During their panel at PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia, Riot and UVS Games debuted Riftbound’s second set, Spiritforged. Hosted by Jimmy Wong and Riftbound Game Director Dave Guskin, the duo revealed a handful of new cards players can use in the upcoming expansion, as well as a roadmap for new Riftbound sets until the end of 2026 and an organized play schedule.
Spiritforged is scheduled to debut in China on December 12, with an English release date of February 13, 2026.
The panel started with Guskin detailing the history and making of Riftbound, then jumped straight into revealing the next 12 Legend cards for the set, which you can see below.
Riftbound Spiritforged will introduce new game mechanics and keywords to offer deeper strategies and deckbuilding possibilities. Some of the new cards will feature these new mechanics:
- Equipment: Gear cards that can be attached to Units to give various benefits and abilities.
- Gold: A Gear token that allows you to help pay Power costs of cards.
- Quick-Draw: Equipment cards with this ability can be used as a Reaction.
- Repeat: Allows some cards’ cost to be paid twice for double the effect.
- Weaponmaster: Upon coming into play, units with this keyword automatically attach Equipment in play.
For you collectors out there, Spiritforged is bringing back the alternate art Overnumbered cards, this time themed around the Ionia Spirit Blossom. There will be 42 total special edition cards, which will include some reprints of Origins Champions with new art, such as Ahri Inquisitive. You can pull these out of regular booster packs.
They closed out the PAX Unplugged panel with a look into Riftbound’s future after Spiritforged launches in early 2026. For now, they plan to release sets every quarter. The third set, titled Riftbound: Unleashed, launches in May 2026. Then Q3 2026 sees the launch of Vendetta, followed by a Q4 release of Radiance. You can see the full roadmap below.
If you’re more interested in the competitive side of things, the panelists also announced dates and locations for some of the biggest Riftbound tournaments around the world up until May 2026. The first Regional Qualifier outside of Japan takes place in Houston, TX this December, with events in Paris, Bologna, Las Vegas, and more slated for the next few months after.
Riftbound: Origins debuted outside of China on October 31. If you’re curious about where to start with buying to the game, we have you covered with a starter’s buying guide, but be aware that stock has been hard to come by since release. If you’re a serious collector looking to track prices and the hottest chase cards, we’ve broken down some of the most valuable Origins cards on the market, as well.
Myles Obenza is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Bluesky @mylesobenza.bsky.social.
