The Winning Point

Welcome to episode 27 of The Winning Point! This week the team returns from the Houston Regional, breaks down early takeaways from the event, and dives into the newest wave of Spiritforged spoilers. Blevins, Casanova, and Charm3r cover what stood out, what surprised them, and how the meta may shift heading into Bologna and Vegas.🔥 Houston Regional Recap• Casanova returns with a shredded voice but a full report• Friends making top finishes, best-of prizing highlights• Early impressions of how Origins decks performed under pressure✨ Spiritforged SpoilersWe take a look at several standout new cards revealed since last episode:• Renata Glasc — A powerful new blue card that can draw or score points directly, giving players another way to break the point curve.• Teemo Tools: Edge of Night & Switcheroo — New hidden-card interactions that help solve Teemo’s retake problems and open up creative battlefield manipulation.🗺️ Looking Ahead• Online set two events have already begun• Players preparing for Bologna, Vegas, and upcoming skirmishes• The team reflects on the “lame duck” period of seeing a full new set before being able to play itBe sure to like, comment, and subscribe — your support helps us keep covering events, spoilers, and the evolving competitive Riftbound scene.

Spiritforged just unleashed the biggest wave of spoilers yet — and Episode 26 of The Winning Point breaks down as many major reveals as time allowed. From powerful purple spells to new token engines, counterspells, gear synergies, and combo enablers, this set is shaping up to be quite an impactful first expansion for Riftbound. In this episode, we analyze the most competitive, most hype, and most game-changing Spiritforged cards, including:🔥 Fizz Trickster – Purple’s new reaction-speed “free spell” engine🔥 Ornn – Blue/Green gear legend with huge long-game scaling🔥 Rek'Sai Swarm Queen – The top-deck swarm engine🔥 Bellows Breath, Downwell, Void Hatchling, and many more! 🔥 META & COMPETITIVE INSIGHTSWe also break down:• Why Purple and Blue may be the biggest winners of Spiritforged• Early Spiritforged combos and synergy packages• Predictions heading into the Houston Riftbound eventThere's a few more spoilers on their way, but we dug into those that were released thus far and how they may make an impact — what’s strong, what seems suspicious, and what competitive players should be preparing for.🎥 TURN’EM SIDEWAYS AT HOUSTONWe’ll be on-site in Houston filming a documentary-style project following players through the event — deck techs, round-by-round reactions, and behind-the-scenes stories from the competitive community.

Welcome to Episode 24 of the Winning Point! Spiritforged spoiler season has officially begun, and this episode might be one of the most important Riftbound breakdowns yet. From what has been released so far, this set is already revealing meta implications, controversial combat interactions, and what may be the strongest gear card printed so far.Today, we’ll be digging into the competitive, strategic, and hype-worthy reveals, including, but not limited to:🪓 Draven’s Spinning Axe⚙️ Mechanics behind temporary gear🦅 Fight or flight ruling🔍 Riot’s preview article on Spiritforged content👀 We have a spoiler coming on November 28th?If you’re aiming to get ahead of the meta, prepare for tournaments, or understand how Spiritforged will influence Riftbound at a high level, this episode gives you everything you need.

In episode 23 of The Winning Point, the team welcomes a legendary voice in esports commentary, Uber (Valorant, Overwatch, FaB), for a hilarious and insightful chat about the early days of Riftbound, multiplayer madness, and the fine art of live casting.In this episode, the crew dives into: ⚖️ Riftbound's designs, pros and cons.👨‍⚖️ Debate: removal of inviting players into combat.🎧 Casting TCGs.🤔 Bringing prior casting experience into Riftbound.🍔 ...Arby's conspiracy about Ravenbloom Student?

Riftbound has officially launched! Welcome to Episode 22 of The Winning Point. This week, we have Blevins, Casanova, and Charmer covering topics from the release weekend to the Shanghai National Open. ❓ Which starter decks actually performed best at local release events? 📈 Product Availability & the Singles Market🆕 New Riftbound Tournament Sealed Box🏆 The Best-of prizing makes it's debut at the Shanghai National Open😱 Teemo Cheating Scandal

Welcome to Episode 21 of The Winning Point! This week, MTG legend Jim Davis joins Casanova and Blevins to talk about the past, present, and future of trading card games — from his years on the Pro Tour to helping playtest Riftbound at Riot Games.We dig into everything surrounding Riftbound’s launch:⭐ Walmart’s early pack release fiasco👀 Incorrect rarity print errors and UVS' response📄 Riot releasing “patch notes” for a physical TCG🏬 How Riftbound could revive local game stores🏅 And what’s next for competitive play in Vegas and Houston

The Riftbound prize era has officially begun! In episode 20 of The Winning Point, Blevins and Casanova break down the massive $30,000 Chinese National Open prize pool — including the first-ever championship ring — plus new Spiritforged prerelease kits, and the community’s heated reaction to a collector buying four Miss Fortune prize cards.They also dive deep into the new best-of metal promo cards, discussing how their rarity could be worth thousands and might even change how tournaments are played.💭 In this episode, we discuss:💵 $30K National Open prize breakdown + Championship ring reveal📈 Riftbound “best-of” metal promos and secondary market value😱 Reddit’s wild reaction to prize card resales🪷 New Spiriforged prerelease kits for Set 2📊 Latest City Challenge results — is Kai'Sa still too strong?

