Preview season for Riftbound: Radiance, the fifth set of the League of Legends trading card game, is officially underway. Riot Games has published an overview covering the schedule, new mechanics, collectibility and product lineup. The theme? Mastery: performing at your absolute peak, under the brightest lights, with everything at stake. And true to that stage vibe, the set leans hard into music, featuring some of LoL’s most famous bands and nine new Legends.
ℹ️ Riot will update its overview on October 5 and October 16 at 10:00 AM PT. We’ll keep you posted.
Dev video
For a first look at the set (and Dave’s deep love for karaoke), Riot released a developer video:
Key dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Card previews | September 25 → October 9, 2026 |
| Merch Store drawing sign-up | September 25 → 30, 2026 |
| Drawing selection begins | October 5, 2026, around 9:00 AM PT |
| Pre-Rifts in stores | October 16 → 22, 2026 |
| Official release | October 23, 2026 |
The set launches in English, French and Chinese.
Three new mechanics
Deploy
Deploy Gear can only be played to a Battlefield, where it grants benefits as long as it stays there. The catch: as soon as an opponent holds that Battlefield, the Gear is killed. It’s a mechanic built around board control.
Show Off
Reveal a qualifying card from your hand or board to unlock an extra effect on the card you’re playing. Expect plenty of synergy-driven, swingy turns.
Disarm
Working much like Assault, Disarm lowers an enemy Unit’s Might when you attack. Instances stack, so the more Disarm you have, the bigger the reduction.
New card types
Equipment Units
Gear Units debuted in Vendetta with Patched Porobot. Now, thanks to Orianna’s Legend effect, Equipment can become Units too. One rules note: an Equipment that turns into a Unit is automatically unequipped, so no stacking Units on top of Units!
New token: Bomb
Bombs are little “gifts” for your opponent, and the more you play, the bigger the explosion. An explosive new archetype in the making.
Collectibility
A rarer Ultimate Rare
Radiance brings Riftbound’s second Ultimate Rare. Riot admits the first one, the Baron from Unleashed, turned out less rare than intended. This time it will be significantly harder to pull: on average it shows up in about 0.025% of booster packs (roughly 1 in 4,000). Nothing is guaranteed per pack, box or case. The card itself will be revealed near the end of spoiler season.
Booster pack contents
- 7 Commons
- 3 Uncommons
- 1 Foil (Common, Uncommon, Rare or Epic)
- 1 Rare or Epic
- 1 “hit” slot: Rare, Epic, Alt Art, Special Alt, Overnumber or Ultimate Rare
- 1 Token, Rune or Alt Art Rune
- 1 informational insert
Showcase treatments
- Special cards: following the success of Vendetta’s Crystal Rose cards, Riot promises new Special cards later in preview season. They appear at roughly the same rate as Alt Arts.
- Overnumbers: all nine new Legends get Overnumbered versions, also available with an artist signature. That includes the Heartsteel boys, back with a modern fashion makeover.
- Alt Art Runes: music-inspired Runes, fully revealed after the October 5 update.
Product lineup
- Booster Display: Ekko and Seraphine take center stage on the box art, backed by Ziggs and Jarvan.
- Showdown Decks: Seraphine (Legend: Starry-Eyed Songstress) versus Evelynn. Full decklists drop on October 16.
- Vault: returns with a storage box, 6 Radiance boosters, foil tokens and a set of 36 Runes.
- Pre-Rift Kits: 5 boosters plus a seeded Pre-Rift pack, available for each of the nine new Legends.
In-store promos and events
- Pre-Rift: attendees get the promo card Heimerdinger, Academy Instructor, while supplies last.
- Nexus Nights: promo packs are being refreshed with Radiance cards; the list arrives October 16.
- Summoner Skirmish 1: starts November 9, 2026.
- Summoner Skirmish 2: starts December 14, 2026. The winner also takes home the Skirmish Playmat.
Some rewards are still under wraps and will be announced on October 5.
Our take
With three mechanics built around positioning (Deploy), hand synergy (Show Off) and aggression (Disarm), Radiance looks like a rich set for deckbuilders. For collectors, a 0.025% Ultimate Rare and signed Heartsteel Overnumbers could push booster demand up right from launch. See you on October 23!