Between the excitement of Arcane's finale, the arrival of a new Teamfight Tactics set, and a new League of Legends season on the horizon, the world of Runeterra has been buzzing with activity. And now, Riot Games is taking it to the next level with Project K, a physical card game set in the Runeterra universe.

Riot's Physical Card Game Adventure in Runeterra

Game Formats and Mechanics

The game is playable in the traditional 1v1 TCG format, but what really gets the team excited is the fact that players can team up in groups of up to four in a free-for-all or even better, in teams of two. It features a recognizable TCG mana system, granting players two Runes per turn. Each unit and spell costs a certain amount of Runes to put into play. This system adds an interesting dynamic to the gameplay, allowing for strategic decisions and quick thinking.In the 2v2 setup, the team aimed to match the team-based, fun multiplayer experience of League. The bigger player count also makes it perfect for bigger gatherings and more real-life social experiences. According to game director Dave Guskin, this was an important goal as Riot has no plans to make a digital version of Project K at the moment.

Development Journey

Project K started its life just last year as one of Riot's many R&D department projects. After the idea of a physical League of Legends trading card game emerged, Guskin and his team developed the basic game engine in just a few months. They then began staffing up the Project K team with TCG enthusiasts from Riot's offices in Los Angeles and Shanghai.When looking for playtesters, the response was overwhelming. Guskin offered to host learn-to-play sessions, expecting around 20-25 people, but instead, over 150 to 200 people showed up, eager to learn. This demonstrated the potential interest in the game.The development process was rapid but required some iteration. For example, the 2v2 setup was developed to add more team-based fun. It was noticed that 1v1 games were missing some of the magic of multiplayer, and 2v2 was found to be really fun.To deal with the issue of team games where players could get stuck on the sidelines, the team settled on Project K's Battlefields system of points instead of a player health system. This system makes the game feel more like League of Legends and adds an extra layer of strategy.

Champion Cards and Synergy

All cards are work in progress and subject to change. Each deck in the game is built around a specific champion, aiming to make each champion card feel thematically consistent without mimicking the MOBA gameplay.For instance, decks themed around champions like Darius and Viktor focus on building armies to defeat opponents, which is thematically consistent with their in-game characters. One of the Volibear cards had a direct link to his abilities in League, granting him a shield that makes opponents' spells harder to cast against him.As someone with moderate TCG experience, Project K felt easy to pick up. It falls somewhere in the middle between simpler TCGs like Pokémon and Marvel Snap and more complex ones like Yu-Gi-Oh or Magic. The mana system is easy to understand and dynamic in the late game, while the champion cards have intuitive effects that allow for lots of synergy between them.

Release and Future Plans

Project K is set for release in China in early 2025. However, getting the game to North America is a more complicated process as Riot hasn't found the right publishing partner yet. The goal is to find a partner who cares as much as Riot does about bringing a great game experience to players in hobby stores where they will learn the game.While a firm timetable for the North American release is not available, Guskin hopes to share more news with players soon. For now, Project K will be playable for attendees of Riot's Teamfight Tactics invitational tournament in Macao later this month.