Korea’s Rift Opens on September 18

It's official, Riftbound is coming to Korea. Mark your calendars; on September 18, 2026 Riftbound's Origins hits Korean shelves, bringing players new ways to play and hold their favorite champions. Few places have had a bigger impact on League of Legends than Korea, and now Korean players will get to impact Riftbound. As we bring the newest way to play in the League universe to Korea, we’re looking forward to building on the League of Legends legacy and making Riftbound feel truly at home here. 

The Riftbound x T1 2025 Worlds Champion Collection was just one of our first steps as we launch Korean Riftbound, bringing the 2025 World Champions into Riftbound with their own champ selections and signatures. Now, having seen the response from players the world over, we’re even more excited about what's ahead.

To celebrate Riftbound’s launch in Korea, players are invited to exclusive Riftbound events in two different locations in Seoul: GenG GGX (September 18-23) and Yongsan IPark Dopamine Station, 3F (September 18-30), where they can learn to play Riftbound and purchase the full range of Korean Origins products (Origins booster packs, five-card Origins booster packs, Origins Champion Decks, and Proving Grounds). Players who visit one of these locations will also have a chance to win limited edition items that are only available during this time (while supplies last)!

We wanted to take a moment and share an update on what players should expect with its launch, and what the roadmap afterwards looks like. And that will just be the beginning.

The splash of our Riftbound x T1 2025 Worlds Champion Collection announcement was amazing to see, and we were thrilled by the positive reaction as the team got to see the T1 2025 Worlds Champion Signature Edition for themselves.

That same idea carries into our launch, where we’re teaming up with Chimchakman and Nucksal. As big fans of them ourselves, we felt this was a great way to introduce players to Riftbound.

We're just getting started; we know players would love to see some familiar faces from the LCK and YouTube get their hands on Riftbound, so keep an eye out for more from streamers and competitors soon.

What Comes After Origins?

So, what comes after Origins? Quite a bit!

Spiritforged is next, launching in Korea this December!

Launching a new language for Riftbound, when we are starting with Origins, means the set release cadence has to be a compromise between letting players experience each Riftbound set as it is released, and the competing need to be faster than the global four sets-a-year cadence, so that they can eventually catch up with the global timing. Our goal is to bring Korean Riftbound in line with the global release schedule by the start of 2028 with Riftbound’s tenth set, meaning we will launch seven Riftbound sets in Korea during 2027, from Unleashed (Set 3) up to the unnamed Set 9.

The T1 Player Bundle will also be available in Korea later this year, matching the timing in the rest of the world. We'll have more information in the future, so stay tuned! 

Where Should I Start

Before we get to Spiritforged and more, if you’re brand new to Riftbound with Origins launching, then there are several products you should look for to start your journey into the game:

Proving Grounds

Launching in Korean, Proving Grounds is a four-player box that comes with four complete Riftbound decks ready to be played out of the box. Meaning you and three friends are able to play with this single purchase!

Jinx, Lee Sin, and Viktor Origins Champion Decks

Origins includes three Champion decks, featuring Jinx, Lee Sin, and Viktor. Each of these are complete decks, ready to be played immediately. 

A Few Surprises for Korea

We wanted to mark Riftbound’s arrival in Korea with a few special surprises that we knew we could only do here: two promos available through Korean launch events, plus a new Overnumber Ahri that can be found exclusively in Korean Origins packs.

Jinx, Demolitionist

Players have already spotted this version of Jinx, Demolitionist at MSI + Wildfest at our Riftbound booth. It features her original art with a special launch stamp to mark the occasion.

Yasuo, Remorseful

Also first appearing at MSI + Wild Fest, this version of Yasuo, Remorseful features brand-new art from South Korean artist Kim Star. Our art team was drawn to Kim’s work and the Korean cultural influences found throughout their style that felt truly tailored to launch.

Yasuo will also be exclusively available at select Origins launch events in Korea, though you may have to look a little harder to find him than Jinx. 

