Legends of Runeterra was Riot’s attempt to bring digital CCG depth to mobile, and from a pure game-design standpoint it succeeded. The alternating action system — where both players take turns playing cards and responding — eliminates the passivity that makes games like Hearthstone feel one-sided. Deck building is deep, the card art is excellent, and drawing on the League of Legends universe gives the champion cards a familiar context for existing Riot fans. This is a technically well-made card game.
The problem is Riot pulled back development significantly, and the game’s future as a live-service title is uncertain. Content updates have slowed, and competitive ranked play has thinned out because much of the player base moved on. For a CCG that relies on a healthy opponent pool for the PvP modes to function, player count matters a lot. The Path of Champions solo mode adds a roguelite layer that keeps the game playable even with a smaller community, and that mode has received attention recently.
If you enjoy the card game mechanics and are fine with an uncertain live-service trajectory, the existing card pool is enormous and the game is free with a reasonable monetization model. But picking this up expecting a thriving competitive scene as of mid-2026 requires some tempered expectations.
Verdict: A mechanically excellent CCG with a generous economy that's unfortunately in a quiet phase of its life — great to play today, less certain as a long-term investment.
