Riot Games and UVS Games announced on December 10, 2025, in an official press release, that Riftbound, the collectible card game inspired by the League of Legends universe, will be available in French starting from mid-2026, with the Origins set. French will thus become the third officially supported language, alongside English and Simplified Chinese.

A step-by-step approach

It is indeed with the first set, Origins, that the French rollout will begin in mid-2026, before being followed by Riftbound: Spiritforged, the second collection of Riot Games' TCG. Scheduled for December 12 in China and mid-February in its English version, this set, based on the Spirit Blossoms skin line, will be the first of four sets planned for 2026. Riot Games recently unveiled Unleashed, the third set scheduled for Q2 2026, Vendetta, set for Q3, and RADIANCE for Q4.

Currently spaced several months apart across the three regions, the North American publisher had already explained that these waiting periods should gradually decrease over time. Released on August 1, 2025 in China, Origins then launched three months later on November 30, while there will be only two months between these two releases for Spiritforged.

The French version should therefore progressively close the gap as future sets are released. Riot and UVS are expected to announce further details in the coming months, particularly regarding the release date and how the French launch will be structured.

Why French Matters for Riftbound

In the press release, Dave Guskin, Game Director at Riot Games, emphasizes the significance of this milestone: "From Riftbound's inception, we've been working to get the game into the hands of passionate TCG players and League of Legends fans around the world. We're thrilled to be able to offer Riftbound in French, having witnessed strong enthusiasm from French-speaking players eager to experience the game in their native language."

This announcement hardly comes out of nowhere, both given France's position in Europe's TCG market and the fact that the country will host the TFT Paris Open from December 12 to 14. This presents an opportunity for Riot to potentially connect with the French-speaking audience and showcase Riftbound's first French cards.

According to several market studies, France ranks as the third-largest TCG market in Europe, behind Germany and the United Kingdom, with a market valued at nearly $144.25 million in 2024, growing by an average of almost 8 percent annually. It's also worth noting that France is not the only French-speaking nation, with approximately 320 million French speakers worldwide, from Canada to Morocco and across Switzerland.