Riftbound just hit the big leagues. 💰 The first-ever prize card — The 1st Place Miss Fortune from the Hangzhou Regional — just sold for over $9,000 USD, marking a massive milestone for Riot’s new TCG.In this episode of The Winning Point, Blevins, Casanova, and Charmer break down what this sale means for Riftbound’s future — from collector demand to competitive growth — and how it stacks up against other games like One Piece, Lorcana, and Flesh & Blood.We also dive into:🔥 The new Worlds Bundle reveal (Panda Teemo, gold foil playmat, collector FOMO)📦 Riot’s Set 1 Restock for local game stores🃏 Which decks we’re building first for locals (Yasuo, Annie, Leona, and more🧠 Developer insights from Dave on Discord on Aurora, Whiteflame Protector, and precon decks✉️ Mailbag: Does going second actually help? And which League regions we want next?

🔥 Riftbound is officially going BIG! In this episode, we break down everything from the Vegas 10K event, the sold-out Houston Regional Qualifier, and what to expect for Riftbound’s next era of competitive play.Anu joins the crew to talk about how Turn ’em Sideways is bringing Riftbound’s biggest Western tournament as of yet to life, and the team speculates on what to expect from the new Legends coming in Spiritforged set.💬 In this episode:🪷 The debut of two new Legends in Riftbound's next expansion: Spiritforged 🆕 12 brand new Legends incoming⭐ Star City Games - Vegas $10K broadcast plans and what to expect📩 Mailbag Q&A: What colors and combos should define the future meta?💪 Community optimism and store allocation discussion — how to keep your local scene strong🎙️ Hosted by Blevins, Casanova, Charmer, and special guest Anu🔔 Subscribe for weekly Riftbound content: gameplay, analysis, deck techs, and interviews.

George’s story is one of the wildest in Riftbound so far. He flew to China without a guaranteed spot, fought through the lottery system, locked in on Kai’Sa, and came out as the Number 1 Player in China.In this interview, George shares:✈️ What possessed him to fly across the world to compete without a confirmed spot🃏 Why he locked into Kai’Sa and how his prep team shaped his run🎮 His struggles with language barriers and judge calls on stage📸 The surreal experience of becoming a minor celebrity in the Chinese Riftbound community🔮 His thoughts on the Chinese meta, Western perceptions, and Riftbound’s future

Welcome back to The Winning Point Podcast – Episode 17!This week, Casanova, Pastrytime, and Charmer break down some of the biggest Riftbound news yet:🎉 Houston Regional Qualifier Announced – happening December 5–7 at the George R. Brown Convention Center.⚡ The best-of-one format sweeping Chinese City Challenges. Does it work for Riftbound or is it fundamentally flawed?🤝 Why 2v2 Riftbound might be the most fun casual format you’re not playing yet.🛡️ Underexplored Battlefields and how they could shape future competitive play.✉️ Mailbag: what makes Riftbound so fun, and which mechanics we’re excited to see expanded.

You saw a snippet of it on episode 15 of The Winning Point and now you have the full interview! In case you missed it, we sat down with Yuuj, a former professional Heroes of the Storm currently living in Shanghai, to talk about their competitive experience in the Riftbound scene so far. In this interview we cover:📈 Riftbound’s insane growth in China, with 3,000+ player Regionals🏆 Highlights from Hangzhou, Beijing, and Guangzhou Regionals🪑 The Hangzhou chair incident and the 90-minute delay it caused🃏 The meta battle: Kai’Sa vs Yi dominance, Viktor’s fall, and Ahri’s rise💰 The upcoming $30,000 Shanghai Regional and what it means for Riftbound esports🔮 Yuuj’s insights on China’s ranking/points system and how it shapes competitive play

Aurora is everywhere in Riftbound right now. Is it actually broken, or just overhyped? In Episode 16 of The Winning Point, Blevins, Casanova, and Charmer break down Riftlab Clash IV, the latest Aurora debate, and how new decks like Viktor Control and Darius Hook are attacking the meta after the Chinese regionals.We also talk about Riot’s production choices, how Master Yi still defines play patterns, and what it means for Riftbound as it gets closer to global release.In episode 16 of The Winning Point:💪 Aurora’s dominance in Riftbound — is it really too strong?⚔️ Riftlab Clash IV Decks (Viktor, Darius, Kai'Sa) 👑 Imperial Decree Breakdown🎮 Riot’s Event Production/What to Expect for Global LaunchWhether you’re following the Aurora problem, the rise of Viktor and Darius decks, or just want to hear a podcast about Riftbound’s competitive scene, this episode covers it all.

