League of Legends Launches New Card Game: Riftbound

Los Angeles, CA – Riot Games is venturing into the world of trading card games with its new release, Riftbound, based on the popular League of Legends franchise. This card game delivers a fresh twist on the classic multiplayer online battle arena experience, combining key elements from Maze of and other trading card games.

The development team, led by Game Director Dave Guskin, has crafted four trial decks featuring champions like Jinx, Viktor, Volibear, and Yasuo. Players can expect an accessible entry point, as Guskin’s goal was to create an approachable game that resonates with both dedicated League fans and newcomers to trading card games.

Riftbound features various card types familiar to seasoned players. Each deck is centered around a Legend card that dictates strategy and playstyle, followed by unit cards representing characters from League of Legends, spell cards for support, gear cards for additional effects, rune cards for resources, and battlefield cards that serve as points of contention, similar to lanes in traditional MObAs.

During gameplay, the combat mechanics are simplified by using one number called Might to represent a unit’s strength and health. This makes it easy for players to calculate outcomes in battles. With streamlined scoring, players can earn points by conquering and holding battlefields.

The game also introduces the unique ganking mechanic, allowing surprise attacks on enemy units, reminiscent of tactics in League of Legends itself. Players may only move between their base and a battlefield unless they possess the ganking ability, adding strategic depth to the movement phase.

Deck building is fundamental to Riftbound, with six distinct domains, each offering unique abilities, strategies, and play styles. Players may choose from aggressive, buff-focused, control-heavy, mana-ramping, movement-oriented, or token-summoning decks to create their ideal battle strategy.

Matches are designed to last under 25 minutes, fostering quick gameplay for newcomers and experienced players alike. Guskin confirms that local game stores will decide event formats, with competitive events likely following a best-of-three structure. Riftbound is set to launch this summer in China, before expanding globally by October. Riot Games aims to minimize the gap between international releases and get all regions in sync moving forward.