Riftbound · Set Preview
Radiance
Riftbound's fifth main set — music, radiance, stagecraft
Radiance is the fifth main Riftbound set, releasing worldwide on October 23, 2026. The official preview season runs September 25 – October 9, 2026 — reveals began at RQ Los Angeles and continue through partner drops in early October. Pre-Rift prerelease events run October 16–22 in the lead-up to launch.
The set leans into a music-and-stagecraft aesthetic with Seraphine and Evelynn as headline champions. Radiance keeps Vendetta's smaller 9-Legend format but pushes the collectable side further with 180 cards, 66 Showcase treatments, and a new Ultimate Rare tier for chase pulls.
Key facts
- Release date
- October 23, 2026
- Preview season
- September 25 – October 9, 2026
- Pre-Rift window
- October 16 – 22, 2026
- Set code
- RAD
- Set size
- 180 cards
- Champion Legends
- 9 (same format as Vendetta)
- Showcase variants
- 66 including a new Ultimate Rare tier
- Two-player product
- Showdown Decks (Seraphine vs Evelynn)
The theme: rivalries
Radiance drops the explicit-rivalry framing Vendetta was built around and organises the set thematically instead. The centre of gravity is Seraphine and Evelynn — the pop-idol Songstress of the Seas and the demonic siren Widowmaker of the Void — with the rest of the Champion roster orbiting around performance, resonance, and audience.
The Seraphine vs Evelynn Showdown Deck plays out the light-versus-dark performance framing at product level. Beyond that pair, the other confirmed Legends span five regions (Piltover, Zaun, Demacia, Shurima, Ionia, and Shadow Isles) with no single narrative pairing anchoring the set.
- Seraphine vs Evelynn· Piltover / Void
- The set's headline duo. Seraphine's live-audience light contrasts with Evelynn's stalking-shadow soundscape, and Riot has built the Showdown Deck around them as the first Radiance product on shelves.
- Jarvan IV vs K'Sante· Demacia / Shurima
- Both Legends built around commanding structure — Jarvan's Demacian discipline against K'Sante's Nazumah lineage. Community read is that they anchor the Order-heavy archetypes revealed so far.
- Ekko vs Ziggs· Zaun
- The Zaunite pair. Ekko's time-loop mechanics and Ziggs' explosive combos both play into the Show Off keyword — reveal-driven payoffs that reward tempo and card-play sequencing.
- Mordekaiser vs Riven· Shadow Isles / Ionia
- Rounding out the roster: Mordekaiser's iron-clad revenant weight against Riven's broken-blade agility. Both Legends were confirmed at the tail end of the preview run via Riftbound Report's lineup drop and slot in as the two heaviest-hitting Fury-domain finishers in the set.
Confirmed Champion Legends (9 of 9)
All 9 Radiance Champion Legends have been revealed. Mordekaiser and Riven were the last two confirmed, rounding out the roster alongside the seven headliners from earlier previews.
- Seraphine (Piltover) — Songstress of the Seas — headline Champion for the Radiance Showdown Deck
- Evelynn (Void) — Widowmaker of the Void — headline demonic Champion opposite Seraphine (1 existing card →)
- Ekko (Zaun) — The Boy Who Shattered Time — targeted in the Sept 18 banlist update (Ekko, Recurrent variant) (1 existing card →)
- Ziggs (Zaun) — Yordle explosives specialist — expected to lean into Show Off payoffs
- Jarvan IV (Demacia) — Demacian commander — anchor for Order-domain structured play
- Orianna (Piltover) — Lady of Clockwork — clockwork-precision Champion
- K'Sante (Shurima) — Pride of Nazumah — Shuriman heavy melee bruiser
- Mordekaiser (Shadow Isles) — Iron-clad revenant Legend — closes out the roster alongside Riven
- Riven (Ionia) — Exiled Noxian broken-blade wielder — the final confirmed Legend (1 existing card →)
Showdown Decks — Seraphine vs Evelynn
Radiance's Showdown Deck pairs Seraphine against Evelynn — Riot's second two-player preconstructed product after Vendetta's Zed vs Shen. Same format: two complete 56-card decks plus two booster packs in one box, MSRP $34.99. Available at launch.
Where Vendetta's Showdown Deck framed a lore rivalry, Radiance uses the pairing to introduce the set's music/stagecraft archetype through the two Champions who most exemplify it.