In this episode we cover:🎤 A special interview with Yuuj⚠️ The moment when a judge was threatened with a chair ⏱️ How it led to a 90-minute delay as players were removed and banned😱 Misplays, punts, and the pressure of playing on stream🎭 Emotional reactions from players and community fallout🌀 Deck stories like Eggplant Yi and Green Ahri Time Warp that got lost in the chaos💬 Why these kinds of incidents are flash-in-the-pan growing pains for any young competitive sceneThis wasn’t just a tournament recap — it was Riftbound’s most dramatic Regional yet.

🎙️ The Winning Point Ep. 14 – Falling Star, Judge Controversies, Paris Open Confirmed, and more! This week, the crew covers: Falling Star under fire → Is Riftbound’s most talked-about card too strong? Game Director Dave responds in Discord.Judge controversies → Are strict rulings helping or hurting competitive play?Paris Open Confirmed → Riot announces Riftbound’s Paris event this December.Chongqing Regional Recap → Surprising Lux run into Day 2, new deck - innovations, and Prismatic Schism’s Annie deck.Mailbag → Is Yasuo underrated? Weirdest combos we’ve seen so far.

🎙️ The Winning Point Ep. 13 – Riftbound’s Arcane Set & Meta DebateThis week’s episode dives into the biggest news Riftbound has had yet: Riot’s game director casually confirmed on Discord that the team already has 20 sets planned.We break down what that means for Riftbound’s long-term future, what lessons can be learned from other TCGs with long life cycles, and what the community’s reaction has been so far.We cover:📦 The Arcane English Box Set — how it went live, how fast it sold out, and what it means for collectors🏆 The Beijing Open results (Kai’Sa and Master Yi continue to dominate Top 8)🔥 The big debate: is Kai’sa Tier Zero? Or is the meta still developing?⚡ Card talk: Falling Star, Aurora, and other format-warping spells👀 Riot’s game director confirms 20 planned sets!💌 Mailbag: underrated cards (Inverted Timeline), Teemo deck support, and more👉 What do YOU think — is Kai’sa really a Tier Zero deck, or just the current best choice? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

EP 12 - What Riot Just Announced – Arcane Set & Regional RecapWe’re back after the first Guangzhou Regional, and the results are in! Over 500 players showed up, and the meta delivered plenty of surprises. Kai’Sa wins it all, Yi dominated in numbers, and even Teemo found his way into the Top 8.In this episode, we talk about: - The Arcane Collector Set ($70 alt-art cards)- New promos from Nexus Knights, including Teemo and the hilarious GG EZ promo- Reflections on Riot’s approach to collectors vs. LGS support- Predictions for the Beijing Regional and how the meta could evolve from here- A spicy mailbag on future legends and Set 3 speculationBetween collector hype, promos, and big tournament results, Riftbound’s competitive scene is growing fast.👉 What did YOU think of Guangzhou? Was Teemo’s Top 8 run the biggest surprise, or was it Kai’Sa dominance? Let us know in the comments!

The Winning Point Ep. 11 – Guangzhou Regional PreviewThis week, Riftbound enters its biggest moment yet — the first official Regional in Guangzhou. We break down the current meta, give our blind predictions for who takes the crown, and recap a huge $1K Luxury Gaming tournament where Hook Darius claimed the title.Alongside the tournament hype, we also cover a recent exploit found in TTS that players should be aware of if they’re competing online, plus the latest on Fight Night’s return and how local game stores are starting to adopt RiftboundWith Darius, Sett, Yi, Kai’Sa, Viktor, and even Chaos decks in the mix, this Regional will shape Riftbound’s competitive scene for months to come.

The Riftbound community just had its busiest week yet, and Episode 10 of The Winning Point is absolutely loaded with updates. In this episode we cover:🏆 The busiest Riftbound tournament weekend so far💰 A new $1K event series announced by Luxury Gaming🖥️ Pixelborn returning with a Riot-compliant version in development📦 Riftbound cards already hitting eBay and Chinese pack openings going live🔮 Riot teasing Set 2: Spiritforged, with first champions and artwork revealed📖 The Core Rules FAQ for Set 1, with key clarifications and errata💌 Mailbag questions on card value, accessibility, and reprintsBetween tournaments, Pixelborn’s comeback, new rules updates, and Set 2 on the horizon, Riftbound’s competitive scene is moving faster than ever.👉 Which update excites you the most: Pixelborn, Spiritforged, or the rules FAQ? Let us know in the comments!

Riftbound Collectors Tips + Gen Con Spoilers & Chaos Hype 💎Episode 9 of The Winning Point is PACKED with collectible talk, Gen Con spoilers, and hot takes on the next big Riftbound meta shift.We break down:🃏 Pull Rates & Rarity – What to expect from packs, where the value is, and how to find those top-tier cards.🎪 Gen Con Spoilers – Fresh reveals straight from the floor.💜 Chaos/Purple Meta Watch – Is it secretly the most powerful domain?📦 The Proving Grounds Problem – Why you might need to buy all of them… three times.