Ahri, Nine-Tailed Fox

And then there’s Ahri.

Korean Origins booster packs will feature a new Overnumber Ahri, Nine-Tailed Fox, created especially for Riftbound’s launch in Korea. This version will appear alongside the original Ahri Overnumber in Korean Origins packs.

The artwork features a nod to Dynasty Ahri and was created by Allen Song, a Korean art director for Riftbound. Ahri herself debuted alongside League’s arrival in Korea, and we couldn’t think of a better champion to make a special card for.

We don't plan to introduce Korean-exclusive cards in boosters often, but this one seemed like the perfect celebration of League history for Riftbound's arrival.

Introducing the Korean Standard Format

With Riftbound launching in Korea for the first time while much of the world is up to Radiance, we want players in Korea to enter the Rift on a level playing field, with a community experiencing the same releases and same shared information.

That’s why we’re introducing Korean Standard alongside the release cadence; a temporary constructed format where the available card pool will grow alongside Riftbound’s Korean releases. This means events in South Korea will be, by default, using the Korean Standard format. This format is defined by the sets which have been released in Korean.

Imagine showing up to your first Nexus Night with a modified Origins Lee Sin Champion Deck and sitting across from a fully tuned deck built from cards released before Riftbound was even available in Korean. Not exactly the welcome we have in mind.

Instead, with the Korean Standard format, everyone starts with Origins and experiences each set together on the level playing field. 

When Riftbound launches on September 18, Korean Standard will include cards from Origins. When Spiritforged arrives in December, it expands to Origins + Spiritforged. From there, the card pool will continue to grow with each Korean set release until global parity is achieved. This means this format is temporary by design.

The goal is simple: give the Korean community time to experience each set and build their collections, while steadily catching up with Riftbound players around the globe.

The global banned list will still apply to the Korean Standard format, so any cards on it are banned in Korean Standard.

Additionally, this is meant to be the default option in the region until we reach global parity. But players and stores can opt to play using the global Standard format, if they want. We just believe that having the Korean Standard format as default will help the community as it grows.

Playing Riftbound in Korea

One of the great things about TCGs is that all you need to play are two people, two decks, and a place to sit. As we thought about Riftbound in Korea, we wanted to meet players in the places they already are.

Local game stores are a huge part of that and will remain a core element of Riftbound in Korea. But in Korea, we also knew we wanted Riftbound to be in PC bangs; places that have long been part of how League players meet, play, and spend time together, as well as a core part of creating experiences for Korean players. 

We’re working with PC bang operators, including some of our longtime favorites and partners such as Gen.G GGX. Their PC bang will be a flagship and feature a dedicated Riftbound area and play opportunities. 

We know not every PC bang has the same footprint, and we don’t expect Riftbound to look the same in each one. For some, it might be as simple as being able to grab some Riftbound packs to crack between games; for others, you might find dedicated gaming tables, events, and a full place to play.

We’re excited to see what Korean players make of Riftbound and how communities take shape across PC bangs, local game stores, events, and more.

From Nexus Nights to Competitive Play

Given the Korean release cadence, we’re also building an Organized Play experience specifically for Riftbound in Korea so we can ensure there will be places to play and competitive play that feels meaningful and exciting.

Nexus Nights will be the starting point: our weekly program where you can learn, meet other players, bring a deck, play some games, join your local Riftbound community, and maybe even get a Korean GG EZ Teemo.

For players looking for something more competitive, while Korean Riftbound catches up to the global set schedule, we’re building a unique Korean competitive pathway for 2027 that starts this December! This is the first event of a touring series for Korean players which continues through 2027.

We’ll have much more to share about Organized Play plans soon! Details on where to buy Korean Riftbound, pricing, and participating locations will also be shared through official channels ahead of September 18.

You can visit PlayRiftbound.com anytime to find upcoming Riftbound events near you.

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We’re incredibly excited to be launching Riftbound in South Korea. Be sure to follow @RiftboundKR to stay up to date about what’s happening.