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Riftbound bans hit today as Radiance preview season approaches
Ekko, Recurrent and Stacked Deck are now banned in Riftbound Standard and Constructed 2v2, forcing a tournament-season metagame adjustment just one week before Radiance Set 5 previews begin at the Los Angeles Regional Qualifier.
Two bans are effective September 18
Riot's official Riftbound announcement adds Ekko, Recurrent and Stacked Deck to the Standard and Constructed 2v2 ban list effective September 18, 2026. Riot says Ekko enabled a low-play-rate but unhealthy infinite Lux pattern with limited interaction, while Stacked Deck provided more consistency than intended and became especially problematic alongside Kennen and Lightning Rush.
Sources: Riftbound
The timing matters for competitive players
The changes arrive immediately before the Los Angeles Regional Qualifier on September 25-27. Riot explicitly said it wanted players to have time to adjust before Regional Championships, and its Los Angeles event guide identifies the stop as the final Regional Qualifier of the Vendetta season. For tournament players, the practical takeaway is simple: re-check every registered list now, especially Chaos shells and Lux combo builds, rather than assuming a deck that was legal last week remains legal.
Reddit reaction shows the disruption is broader than Kennen
The r/riftboundtcg ban thread drew hundreds of votes and immediate debate. Players repeatedly noted that Stacked Deck was used across multiple purple or Chaos strategies, with Diana and Kha'Zix players among those discussing collateral impact, while others argued the consistency card itself was the correct enabler to remove. That community response is sentiment, not evidence of future metagame results, but it shows why collectors and players should be cautious about assuming only Kennen-related cards will move in demand.
Sources: Reddit r/riftboundtcg
Radiance becomes the next major information event
Riot's Los Angeles guide says a Radiance developer panel begins Friday, September 25 at 3:00 p.m. Pacific and will kick off Set 5 preview season with multiple new card reveals. Riot's roadmap lists Radiance Pre-Rift events for October 16-22 and the English, Chinese and French launch for October 23. A separate September 17 merch update says North American and European players can enter a September 25-30 drawing for the opportunity to purchase one Radiance Booster Display through the Riot Games Merch Store, with selections beginning October 5 and fulfillment beginning October 23.
Collector checklist
Competitive collectors should separate three timelines: the ban is live now; Radiance card previews start September 25; and the currently announced English, Chinese and French Radiance release is October 23. Before buying cards solely because they appear to benefit from the bans, wait for actual post-ban tournament evidence. For sealed Radiance demand, note that Riot's merch drawing is a purchase opportunity rather than a guaranteed allocation, and selected buyers have a 24-hour checkout window.
Images & video
Read Riftbound's official September ban update ↗Read the official Los Angeles Regional Qualifier guide ↗Sources & verification
- September Ban List Updates (Effective September 18, 2026) — Riftbound · checked Sep 18, 2026
- All Eyes on Los Angeles — Riftbound · checked Sep 18, 2026
- August 2026 Roadmap — Riftbound · checked Sep 18, 2026
- Radiance Merch Store Update — Riftbound · checked Sep 18, 2026
- September Ban List Updates (Effective September 18, 2026) — Reddit r/riftboundtcg · checked Sep 18, 2026