Riftbound tests three ways to reduce the first-player advantage

Riot is playtesting start-of-game changes outside premier tournaments; these are not mandatory core rules.

Riot is testing three possible ways to reduce the advantage of going first in Riftbound, following data showing a larger win-rate gap than it wants. At selected events, the second player will receive an additional benefit alongside their existing Rune advantage: starting with one point, drawing an extra card, or using

Predict before the first draw. Event staff will specify which version applies. The tests also decide turn order before Battlefield selection, allowing sideboarding with knowledge of a player’s own Battlefield and position in the turn order. Planned locations include Radiance-season City Tournaments in China and Friday

and Sunday Standard Challenges at Stuttgart’s European Regional Championship. These are experiments outside premier tournaments, not mandatory rules for every event. Riot expects to publish its decision alongside Legacy’s patch notes. Official source. Image credit: Riot Games; official Riftbound article artwork.

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