When hype meets bots: what went wrong?

The Spiritforged preorder was meant to be the moment the Riftbound community stormed in for the new set. And it did. The problem is that bots stormed in alongside the players, and the "First Come, First Served" system did not survive contact with reality.

The result was predictable: an overloaded site, stuck carts and the product sold out in the blink of an eye. Even increased production compared to the previous set was not enough to meet demand. Riot openly admitted that the quality of the experience did not meet its standards. For us, players and collectors, that meant one thing: frustration. Now the publisher is changing its approach.

Spiritforged moves to a drawing system

Instead of a race measured in milliseconds, a "drawing" system has been introduced. Everyone interested has 48 hours to enter the drawing. Clicking speed no longer matters; what counts is whether your account gets drawn.

Registration for the first wave opens on February 3 at 6:00 PM CET and runs until February 5. Selected entrants will receive a purchase link that stays active for 24 hours. If someone does not complete their purchase, the system automatically draws another person from the pool.

This is a significant change. The pressure to "be online at second zero" is gone. An element of luck remains, but at least in theory everyone has an equal chance.

Which products are included in the drawing?

In the first round, Riot is offering three key products from the Spiritforged set.

Booster Display: Spiritforged

The Booster Display is the heart of every set. For some it is a tool for building decks from scratch, for others a way to hunt for chase cards and alternate versions. If Spiritforged turns out to be a meta breakthrough, the sealed box may also have collector value.

Keep in mind that with high demand, box prices can react quickly in the very first days after shipping.

👉 Enter the drawing: Spiritforged Booster Display

Rumble Champion Deck

A ready-made deck built around Rumble is aimed at people who want to get into the format without building a deck from zero. Products like this are often underrated, yet they can contain solid staples or cards exclusive to that particular build.

👉 Enter the drawing: Rumble Champion Deck

Fiora Champion Deck

Fiora is a completely different playstyle: more control, more precise decisions. For players who like to win through tempo and technique, this Champion Deck can be an interesting base for further modifications.

👉 Enter the drawing: Fiora Champion Deck

One detail you need to remember

If you are drawn for more than one product, your cart will be locked as a bundle. You cannot buy only some of the items allocated to you: you take everything or you pass.

This matters for your budget. Enthusiasm can cloud cold calculation, and a 24-hour decision window does not leave much time to think it over.

Riot has also announced multi-layered account verification. Attempts to enter from multiple accounts may be flagged as abuse. In practice, this means the system is meant to favor real players, not scalpers running account farms.

Will this really improve availability?

A drawing system does not increase the number of cards printed. It will not suddenly mean everyone gets a box. It does, however, change how the chance to buy is distributed.

Instead of rewarding the fastest 3% of users and bots, it spreads the opportunity to buy across everyone who registered within the 48 hours. It is a subtle but important difference.

For the secondary market, this may mean a more controlled start to sales. Fewer panic purchases in the seconds after release often translate into a more stable start for price listings.

What does this mean for you as a buyer?

If you are aiming for Spiritforged, approach it strategically. Enter the drawing only for the products you actually want, and set your maximum budget in advance.

At the same time, keep an eye on retailer offers. Some distributors may sell through their own channels, using different models.

Because whether you buy directly from the publisher or from a TCG shop, the key question is: is the price reasonable given the supply and the hype?

Check Spiritforged prices before you click "buy"

Once the first units start reaching players (shipping begins on February 13), the market will start to react. That is when impulsive decisions are easiest to make.

Before you pay more, check the current offers on mTCG. See where the Booster Display, Rumble Champion Deck or Fiora Champion Deck are available at the lowest price, and make your decision with a cool head.

In TCGs, it is not only the person who builds a good deck who wins. The person who buys wisely wins too.