Riftbound's First State of the Game Update Offers Players a Deeper Look Into Their Plans for 2026

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Riot has released its archetypal State of the Game update connected Riftbound, a biannual blog-style station designed to support the assemblage informed. In it, we got a much elaborate look astatine upcoming organized play events, teases for upcoming expansions and cards, solidified dates for sets beyond Spiritforged, and interviews with Game Director Dave Guskin and Executive Producer Changran Chai, which connection penetration into what the squad has learned since the crippled launched successful October of past year.

Riot antecedently announced the archetypal fractional of the organized play roadmap for 2026 during PAX Unplugged, but we present person the afloat picture. After the Las Vegas Regional Qualifier connected February 27, fans tin expect much Regional Qualifiers each astir the US and Europe, culminating successful the last Regional Qualifier successful Riot's hometown of Los Angeles successful September. See the full, finalized tourney docket below.

The update besides provided a much elaborate breakdown of erstwhile to expect previews for the remainder of the year's expansions starts; Unleashed previews commencement March 16, Vendetta connected June 22, and Radiance kicks disconnected connected September 21. We person a afloat breakdown of Riftbound's 2026 merchandise docket with afloat dates and details.

The astir important updates travel from the interviews with Guskin and Chai. State of the Game updates are intended to beryllium transparent updates connected the lessons the Riftbound squad has learned passim its lifecycle, and it's evident they've learned galore hard lessons already. To start, mechanically unsocial cards from abstracted products similar Proving Grounds volition not beryllium contiguous moving forward; "we’ve learned our acquisition and bash not program to see mechanically unsocial cards successful aboriginal iterations of this product", says Chai. Proving Grounds offered almighty cards not disposable unfastened successful the main Origins set, and with Spiritforged, we'll spot reprints of those cards arsenic a mode to get those unsocial cards successful the hands of players who whitethorn person missed retired owed to proviso issues.

The biggest contented plaguing competitory play successful China presently is the dominance of Draven, Glorious Executioner and the purple cards that marque up astir of the deck. Guskin states that the team's doctrine down banning and/ oregon restricting cards is "that we privation to intervene astatine a minimal level needed to close an exigency state", with nary existent plans to instrumentality enactment astatine this time, opting alternatively to spot however the meta volition germinate erstwhile Spiritforged launches successful the US akin to however it did with Origins.

When asked if Riot volition beryllium supporting Riftbound digitally, Chai responded that portion they are alert of the involvement successful a integer client, their main absorption is "the in-person societal interaction, and we bash not privation that to beryllium lost".

If you're a competitory subordinate looking to be a Regional Qualifier for a accidental astatine a Best-Of metallic Legend card, they've outlined however constricted these highly sought-after prizes volition beryllium moving forward. Best-of metallic cards volition beryllium rotated retired events aft each 3 acceptable releases. So the Origins/ Proving Grounds Best-of cards volition nary longer beryllium eligible for prizing pursuing the merchandise of Vendetta connected July 31.

Finally, Chai confirmed that we volition yet spot the printing of caller Legends successful the 3 presently unused colour combinations with Vendetta.