Eyes on Lille - What To Know

Lille is the next major stop for the Riftbound Regional Qualifiers. And, with the bans to the format, the metagame is brand new and we’re excited to see what players bring to compete with.

Next week, we’ll welcome more than 1.6k competitors to the Main Event, alongside 1.5k players and creators joining us April 17th-19th at Lille Grand Palais in France. Some are chasing Best-Of finishes, while others are jumping into side events, exploring new formats, and connecting with the community.

Ahead of the event, here’s what you need to know before play begins.

TL;DR – What’s New in Lille

• Riftbound’s First Ban Update

Here are the key details. 

What is on the line? 

"Let them come! This land will be their graveyard!" - Irelia

Top 32 players in the Main Event will earn a share of the $25,000 prize pool, with $6,000 awarded to first place. Beyond prizing, top 64 players will secure invitations to an upcoming Regional Championship and move one step closer to qualifying for the first-ever Riftbound World Championship.

At this level, margins are thin. One well-timed Defy or Falling Star can be the difference between an early exit and a push towards the Regional Championship.

Best-Of Legends Prizing 

Best-Of Legends return in Lille.

Each Champion will have one Best-Of Legend awarded to the highest-placing competitor piloting that Champion. These holographic metal Legend cards are tournament legal and mark a standout performance on the weekend.

Lille continues the full set of 28 Best-Of Legends across Origins, Proving Grounds, and Spiritforged. Earning one means mastering your Champion, navigating the bracket, and closing when it matters most.

Coverage Information 

Broadcast for Lille features a mix of familiar faces and new voices on the desk.

Talent: LotharHS / Amy Wosley / James O'Leary /  Winston Blevins

You can catch the action live starting at:

• 3:00 AM CST
• 1:00 AM PST
• 9:00 AM GMT

Watch live on Riftbound’s YouTube and Twitch channels. Make sure you’re following so you don’t miss the opening match.

Reaction-Speed Coverage on @RiftboundOP

Following on the go? @RiftboundOP on X will have coverage throughout the weekend.

What you can expect:

• Match Results
• Bracket Updates
• Player Interviews
• Behind-the-scenes Content
• Deck Techs

@RiftboundOP is also your year-round home for Riftbound Organized Play, covering everything from Nexus Nights and Skirmish Series to Regional Qualifiers, Championships, and Worlds.

Player Reminders: Setting Yourself Up for Success

Before we get into rules specifics, here are a few reminders that can make a big difference at competitive events:

1. Be careful, be precise, and be communicative. Exhausting cards sloppily on messy board states, moving cards between areas, and not announcing triggers, are the majority of the mistakes we have observed in competitive play up to this point. Communication is key; ensuring that both players clearly understand what is going on throughout the game solves many issues.
2. Pay costs first, and be clear about your targets and decisions. When playing a card, make sure the costs are all paid before resolution for the card. Announcing your costs verbally also helps make explicit what you’re doing to your opponent. “I'll exhaust four runes and recycle a Body rune to play Qiyana.”
3. Maintain a proper pace of play. As we said above, we know it is both a young game and a nascent competitive scene, meaning that many players are still learning the rules and also may not have experience playing at competitive Riftbound events. As such, there will be some leeway here for the RQ in Lille. If you feel your opponent is not maintaining the proper pace of play then call a judge.
4. Call a judge and be understanding if your opponent calls a judge. Judges are here to help an event run smoothly. If something has gone awry in a game then the best thing to do is to immediately stop play and call a judge to check it out and, if needed, issue a ruling regarding an issue.

Frequently Asked Rules Questions

We’ve collected some answers to commonly asked questions about the Core Game Rules and the Tournament Rules, to help players going into this weekend’s event.

Make sure your sleeves are tournament-legal and your deck is properly randomized before each match. Don’t forget, you’re entitled to shuffle your opponent’s deck as well. 

If anything feels unclear, don’t hesitate to call a judge. They’re there to help, not penalize, and getting a ruling early is always better than guessing. 

We’ve collected some answers to commonly asked questions about the Core Game Rules and the Tournament Rules to help players heading into this weekend’s event.

Ban Update

Please note that recent banned card updates are now in effect for constructed play. Players may not include the following cards or battlefields in their decks for this event:

Banned Cards:

• Called Shot
• Draven, Vanquisher
• Fight or Flight
• Scrapheap

Banned Battlefields:

• Dreaming Tree
• Obelisk of Power
• Reaver’s Row

In Closing

We’re excited to see how the competition unfolds in Lille, who lifts the trophy, and which players walk away with their Plated Legends.

Lille is a key stop in an evolving Riftbound competitive season. Follow the action live on stream and through @RiftboundOP all weekend.

Organized Play continues with Regional Qualifiers in:

• Atlanta, GA at the Cobb Galleria Centre, April 24 to 26, 2026
• Sydney, Australia at the Sydney Showground, May 15 to 17, 2026

You can read more about Riftbound’s 2026 roadmap here. 

As the meta shifts and new regions come online, Riftbound continues to grow alongside its community. We’re looking forward to seeing how players adapt and push the competitive landscape forward.

Rioters and UVS staff will be on site in Lille, so come say hi, share feedback, and talk Riftbound. If you’re joining from home, jump into the conversation on Discord, Reddit, or social.

Above all, thank you. The passion, creativity, and energy of this community are what make events like this possible. Whether we see you in Lille or at your local game store, thank you for being part of Riftbound.