New Riftbound Ranked Mode Set to Launch in 2027

Riftbound is gearing up for an exciting 2027, with several new additions planned for the League of Legends trading card game as its popularity continues to grow. From the introduction of a Riftbound ranked ladder to four Continental tournaments, fans will have plenty to look forward to next year.

Riftbound 2027: Competitive Program

In 2026, Riot Games introduced a straightforward system for tournament qualification, with players earning their spots based on their results. However, the system relied solely on final placements, leaving players who came close to qualifying without any reward for their efforts.

Next year, Riot is introducing several changes to improve the system, starting with two familiar features for competitive players: Ladder Points and a Ranked Ladder for competitive events.

How Riftbound's Ladder Points Work

In 2027, every competitive Riftbound event will give players the chance to earn Ladder Points (LP) based on their final placement. These points will determine their position on Riftbound's Ranked Ladder. For now, Riot has established the point values but noted that they may change before the system launches in 2027.

For multi-day events, such as Regionals and Continentals, players must reach Day 2 to earn Ladder Points. Those who qualify will receive at least 10 points based on their final placement. In the unlikely event that a player's standing would normally earn them points but they fail to qualify for Day 2, they will receive no points.

The Ladder Points players earn will accumulate to determine their rank on Riftbound's Ranked Ladder. Beyond bragging rights, a higher rank will also come with tangible benefits, including early registration for Regionals.

Players will unlock certain benefits as soon as they reach a rank, with those perks remaining available for the rest of the current year and throughout the following year. However, they must maintain their rank to continue enjoying these benefits beyond that period.

How Riftbound's Ranked Ladder Works

Riftbound's Ranked Ladder will feature five tiers and a secret sixth rank. While Riot has yet to reveal the point thresholds, it shared estimated rank distributions for active competitive players, emphasizing that these figures are guidelines rather than fixed limits.

Riot Games will reveal the full list of benefits at a later date. For now, players ranked Gold or Platinum will have access to priority registration for Regionals and Continentals.

Rather than using Ladder rank to qualify players for Continentals or award Regional badges, Riot is introducing Top Finish Races. These leaderboards count only a player's best results from specific events, reducing the need to compete in every possible tournament.

Top Finish Races are split into two categories: Seasonal, which runs from one set release to the next, and Annual, which follows the calendar year.

Starting at the end of 2027, the top 50 players in the Annual Top Finish Race will earn Grandmaster status for the following year. Grandmasters are a select group within the Platinum rank and will receive additional benefits, including:

• Free competitor badge to all Regionals
• Free competitor badge and Day 2 qualification to all Continentals

Riftbound is going global with a series of tournaments around the world (Photo by Riot Games)

Regional and Continental Schedule for Riftbound 2027

Regional Tournaments

Regional Qualifiers played a major role in Riftbound's competitive scene in 2026, bringing the community together through regular tournaments. While the number of Regionals will remain similar in 2027, Riot is planning to significantly increase their scale.

• Three-Day Tournaments - Regionals move from only Saturday & Sunday to Friday- Sunday
• Larger Venues - Every Regional in 2027 is being held in spaces larger than regionally comparable RQs from 2026

Riftbound Regional Tournaments for 2027 (Photo by Riot Games)

Continentals

These will be the biggest events in Riftbound's Organized Play calendar, taking place in venues larger than those used for the largest Regional Qualifiers in 2026. 

Unlike the 2026 Regional Championships, which required qualification, Continentals will be open to all players and run over three days. While Riot has yet to reveal the full tournament format, it confirmed that players who reach Day 2 through Friday's competition will have their records reset when they join players using Day 2 tokens.

Riftbound Continentals Tournaments for 2027 (Photo by Riot Games)

Showdown Series

Riot plans to significantly expand the Riftbound Showdown Series in 2027, aiming to host 30–40 events per set season with broader global coverage. These tournaments will give more players the chance to compete and earn Ladder Points, while roughly doubling the number of players advancing to Day 2 of Continentals compared to the previous Showdown invites for Regional Championships.

Showdown events will be divided into three tiers based on attendance:

• Tier 1 (512+ players)
• Tier 2 (256–511)
• Tier 3 (129–255) 

The full schedule will be announced gradually as partnerships are finalized.

Challenge Series

The new Riftbound Challenge Series, first announced in August's State of Play, will form the foundation of Riftbound's competitive ladder. These events will be exclusive to selected local game stores within the Riftbound Gaming Network, allowing players to earn Ladder Points and Regional tokens.

Winners will receive a stamped promo card and a Riftbound Regional token, with events expected to start appearing on the network in 2027.

Region-Specific Competitive Series

Riftbound introduced regional programs in its first year, including France's Le Rift Tour, the Korea Tour and Taiwan's Regional Qualifiers (RQ). These programs will continue in 2027, with top competitors earning a limited number of invitations to the World Championship, despite Korea and Taiwan still catching up with global set releases.

China, where Riftbound first launched, will largely retain its 2026 competitive structure while Riot works to better integrate it into the global system. One key change is that Majors will award invitations to the 2027 World Championship.

Riftbound World Championship Showcase 2026

The 2026 World Championship Showcase will take place on January 23–24, 2027, in Shanghai, China, bringing together 24 of the world's best Riftbound players to crown the game's first World Champion. The following year's World Championship will feature an expanded format, with invitations awarded to:

• All Regional winners
• The top eight finishers at each Continental
• All China Major winners
• Top finishers at the 2027 China Regional Championship
• The top 50 players in the Annual Finish ranking who have not already qualified
• Top finishers from regional tournaments in Korea and Taiwan

With the second World Champion set to be crowned in 2027, the expanded qualification system will see the list of competitors take shape throughout the year.

Riftbound fans will have several opportunities to compete in tournaments throughout the year (Photo by Riot Games)

Riot Games is looking forward to seeing how Riftbound's first competitive year concludes at the Regional Championships and the World Championship Showcase in 2027, while also welcoming players to begin their climb up the new Ranked Ladder.

You can find more details about Riftbound's 2027 competitive plans on the Riot Games official page.

Follow Strafe Esports for the latest esports news, and our X account for the latest content and coverage. Be sure to check out Strafe's YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.

Featured image credit: Riot Games

Read More:

Worlds 2026 Swiss Stage Day 4: LPL's Top Seed Exists Winless as LOS Survives

Worlds 2026 Swiss Stage Round 4: Matchups, Schedule, and Start Times

Historic Humiliation: LPL's Top Seed Exits Worlds 2026 Without Winning a Single Game