Riftbound, a new trading card game by League of Legends developer Riot Games, has announced that it will have an English release in late October.
Replying to a fan on social media, Riftbound’s X account noted that the TCG will first be released in China in August.
Announced in December 2024, Riftbound is a trading card game inspired by Riot Games’ popular esports title, League of Legends. Over the past few months, the game has been available for playtesting at various Riot events, including this year’s MSI 2025 in Canada.
Moreover, Riot Games has released documentation discussing the TCG’s rules, introduced its first set — Origins — and secured a publishing deal with UVS Games.
The launch date somewhat coincides with previous announcements from the Riftbound team, with it always expected to hit China, a highly popular League of Legends market, first.
Previously, Riot Games noted that Riftbound would be ready to launch in China in the Summer of 2025. English-speaking countries would soon follow later in the year, with additional rollouts planned for 2026.
Riot Games’ IP Expansion
The impending launch of Riftbound sees Riot Games once again expand its League of Legends IP into a new industry.
This follows the success of animated TV series Arcane and mockumentary Players, which took aspects of Riot Games’ League of Legends and esports scenes, respectively. Riot Games itself has also expanded into various avenues of the entertainment industry, most notably music by creating original ‘anthems’ for its various esports events.
Riftbound joins an already crowded TCG market, but does have the benefit of a strong brand IP following League of Legends’ popularity as a game franchise and beyond. In line with Riot Games’ other properties, which include Teamfight Tactics and VALORANT, the TCG will also have a competitive focus. This is detailed by UVS Games’ article on ‘organised play, which details regional qualifiers and an eventual world championship.