New keywords: Deploy, Show Off, Disarm
Radiance introduces three new keywords. Deploy is a Gear mechanic — you may play Deploy Gear directly onto a Battlefield instead of attaching it to a unit; it grants a persistent benefit while it stays there but breaks if the opponent conquers the Battlefield.
Show Off rewards revealing a qualifying card from your hand (or occasionally your board) when you play a card, unlocking an extra effect on top of the base play. It shows up on both Units and Spells and pushes deckbuilding toward tempo consistency.
Disarm is a combat-side mechanic: when your Disarm Unit attacks, an enemy Unit on the same Battlefield gets a Might reduction for that turn. Instances stack, so multiple Disarm Units on the same board compound their pressure quickly.
Pre-Rift Kit and promos
The Pre-Rift Kit ships five Radiance boosters plus seeded preconstructed packs, one for each of the nine Champion Legends. It's Riot's on-ramp for prerelease events on October 16–22 and mirrors the seeded Pre-Rift structure they piloted around Vendetta.
A Heimerdinger, Academy Instructor promo card is distributed alongside Pre-Rift play as an event participation reward.
Showcase treatments and the new Ultimate Rare tier
Radiance ships with 66 Showcase treatments — a step up from Vendetta's 50+ — plus a new Ultimate Rare rarity tier for chase pulls. Ultimate Rares sit above Showcase in the rarity ladder and are the rarest expected pull rate in a Radiance booster.
Riot has not yet publicly detailed which Champions receive Ultimate Rare treatments, but based on Vendetta's Overnumbered rollout the expectation is the headline Champion Legends (Seraphine, Evelynn) plus a select subset of supporting Champions.
Release timeline at a glance
March 5, 2026 — Radiance announced at GAMA Expo via the same Riot / UVS press cycle that revealed Vendetta.
September 25, 2026 — RQ Los Angeles kickoff. First card reveals go public alongside the tournament stream; preview season formally begins.
October 9, 2026 — Preview season ends. Full set list expected in the Riot card gallery around this date.
October 16 – 22, 2026 — Pre-Rift prerelease events. Pre-Rift Kits go to organisers; players can play with Radiance before the shelf date.
October 23, 2026 — Worldwide simultaneous release of Radiance booster boxes, Seraphine vs Evelynn Showdown Decks, and Ultimate Rare Showcase variants.
Frequently asked questions
When does Riftbound: Radiance release?+
Radiance releases worldwide on October 23, 2026. Preview reveals run September 25 – October 9, and Pre-Rift prerelease events happen October 16 – 22.
How many cards are in Radiance?+
180 cards total, including 9 Champion Legends and 66 Showcase treatments. Radiance also introduces a new Ultimate Rare rarity tier — the rarest chase pulls in the set.
Which champions are in Radiance?+
All 9 Champion Legends have been confirmed: Seraphine (Songstress of the Seas), Evelynn (Widowmaker of the Void), Ekko (The Boy Who Shattered Time), Ziggs, Jarvan IV, Orianna (Lady of Clockwork), K'Sante (Pride of Nazumah), Mordekaiser, and Riven. Mordekaiser and Riven were the last two revealed via Riftbound Report's confirmed lineup drop.
When do Radiance spoilers start?+
Card reveals began September 25, 2026 at RQ Los Angeles and continue daily through October 9. Runeweave's Radiance set page updates automatically as new cards are revealed.
What is a Showdown Deck?+
Showdown Decks are Riftbound's preconstructed two-player product line, first introduced with Vendetta. Radiance's Showdown Deck pairs Seraphine against Evelynn — two 56-card decks plus two booster packs in one box, MSRP $34.99.
What are Radiance's new keywords?+
Radiance introduces three new keywords. Deploy is a Gear mechanic that lets you play a Gear onto a Battlefield instead of attaching it to a unit. Show Off unlocks an extra effect when you reveal a qualifying card from your hand as you play a card. Disarm reduces the Might of an enemy Unit on the same Battlefield when your Disarm Unit attacks — instances stack across multiple units.
Cards spoiled so far for Vendetta will appear above this preview as soon as they're public. In the meantime, dig into a finished set:
This preview was last updated . The page refreshes as new official information is released; cards appear automatically once Riot publishes them.
Riftbound, Radiance, and all character and product names are property of Riot Games, Inc. Press imagery is reproduced from official Riot / UVS Games marketing materials for editorial coverage. Runeweave is a fan-run database and is not affiliated with Riot Games.