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Riftbound Digital Version: Riot Games Hints at an Online Release for the TCG
Riot Games is hinting at a potential digital release for its trading card game, Riftbound. The article discusses the possibility of the game becoming available through Riot's launcher in the near future.
Riftbound: Radiance Rarest Cards - Riot Games Music Crossovers Dominate the Set
The fifth set for Riftbound, titled Radiance, introduces rare showcase cards that feature crossovers with Riot Games Music acts like Heartsteel, True Damage, and K/DA. The set includes Overnumbered cards and highlights the rarest card in the trading card game.
How a League of Legends champion becomes a Riftbound card
Riftbound's Game and Design Director Dave Guskin explains the process of translating League of Legends champions into collectible card game mechanics. The team focuses on capturing the essence of a champion's 'kit' and thematic identity, sometimes requiring significant iteration to ensure fun and faithful representation, as seen with Darius and Rengar.
Hytale boss promises free copies of the sandbox RPG for your friends if you grab its fanciest founder's edition
Hypixel Studios founder Simon Collins-Laflamme announced that players purchasing the Hytale Cursebreaker Edition will receive additional free copies of the sandbox RPG for each chapter released before version 1.0. This incentive aims to reward early supporters and celebrate the upcoming Chapter 1 update, which introduces new gameplay mechanics, gear, and a goblin faction.
The EU Is Coming For Gaming’s Most Manipulative Monetization Tactics
European consumer protection authorities are taking action against 10 video game companies, including Activision Blizzard and Ubisoft, for employing "dark patterns" and manipulative monetization tactics. These practices, such as selling in-game currency in fixed bundles that force overspending and obscuring real-world costs, are accused of putting minors and vulnerable individuals at risk of gaming addiction. Some games like Fortnite are beginning to offer exact currency purchases, but many still rely on exploitative bundle deals.
I like the 2026 League of Legends Worlds anthem, but it isn't the True Damage comeback I wanted
The author expresses disappointment with the latest League of Legends Worlds anthem, 'Know My Name,' feeling it prioritizes Lee 'Faker' Sang-hyeok and T1 over the True Damage group. While acknowledging Faker's legendary status, the piece criticizes the lack of focus on other players and the True Damage group itself, suggesting the music video's direction misses the mark for this year's US-based tournament.
Former Last of Us and Uncharted 4 dev has "good and bad" thoughts about Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, but he's glad "someone is taking big risks on art like that"
Former Naughty Dog artist Matt Radford, who worked on The Last of Us and Uncharted 4, expresses optimism for Naughty Dog's upcoming game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. He acknowledges having both positive and negative thoughts but is glad to see a major studio taking significant artistic risks at a high level, noting that Sony's hardware sales strategy allows Naughty Dog creative freedom.
Riot Games announces a final hurrah for its ill-fated fighting game 2XKO, with a surprise character joining the roster this month
Riot Games has released a final update for its fighting game 2XKO, which is being sunsetted later this year. The update introduces Samira as the 16th character and also features a surprise reveal of Sett, a character previously requested by fans. Despite the game's short lifespan and eventual discontinuation due to low player retention, it will remain playable.
Mixtape wins three awards at Australian Game Developer Awards 2026, including GOTY
Beethoven & Dinosaur's Mixtape won Game of the Year, Excellence in Art, and Excellence in Sound Design at the Australian Game Developer Awards 2026. Judges lauded the title as a "triumph in virtual storytelling." Other notable wins included Tempo Lab Games' Bits & Bops for Excellence in Gameplay and Accessibility, and Uppercut Games taking home Studio of the Year.
Riot locks down League of Legends match replays, leaving plenty players in the dark
Riot Games has restricted access to League of Legends match replays, allowing players to only view their own past games. This change is intended to close security vulnerabilities exploited by cheat developers, but it significantly impacts coaches and content creators who rely on replays for analysis and content.
League of Legends to add five new augments, one of which is a load of bees
League of Legends is introducing five new augments to its ARAM Mayhem game mode in patch 26.21. These augments, including 'Get Jinxed,' 'Brass Blast,' 'BEES!!!,' 'Totentanz,' and 'Salvation,' add over-the-top effects and mechanics to the fast-paced mode.
