Riot Games to launch Riftbound League of Legends TCG in Korea

U.S. video game developer Riot Games will launch a Korean-language version of Riftbound, its first physical trading card game (TCG), on Sept. 18, it announced Thursday. 

Riftbound is set in the world of League of Legends (LoL), in which two to four players build decks and compete offline to control the battlefield. The game's first set, "Origins," has already been launched in North America, Europe and China since 2025. The set will make its official Korean debut later this month. 

TCG is a type of game played with collectible cards that players buy in randomized packs, called boosters, then use to build their own decks and fight opponents, often trading or collecting cards outside of gameplay itself.

A new "Ahri, Gumiho" card will be included in booster packs for the Korean edition of "Origins." Ahri is the LoL champion modeled after the Korean folk legend of the nine-tailed fox, who was introduced when the game launched in Korea in 2011. The card's artwork pays homage to LoL's "Hanbok Ahri" skin and will appear in booster packs alongside the existing Ahri card at a set drop rate. Hanbok is traditional Korean dress. 

Riot Games is set to hold launch events tied to the Korean release. Events, including chances to win limited-edition promo cards, will run at high-end gaming space GGX in Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul, from Sept. 18 to 23, and at the I'Park Mall's retail space dubbed the Dopamine Station in Yongsan District, central Seoul, from Sept. 18 to 30. "Origins" products will also be available for purchase at the two locations. 

Riot Games said it plans to grow Riftbound's community in Korea by partnering with existing TCG shops and PC bang (internet cafe) chains, installing dedicated Riftbound stores that will offer both sales and play space. “Riot Games plans to expand opportunities for players to play Riftbound with friends or purchase the game in Korea’s unique PC bang ecosystem," it said in a press release. 

More details on the Korean release of "Origins" and related launch events are available on Riftbound's official website and social media channels.

Riot Games was founded in the United States in 2006. Its debut title LoL launched in 2009 and has grown into one of the most-played PC games in the world. Riot Games' other titles include Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra, Valorant, League of Legends: Wild Rift and 2XKO.

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]