Opening Riftbound Unleashed packs feels even better than Magic: The Gathering
Polygon reviews the booster pack opening experience in Riftbound: Unleashed, the third set of the official League of Legends trading card game, which launched on May 8. The article highlights how cracking packs in Riftbound differs meaningfully from the experience in Magic: The Gathering. In MTG, the pack-opening ritual typically follows a formulaic pattern: players either carefully examine early packs from a set to assess card strength, or skim through established collections looking for rare cards. Outside of draft events, the process feels isolated and mechanic—described by the reviewer as akin to pulling a slot machine lever for a brief dopamine hit, acknowledging that booster pack opening is fundamentally a form of gambling. Riftbound: Unleashed apparently breaks this mold, offering a pack-opening experience that feels substantially different and more engaging. The comparison suggests that Riot Games has designed the mechanic to feel less like pure chance and more integrated into the game’s broader narrative or mechanics, potentially addressing common criticisms about the gambling-adjacent nature of TCG pack openings. This distinction appears to be a significant selling point for the new set, with the reviewer noting the experience “feels totally different” in a way that benefits players.