September 18, 2026
Riftbound has the busiest seat at the table today. Riot has laid out exactly how North American and European players can enter its Radiance Merch Store drawing, two competitive bans are now in force, and Origins officially reaches Korean shelves. Over in Magic, Reality Fracture also hits the date Wizards set for its complete card image gallery.
Here’s what is worth catching up on before the weekend.
Riftbound Sets the Radiance Merch Store Drawing Schedule
Email sign-up: September 25–30 · Selection begins: October 5 · Fulfillment begins: October 23
Riot has published the purchase process for Radiance through the Riot Games Merch Store. Players in North America and Europe will be able to enter a drawing for the opportunity to purchase one Radiance Booster Display.
The sign-up window runs from September 25 through September 30 at 9:00 a.m. PT. Riot says drawing selections begin around 9:00 a.m. PT on October 5, and selected customers will receive an email purchase link with a 24-hour checkout window.
That timing matters for anyone hoping the Merch Store will be a normal first-come storefront on release week: it will not. The drawing happens weeks before Riot says fulfillment begins on October 23, so interested buyers should treat September 25 as the date to remember rather than waiting for release day.
Radiance is Riftbound’s fifth set, and this announcement is specifically about direct purchases from Riot’s Merch Store; it does not replace local-store or other retail availability.
Read Riot’s Radiance Merch Store update
Ekko, Recurrent and Stacked Deck Are Banned as of Today
Effective September 18, 2026
Riftbound’s September ban update is now live. Ekko, Recurrent and Stacked Deck are banned in Standard and Constructed 2v2 beginning today, so tournament decks using either card need to be changed before their next sanctioned event.
Riot’s reasoning for Ekko centers on the infinite-play patterns that emerged with the Lux combo deck. The publisher said the line offered limited interaction and could become solitaire-like once the combo started, even though the deck’s overall play rate remained low.
Stacked Deck is a different problem. Riot identified it as a low-cost consistency tool for Chaos strategies, with the Kennen shell getting particularly efficient use from it alongside Lightning Rush, Nocturne, Rhasa the Sunderer, and Last Rites. The intent is to slow that engine without removing Kennen’s core strategy entirely.
This is a date-specific reminder rather than a new ban announcement: we covered the decision earlier this week, but September 18 is the point where the deckbuilding consequence becomes real.
Read Riot’s September ban update
Riftbound Origins Launches in South Korea
Launch: September 18 · Seoul launch events: September 18–23 and September 18–30
Origins officially launches in Korean today, beginning a faster regional release cadence designed to bring Korea into alignment with Riftbound’s global schedule by the start of 2028.
The launch includes Korean Origins boosters, Champion Decks, and Proving Grounds, with launch events at Gen.G GGX from September 18–23 and Yongsan IPark Dopamine Station from September 18–30. Riot also created launch-specific collectibles, including event promos and a Korean Origins Overnumber version of Ahri, Nine-Tailed Fox.
Riot is also introducing a temporary Korean Standard format. It begins with only Korean-released Origins cards, then expands as each localized set arrives; the global banned list still applies. Spiritforged is scheduled to follow in Korea this December.
Read Riot’s Korea launch roadmap
Reality Fracture Reaches Its Complete Gallery Date
Complete card gallery: September 18 · Prerelease: September 25 · MTG Arena: September 29 · Tabletop release: October 2
Wizards’ Reality Fracture preview schedule reaches its final gallery milestone today. Wizards said the complete card image gallery would be available September 18, giving players the full pool to study before prerelease begins next Friday.
For Limited players, this is the useful pivot from preview season into preparation: archetypes, removal, combat tricks, fixing, and build-around cards can now be evaluated as a complete environment rather than as scattered daily reveals.
The next dates come quickly. Prerelease begins September 25, the set arrives on MTG Arena September 29, and the tabletop release follows October 2.
See Wizards’ Reality Fracture preview schedule
Around the Hearth
The next immediate watch dates are September 25 for both Reality Fracture prerelease and the opening of Riot’s Radiance Merch Store drawing window. If you play Riftbound competitively this weekend, the more urgent housekeeping is simpler: make sure Ekko, Recurrent and Stacked Deck are out of your Standard or Constructed 2v2 list.
We also checked the current Hearth & Hoard catalog for a product that directly fit today’s stories. There was no in-stock Riftbound or Reality Fracture item strong enough to justify a Fresh from the Hoard slot, so we’re leaving the shelf space clean today.
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