decks grows quickly. That variety is one reason local tournaments stay interesting, because you rarely face the same strategy twice in a night.
What is inside a Riftbound booster pack
Origins booster packs contain 14 cards: seven commons, three uncommons, two foil rares or better, one foil card of any rarity and one token. Later sets follow a similar structure. The rarest cards are showcase versions, such as alternate art cards, overnumbered cards and signature cards, which are the main chase for collectors.
Because every pack includes at least two foil rares or better, opening a booster box gives a strong spread of playable cards. That makes boxes a good way for new players to build several decks at once.
Pre-release events are worth attending if you can. Players open a small number of packs, build a deck on the spot and play several rounds with what they open. It is one of the best ways to learn new cards, meet the local community and add fresh cards to your collection on day one.
Choosing your first champion
The best first deck is one built around a champion you enjoy. Fans of fast, aggressive play often pick champions like Jinx, while players who enjoy control and clever spells may prefer Viktor or Lux. Starter decks and champion decks include a ready-to-play list with the Legend, the Chosen Champion, battlefields and runes, which is the easiest way to learn.
Once you know which domains you like, booster packs and singles let you tune your deck. The two-domain rule keeps deckbuilding simple, so it is easy to see which cards fit.
Caring for your cards is straightforward. Sleeve your deck before playing, keep foils and showcase cards in toploaders or magnetic cases, and store binders upright in a cool, dry room. Foil cards can curl in humid weather, so avoid leaving them near windows or in a hot car.
Grading is still fairly new for this game, but early graded showcase cards have drawn strong interest. If you plan to grade, check centring, corners and surface under a bright light first, because only top-condition cards justify the fees and return postage from Australia.
Riftbound for collectors
Collectors focus on showcase cards, especially overnumbered and signature versions of popular champions. The artwork draws heavily on League of Legends splash art and skins, so fans of a particular champion often collect every version of that champion across sets.
If you are buying for a League fan who has never played a card game, a starter or champion deck is the perfect gift. It includes everything needed to play and features a champion they already know, which makes the rules feel natural from the first turn.
Sealed collectors should store booster boxes flat and out of direct sunlight, with the shrink wrap intact, because first-print boxes from a brand-new game often become sought after once the early sets sell out.
Best Riftbound products to buy
- Riftbound Radiance booster box: the newest set
- Riftbound Vendetta booster box: Akali, Ambessa, Mel, Shen and Zed
- Riftbound Unleashed booster box: the third set
- Riftbound Spiritforged booster box: Spirit Blossom champions
- Riftbound Origins booster display: the set that started it all
See every box in stock on our Riftbound product page.
Riftbound FAQ
When did Riftbound come out in English?
Riftbound launched in English with Origins on 31 October 2025, after an earlier release in China.
How do you win at Riftbound?
The first player to score 8 points wins a standard game, by conquering and holding battlefields.
How many cards are in a Riftbound deck?
A deck has a Champion Legend, a Chosen Champion, a 40-card main deck and a 12-card rune deck.
Where can I learn the official rules?
Riot’s official Riftbound how to play guide explains the rules step by step.
A final tip for new players: learn one deck well before buying lots of cards. Playing the same champion for a few weeks teaches you the timing of showdowns, when to hold a battlefield and when to push for a conquest. Those skills carry over to every deck you build afterwards, and they make the game far more rewarding than chasing the strongest list straight away.
Above all, have fun with the champions you love. Card games are at their best when you enjoy the characters and the people you play with.
More trading card guides
Explore more games with our guides to Disney Lorcana, Union Arena, Weiss Schwarz and Dragon Ball Fusion World, or visit the Obsidia Collectables trading card blog.
Riftbound brings the strategy and personality of League of Legends to the table. Choose your champion, learn the battlefield rules and enjoy one of the most exciting new card games of the decade.