Could a new League of Legends card game take on Magic: The Gathering? Oh, absolutely! It sounds like a fantastic idea. Trading card games (TCGs) can be quite the investment, but a captivating title can attract a massive following. Sure, Riot Games has already launched its digital card game, Legends of Runeterra, but there’s a unique thrill in gathering with friends around a table, witnessing deck battles unfold live, and handling actual cards that a video game just can’t match. So, when Riot teased its upcoming TCG, currently dubbed Project K, my interest was piqued. That was until I found out it was only for the Chinese market. Bummer! But here’s the silver lining: Riot has announced plans to roll out Project K to English-speaking regions shortly after its Chinese debut, with other languages and territories to follow down the line.
Riot Games made a name for itself with the addictive MOBA League of Legends, which laid the foundation for its current success. However, in recent years, the company has been on a mission to explore new genres and platforms. They’ve hit the mark with tactical shooters like Valorant, transformed LoL into an autobattler with Team Fight Tactics, and produced the acclaimed series Arcane. Soon, they’ll even dive into the fighting game scene with 2XKO, not to mention the much-anticipated League of Legends MMO that’s still on the horizon. Not too shabby, right? With Project K, Riot is stepping into yet another domain, taking on some heavyweight contenders in the world of physical trading card games.
According to the teaser trailer from China, Project K might be called Rune Battlegrounds. However, since Riot hasn’t confirmed this and some translations could be off, we might see a different title on the final product.
A more thorough reveal from Riot late last year showcased the game, highlighting that cards can have single or dual types and confirming that artwork from various games within the Runeterra universe will be featured.
That’s about all we know about Project K for the moment, and the news that it would initially launch in China was a bit of a letdown. But Dave Guskin, the game and design director for Riot’s R&D team, has just shared some exciting updates.
“After some searching, we found the right partner to help us publish and distribute Project K to players around the world!” Guskin revealed in a post on X. “We’ll be working with UVS Games, the team behind @UniVersusCCG, who share our vision in building a great community around Project K.” For a bit of context, UniVersus is a card game publisher known for licensing popular franchises like Tekken, Critical Role, and Attack on Titan.
“After China, we’ll be launching Project K in many English-speaking countries later this year with additional regional rollouts targeted for 2026,” he added.
You heard it right – the new League of Legends card game, Project K, is set to hit stores in English-speaking regions before the end of 2025, according to Guskin.
While he didn’t name specific countries, it’s safe to assume that the United States, Canada, and the UK are the major English-speaking markets where LoL fans are likely to be. But that’s just my two cents for now!
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