The Riftbound development team recently announced a major move for the player community—one that, for many, necessitates changes to their decks. An official update to the banned card list for Standard and 2v2 Constructed formats will take effect on Friday, September 18, 2026.

With the large-scale Los Angeles Regional Qualifier tournament fast approaching, Riftbound sought to fundamentally redefine the game's balance. This will have an immediate impact on the high-stakes competition—featuring a $25,000 prize pool—which is taking place less than two weeks after the announcement.

Here is an analysis of the two targeted cards and what these changes mean for your upcoming in-store events.

Ekko, Recurrent

Banned in: Standard and 2v2

Ekko, Recurrent had become a key resource in many non-interactive combo loops. When combined with Lux- or Mind-focused archetypes, the card allowed players to generate significant value and close out games without giving the opponent a real opportunity to intervene. However, the developers note that the ban is a preventive measure; while its play rate remained relatively low compared to other Mind decks, its playstyle encouraged excessive abuse, and they preferred to remove it early to avoid potential negative player experiences.

A Riftbound match should remain a dynamic and interactive experience for both players.

Stacked Deck

Banned in: Standard and 2v2

Although Stacked Deck might not appear threatening on its own, the developers felt its card-selection ability was too powerful for its cost. By significantly reducing the randomness and consistency of Kennen or Nocturne decks, their mechanics should play a smaller role in the current meta and rebalance the stats of Chaos decks relative to others. The card was creating a major imbalance compared to the other colors.

"While we acknowledge that this card is fun to play and fits perfectly into any Chaos strategy, the consistency it provides exceeds our intentions—an issue that was compounded by the release of the champion Kennen. When paired with 'Lightning Rush,' this card allows Kennen to cycle through his deck with excessive efficiency."

What does this mean for our in-store game nights?

Unfortunately, you will need to revisit your decks and adjust your lists for in-store play: Chaos decks will need to find other card-draw engines to stabilize their curve. Meanwhile, the disappearance of Ekko combos—though rarely seen in-store—opens the door to new Mind archetypes that will be interesting to explore.

Stop by the shop this week to discuss this and potentially test out new deck versions!