Most Common Mistakes New Players Make in One Block Minecraft Bedrock
This article analyzes the effectiveness and detection methods of anti-cheat software used in popular online games like Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, Call of Duty, and Fortnite. It details how systems like VAC, Vanguard, Ricochet, and BattlEye utilize machine learning and kernel-level monitoring to identify cheaters, emphasizing that 'undetectable' software only reduces risk, not eliminate it. The piece also covers the consequences of bans, including account wipes, potential IP bans, and damage to streaming or esports careers, while noting that false positives can occur.
New League Classic update brings back "one of the worst-designed spells in League of Legends"
League of Legends Classic patch 5 introduces five reworked champions: Aatrox, Irelia, Karma, Quinn, and Caitlyn, with Game Designer David 'Phreak' Turley overseeing the quality of these classic iterations. Karma's 'Spirit Bond' ability is highlighted as particularly awkward and "one of the worst-designed spells" by Turley. The patch also includes balance adjustments with nerfs to Graves, Fizz, and Fiora, and buffs to Nautilus and Kennen.
Valorant player claims to have inherited hardware ban through secondhand CPU, Riot anticheat boss disputes parts of…
A Valorant player claims to have inherited a hardware ban from a secondhand CPU, a story disputed by Riot Games' anti-cheat head Phillip Koskinas. While Koskinas stated that hardware bans are temporary and do not spread to other components, the player's experience highlights concerns about advanced anti-cheat measures and potential support miscommunications.
Evening Reading - October 2, 2026
This Friday reading covers a variety of gaming news including updates on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Fortnite, Minecraft, and Monster Hunter Wilds. It also touches on the cancellation of PUBG's Black Budget, Deadlock's Rat King, and Team Fortress 2's Scream Fortress event. Additionally, there are mentions of game deals, a review of Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and updates for World of Warcraft and Marvel Snap.
2XKO needed 'hundreds of thousands' of daily active users to survive, says Riot Games CPO
Riot Games' fighting game 2XKO required hundreds of thousands of daily active users to remain sustainable before its discontinuation. CPO Marc Merrill stated that the game's retention and engagement metrics did not meet the high bar needed for its cost structure. He compared its potential success to Street Fighter 6, noting that 2XKO's chances might have been better if released earlier, but internal strategic misalignment also contributed to its downfall.
There are "all sorts of smart reasons" the League of Legends MMO shouldn't be made, Riot boss says, but…
Riot Games co-founder Marc Merrill acknowledges numerous 'smart reasons' why the League of Legends MMO shouldn't be made, citing the genre's challenges and existing competition. Despite these concerns, he expresses confidence in the project, highlighting the dedicated Runeterra fanbase and Riot's resources. However, the recent cancellation of the fighting game 2XKO has left fans cautious about the MMO's future.
Metal desks nearly destroyed a Valorant tournament
The Valorant Champions tournament in Shanghai experienced significant disruptions due to interference issues with wireless gaming mice, reportedly caused by custom metal desks. Riot Games has mandated players switch to wired mice to resolve the problem, acknowledging that a round rollback should have been allowed in one instance. This technical issue has caused tech pauses and potentially impacted player performance.
Riot needed absurd player counts 'in the high hundreds of thousands, if not millions' for 2XKO, dooming it…
Riot Games has canceled the development of its fighting game 2XKO, with co-founder Merrill stating that the game would have required "high hundreds of thousands, if not millions" of monthly active users to sustain as a live service. This target is deemed unrealistic compared to successful titles like Street Fighter 6 and Guilty Gear: Strive. The decision has led to layoffs and raises questions about Riot's market research and confidence in niche genres.
Riot has "all sorts of smart reasons" to not make its League of Legends MMO, but Marc Merrill is confident it'll succeed
Riot Games co-founder Marc Merrill discussed the company's approach to developing a League of Legends MMO, acknowledging the significant challenges and risks involved in the genre. He emphasized that the decision to proceed is driven by the deep existing fanbase and the desire to let players live in the established Runeterra world, despite market trends and development complexities.
