Riftbound rules: official documents, mechanics and patch notes
This is the reference page for the rules of Riftbound TCG, always up to date: links to the official documents, a glossary of the game's mechanics, the patch notes for every set with our analyses, and the format rules. We update it with every Riot rules update — bookmark it.
The sourcesThe official documents
- 📘 Rules Hub — the official page collecting everything: Core Rules, Tournament Rules, patch notes, errata and ban lists.
- ⚙️ Core Rules — the game's engine: deckbuilding, timing, the chain, effect resolution. Updated with every set (latest revision: Vendetta, effective July 24, 2026).
- 🏆 Tournament Rules — the rules for sanctioned play: procedures, penalties, sideboards, the judges' role.
- 🚫 Ban list — the cards banned per format: you'll find it always up to date here.
The glossaryRiftbound's mechanics, in short
Empower / Empowered / Disempower (from Vendetta)
Empower is an activated ability with a cost: pay it and the card becomes «empowered», a status that lasts while it stays on the board. On its own it does nothing: it switches on the effects with the Empowered keyword. Disempower removes the status.
Flow (from Vendetta)
An alternate cost on spells: it lets you play them straight from the trash; after resolving, the card is banished. Flow cards carry a dedicated symbol in their text box.
Burn (from Vendetta)
«Burn X» = put X cards from the top of your Main Deck into your trash. There are triggers tied to burning and effects that count the cards burned in a turn.
Skip (from Vendetta)
A replacement effect that replaces a part of the turn with... nothing: the skipped step generates no triggers and no attached procedures.
Untargetable
An untargetable unit can't be chosen by enemy spells and abilities. If it becomes untargetable after being targeted, the spell «mistargets» on resolution and any instructions related to it are ignored.
Accelerate
An optional additional cost: pay it and the unit enters ready (it generates a delayed replacement — it works even if the keyword is lost during finalization, as long as the cost was paid).
Hidden
Lets you hide a card by paying its Hidden cost and play it later as a reaction. The targeting restriction on hidden spells applies to each choice separately.
Deathknell / «When I die»
Abilities that trigger when their source dies: since the Vendetta rules update, every death trigger uses information from when the source was still on the board.
Contested / Showdown
A battlefield becomes contested when enemy units arrive there; from that state a showdown (and possibly combat) opens. During cleanup, contested status is removed if the player who applied it no longer has units there.
Tokens
Game objects generated by effects (like Recruits): they don't exist in the deck and vanish when they leave the board. Being a card or a token is a nature that never changes, whatever copy or transformation the object undergoes.
The historyPatch notes and errata, set by set
| Set | Official patch notes | Errata | Our analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vendetta (2026) | Core Rules: Vendetta | — | Empower, Flow, Burn and everything that changes |
| Unleashed (2026) | Core Rules: Unleashed | Unleashed errata | Errata & rulings guide |
| Spiritforged (2026) | Core Rules: Spiritforged | Spiritforged errata | Errata & rulings guide |
| Origins (2025) | Core Rules: Origins | Origins errata | Getting-started guides |
The formatsStandard and 2v2
Standard Constructed is the main format: your deck is built on your Legend's domains, with a sideboard of up to 10 cards (raised from 8 by the July 2026 Tournament Rules update) and every set legal — Vendetta included from July 24, 2026. 2v2 Constructed is the team format: points are shared by the team and it has a dedicated ban list that inherits the Standard one and adds cards banned only there.
The banned cards for both formats are in our always up-to-date ban list; to play in person, check the Zone tournaments and our guides.
Frequently asked questionsRules FAQ
Where can I find Riftbound's complete official rules?
On the Rules Hub at playriftbound.com, which hosts the always up-to-date Core Rules, Tournament Rules, patch notes, errata and ban lists. This page indexes and explains them.
What are Vendetta's new mechanics?
Four: Empower/Empowered (a paid, lasting status), Flow (spells playable from the trash, then banished), Burn (cards from the top of the deck to the trash) and Skip (skips a part of the turn, with no triggers). Effective July 24, 2026.
How many cards can I have in my sideboard?
Up to 10, since the July 2026 Tournament Rules update (it used to be 8). The limit applies to sanctioned Constructed play.
What's the difference between the Standard and 2v2 ban lists?
The 2v2 ban list includes the entire Standard list plus the cards banned only in the team format. The complete, up-to-date lists are on our ban list page.
Sources: the official Rules Hub and Riot's announcements. Page maintained by the Riftbound Zone editorial team and updated with every rules update. Log: July 17, 2026 — created with the Vendetta rules.