League of Legends Rune Battlegrounds TCG

Rune Battlegrounds: A New LoL Trading Card Game, Exclusive to China

Summoners, gather around! It’s time to travel back in time to our Magic the Gathering years and start building your decks again. Riot Games has teased an exciting new project—a League of Legends trading card game called Rune Battlegrounds. Sounds amazing, right? Unfortunately, there’s one little detail that’s going to break your heart: unless you’re in China, you might never get to play it. Let’s break it down.

A League of Legends Card Game? Yes, Please!

If you’re anything like me, you probably love card games as much as LoL. Whether it's Magic: The Gathering or Pokemon, there’s something thrilling about building and boosting your deck to perfection in all its beautiful details. Now, imagine combining that feeling with the epic champions and regions from League of Legends. That’s exactly what Rune Battlegrounds promises—a physical trading card game that taps into the LoL universe.

The game was teased in a trailer on BiliBili, a Chinese streaming service, and is expected to hit the shelves in 2025. From what little we’ve seen, it seems to feature a variety of symbols that may represent different factions, regions, or classes from LoL. For example, one of the symbols looks suspiciously like the icon for the Void—possibly hinting at groupings based on the game’s famous regions.

The Big Catch: It’s China-Only... For Now

Here’s where things get a little frustrating: Rune Battlegrounds is currently planned as a China-exclusive release. Riot Games’ corporate communications lead, Joe Hixson, confirmed on X (Twitter) that there’s no worldwide release planned at the moment. That means if you’re hoping to get your hands on those sweet League of Legends cards, you might have to book a flight to China (and let's be real, that’s not exactly cheap).

Of course, things could change in the future—there’s always a possibility of a global release if the game does well. And you could always learn the language and order the game online. But as of now, the rest of the world is out of luck, leaving many LoL fans feeling a little disappointed.

Why Rune Battlegrounds Could Be a Game-Changer

Even though most of us won’t be able to play Rune Battlegrounds anytime soon, the concept of the game itself is pretty exciting. A physical card game set in the LoL universe offers fans a new way to engage with the characters and lore they love. And if you’re already into trading card games, Rune Battlegrounds seems like the perfect crossover between two popular hobbies. It’s hard not to imagine the satisfaction of pulling your favorite champion from a pack of cards, ready to boost your playing field with the perfect combo.

Plus, given Riot’s track record of producing high-quality League of Legends merch, spin-off games, and even board games like the Mechs vs. Minions board game or Tellstones: King’s Gambit, there’s a good chance these cards will be as visually stunning as they are fun to play.

What’s Next for League of Legends Fans?

While the rest of us wait (and hope) for Rune Battlegrounds to make its way beyond China, there’s still plenty to look forward to in the LoL universe. Whether you’re climbing the ranks or just getting started, you can always boost your game by picking up some cool in-game skins or experimenting with different champions from tier lists. The game is constantly evolving, giving both new and experienced players plenty of ways to dive in.

For now, though, if you’re itching for a new LoL experience, it looks like you’ll have to stick to the Rift—or brush up on your Chinese and start making travel plans!

Whether Rune Battlegrounds eventually goes global or not, one thing’s clear: League of Legends continues to push boundaries and keep fans excited. And while we might not be able to boost our decks with LoL cards just yet, there’s always the thrill of the next patch or the hunt for the perfect champion to keep us hooked.

 

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