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Legacy Nexus Cup: it's draft, starting February 5

The first Nexus Cup, the in-store tournament replacing the Summoner Skirmish in 2027, will be played as a draft. According to Riftbound Report, the recommended format for Legacy is 1v1 best-of-three draft, and stores can run their Nexus Cup between February 5 and April 9, 2027. None of this is on Riot's site yet: the October 26 announcement explained how the Nexus Cup works and what it awards, but not the format or the dates.

by Riccardo Emanuele Eustor3 min readSource: Riftbound Report

Riftbound Legacy Nexus Cup: draft format and dates
Nexus Cup window opens
in …

The formatDraft, best of three

In a draft, nobody shows up with a deck. Each player opens a pack, keeps one card and passes the rest along, and the table repeats that until the packs run out; you then build a deck from the cards you picked and play. Best of three means the first player to win two games takes the match.

Riftbound Report ties the choice to the "draft-focused design" Riot announced for its 2027 sets: starting with Legacy, cards are designed with this format in mind, and packs change too, with one common slot replaced by a Legend or a Battlefield. Events run on Swiss rounds, with a top cut the store can choose to add.

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Legacy Nexus Cup: best-of-three draft format
The format at a glance · Riftbound Report
Key terms
TermWhat it means
DraftYou build your deck at the table, picking one card at a time from packs passed around.
Best of three (Bo3)Win two games to win the match.
Swiss roundsA fixed number of rounds against players on the same record; nobody is knocked out.
Top cutAfter Swiss, the best players go into single elimination. Optional for the Nexus Cup.
Low OPLThe lowest Organized Play Level, the one used for store nights, without the strictness of big events.

Prizes and datesA nine-week window

when

February 5 – April 9, 2027

Each store picks its own date inside this window. The Nexus Cup runs once per set.

prizes

Three promos and a playmat

Participation promo, top cut promo, winner promo and a champion playmat.

The prizes match what Riot outlined in October, much like the Summoner Skirmish; the Legacy promo artwork hasn't been shown yet. One caveat worth noting: the format is listed as "recommended" and, per Riftbound Report, it is the "current" plan. Stores could choose otherwise, so expect Riot to confirm the details before February.

What stays the sameNo ladder points

Everything we already knew still holds: the Nexus Cup is about local bragging rights, crowning a store champion, and it awards no Ladder Points. For those you need the Challenge Series, which will only run at stores selected by UVS. The full picture is in our Nexus Cup and Challenge Series explainer.

Why it matters for us. Many Italian stores won't host the Challenge Series, so for plenty of players the Nexus Cup will be the biggest event at their local store. Draft is friendly to newer players: no collection or tournament deck required, everyone starts from the same packs. Our advice: ask your store now whether it plans to run one and when, and use the Legacy Pre-Rift, January 22-28, to get familiar with the new cards.

In short

  • According to Riftbound Report, the Legacy Nexus Cup is 1v1 best-of-three draft.
  • Stores can host it from February 5 to April 9, 2027, with Swiss rounds and an optional top cut.
  • Prizes: participation, top cut and winner promos plus a champion playmat. No Ladder Points.
  • The format and dates are not yet on Riot's official site.

Source: Riftbound Report; Riot Games, Riftbound 2027 Local Play. Images: Riot Games, Riftbound Report.

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