Riot Games, the studio behind one of the world's most enduring competitive games, stepped into the physical card game space with a clear architectural vision: two expansions in 2026, each anchored by nine champions, each designed to give both newcomers and veterans a reason to sit down at the table. Vendetta in July and Radiance in October are not merely product launches — they are a declaration that Riftbound is being built to last, with structure and rivalry as its philosophical foundation.
Riot Games Unveils Riftbound TCG Expansions: Vendetta and Radiance Sets
Nine champions per set, allowing deeper exploration of each champion's identity
Mark
So Riot is releasing two expansions in the same year. That's a pretty aggressive schedule for a TCG. What's driving that?
Mimi
They're trying to establish a rhythm. By committing to nine champions per set and a structured release calendar, they're signaling that Riftbound isn't a one-off product—it's a sustained game with a future.
Luke
But we should note that this is what Riot announced they're planning to do. We don't yet know how the market will respond, or whether they'll actually maintain this pace if sales don't meet expectations.
Mark
Fair. What about the Showdown Decks—are those actually new, or is Riot just repackaging existing cards?
Mimi
They're new as a product category for Riftbound, but the cards themselves will be available in regular boosters too. So you're not forced to buy the precon if you want the cards—it's just a convenient entry point.
Luke
Which is smart design. It means casual players can jump in without feeling like they're missing out on exclusive content, and collectors can still chase the cards through other products.
Mark
The domain pairings sound like they're trying to open up deckbuilding. Is that a response to the game feeling too narrow?
Mimi
It's more about intentional expansion. They're adding new color combinations that haven't existed before, which gives players more strategic options without completely overhauling the game's foundation.
Luke
Though we don't have data yet on whether these new pairings actually create viable competitive decks or if they're just cosmetic additions. The proof will be in the metagame after release.
Mark
And Radiance is thematically different from Vendetta—creativity versus rivalry. Is that just flavor, or does it affect how the game plays?
Mimi
It's both. The theme shapes which champions are included and what mechanics they emphasize, which does change the game's texture. But we won't know the mechanical depth until the full card list is revealed.
Luke
Exactly. Right now we have announcements and product details. The actual gameplay story—whether these sets are balanced, whether they create interesting decisions—that comes after release.
The Pulse
- Riot arrived at GAMA Expo 2026 not with a single announcement but with a full-year roadmap, signaling that Riftbound is no longer a pilot — it's a commitment.
- Vendetta's 160+ cards and nine champion legends introduce new domain pairings that fundamentally reshape how players construct decks, raising the competitive stakes for the game's growing community.
- The Showdown Decks — two complete rival decks in one box, Zed versus Shen — lower the barrier to entry dramatically, letting a newcomer open a box and play within minutes.
- Radiance shifts the emotional register entirely, trading Vendetta's conflict and rivalry for themes of creativity and brilliance, with Evelynn, Ekko, and Seraphine leading a 180-card set.
- By standardizing nine champions per set and committing to quarterly releases, Riot is sending a message to the TCG market: this game has a roadmap, and they intend to honor it.
Riot Games, the studio behind one of the world's most enduring competitive games, stepped into the physical card game space with a clear architectural vision: two expansions in 2026, each anchored by nine champions, each designed to give both newcomers and veterans a reason to sit down at the table. Vendetta in July and Radiance in October are not merely product launches — they are a declaration that Riftbound is being built to last, with structure and rivalry as its philosophical foundation.
At GAMA Expo 2026, Riot Games laid out a structured future for Riftbound, its physical trading card game set in the League of Legends universe. Two expansions are on the horizon: Vendetta on July 31st and Radiance on October 23rd — and together, they reveal a company that has decided exactly what kind of card game it wants to build.
Vendetta brings more than 160 cards and nine champion legends to the table, including Nasus, Renekton, Akali, Zed, and Shen. Riot has settled on nine champions as the standard per set, a deliberate choice meant to give each champion a fully realized gameplay identity rather than spreading development thin across a larger roster. New domain pairings — Fury and Calm, Mind and Body, Chaos and Order — open fresh deckbuilding paths while staying true to the thematic world of Runeterra. Over 50 Showcase cards round out the premium collectible tier, spotlighting rival duos like Vi and Jinx, and Jayce and Viktor.
