Here’s how to play Riftbound, Riot Games’ upcoming physical trading card game, launching at the end of the year.
Riftbound, formerly known as Project K, is scheduled for release in October 2025. Riot Games has provided some helpful guides to assist players in learning the fundamentals of the physical card game, including information on decks, domains, spells, and much more.
How to play Riftbound
If you have never played any trading card game (TCG) before, here are some basics you need to know before diving into the rules of Riftbound. To play this game, you will need a deck that you can either build from scratch or start with a preconstructed one and swap out cards as you collect more to develop your own strategy.
The most important card in your deck is your champion legend, which serves as the foundation for your deck. This card determines your options for the chosen champion, who starts face-up on the board and fights on your behalf. It also defines the domains (colors) of the cards in your deck. During the game, you'll have additional units (other champion units) to send to fight, spells to boost your team, and even gear to overpower you.
Each player brings a battlefield to the game, but once play begins, any battlefield can be claimed. Move your champion and units to take control, scoring a point each time you do, and one more at the start of each turn you hold it. Reach eight points (or 11 in team play) to win a Riftbound game. Taking control isn't easy. If your opponent already has a battlefield, a fight breaks out. Units deal damage based on their might (or combat strength), and the last side standing takes control.
However, these powerful cards are not for free. Each card in your deck requires payment using rune cards from a separate deck. You gain two new runes each turn. Use them temporarily by turning them sideways, or spend them completely by returning them to your rune deck to play stronger cards. Don’t worry — they’ll return!
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Riftbound's core rules
The core rules lay the foundation for Riftbound gameplay. In Riot’s 65-page document, you’ll find detailed guidance on deckbuilding, rules, timing, card resolution, effect layering, and everything that shapes how the game flows.
These rules will be updated regularly. Riot has stated they'll release updates with every new set to ensure all cards and abilities function as intended, and may revise them even more often early on to improve clarity and completeness.
Coming soon are the Riftbound tournament rules, a separate document that covers event-specific procedures and modifications. It will include guidelines for deckbuilding across formats, start-of-match protocols, and how to use sideboards to adjust your deck between games in a match.
While optional for casual play, these rules aren’t part of the core experience and won’t appear in the core rules. The tournament rules will also offer guidance for running events and resolving in-game disputes. Riot plans to release them alongside more details about organized play.
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