The most significant product innovation is the Showdown Deck: a two-player preconstructed box containing two complete 56-card decks built around rival champions. Vendetta's version pits Zed against Shen, each deck ready to play straight out of the box. All Showdown Deck cards will also appear in standard boosters, ensuring collectors aren't forced into a single product path.
Radiance arrives in October with a different emotional tone — creativity and brilliance rather than conflict. Its 180 cards and 60+ Showcase cards introduce Evelynn to Riftbound alongside returning champions Ekko and Seraphine, who will face off in their own Showdown Deck pairing.
The cadence speaks for itself. Riot, a company that has spent years expanding League of Legends into animation, music, and esports, is now treating tabletop as a sustained pillar of that ecosystem — not an experiment, but a franchise with a future.
Riot Games walked into GAMA Expo 2026 with a clear message about the future of Riftbound, its physical trading card game set in the League of Legends universe: the company is doubling down on structure, rivalry, and the kind of preconstructed products that let new players sit down and play immediately.
Two expansions are coming. Vendetta arrives on July 31st, followed by Radiance on October 23rd. Together, they represent a deliberate shift in how Riot is building out the game's card pool and competitive depth. Vendetta will contain more than 160 cards across nine champion legends—a number Riot has decided will be the standard going forward. The company believes this format allows each champion to have a more fully realized gameplay identity rather than spreading resources across a larger roster. Among the champions making their Riftbound debut in Vendetta are Nasus, Renekton, Akali, Mel, Ambessa, Zed, and Shen.
The expansion introduces new domain pairings that reshape how players build decks. These color combinations—Fury and Calm (red and green), Mind and Body (blue and orange), and Chaos and Order (purple and yellow)—open fresh deckbuilding paths while maintaining the thematic coherence of Runeterra, the world where League of Legends takes place. Vendetta also features over 50 Showcase cards, a premium collectible tier that includes special artwork highlighting rival duos like Vi and Jinx, and Jayce and Viktor.
But the real product innovation is the Showdown Decks, Riftbound's first two-player preconstructed offering. Each box contains two complete 56-card decks built around rival champions—Vendetta's version features Zed versus Shen. A player opens the box and finds two ready-to-play decks, each containing 40 cards, 12 runes, one Champion Legend, and three battlefields, plus two Vendetta booster packs. All cards in the Showdown Decks will also be available in standard boosters, so collectors aren't locked into a single product to complete their sets. The Showdown Decks retail for a price point Riot has not yet disclosed, though the broader product line includes 24-pack Display Booster Boxes at $119.99, Champion Decks at $19.99, and the Vault—a storage product with six boosters, 36 basic runes, three promo tokens, and a reusable box.
Radiance, arriving in October, shifts thematic ground. Where Vendetta explores rivalry and conflict, Radiance centers on creativity and brilliance across Runeterra. The set will contain 180 cards with more than 60 Showcase cards. Three champions have been announced: Evelynn (new to Riftbound), Ekko, and Seraphine. Like Vendetta, Radiance will have its own Showdown Deck product, pairing Seraphine and Evelynn as rivals.
This cadence and structure signal Riot's confidence in the physical card game as a sustained business. The company, founded in 2006, has spent the last decade expanding League of Legends beyond its video game roots into animated series, music, and now tabletop products. Riftbound sits alongside the League World Championship and the VALORANT Champions Tour as part of a broader ecosystem designed to keep the franchise alive across multiple formats and audiences. By locking in nine champions per set and committing to quarterly releases, Riot is telling both casual players and competitive TCG audiences that this game has a roadmap—and a future.
Notable Quotes
Future releases will feature nine champions per set, a format that allows deeper exploration of each champion's archetype and gameplay identity— Riot Games announcement
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