DSG Prismaticism won the Riftbound Regional Qualifier Los Angeles with Rengar, Pridestalker, defeating Xeno's Irelia 2-1 in the final. Prismaticism completed the tournament with a 14-0-2 record as the Los Angeles event closed the 2026 Vendetta Regional Qualifier season.
The September 25-27 weekend at the Los Angeles Convention Center featured a $25,000 prize pool, 2,165 Main Event players, Regional Championship invitations for the Top 64 and the start of the Riftbound: Radiance preview season.
Below are the final Riftbound Los Angeles results, Prismaticism's championship-winning Rengar decklist, the Top 8 decks, tournament format, qualification implications and the major announcements from the event.
Riftbound Regional Qualifier Los Angeles results at a glance
| Detail | RQ Los Angeles result |
|---|---|
| Winner | DSG Prismaticism |
| Winning Legend | Rengar, Pridestalker |
| Runner-up | Xeno |
| Runner-up Legend | Irelia, Blade Dancer |
| Final score | Prismaticism 2-1 Xeno |
| Winner's record | 14-0-2 |
| Main Event players | 2,165 |
| Event dates | September 25-27, 2026 |
| Venue | Los Angeles Convention Center |
| Prize pool | $25,000 |
| Champion prize | $6,000 plus exclusive rewards |
| Regional Championship invites | Top 64 |
| Swiss rounds | 13 |
| Final stage | Single-elimination Top 8 |
Who won Riftbound Regional Qualifier Los Angeles?
DSG Prismaticism won Riftbound RQ Los Angeles with Rengar, Pridestalker. He defeated Xeno's Irelia, Blade Dancer 2-1 in the championship match after reaching the elimination bracket without a Swiss loss.
Prismaticism finished the 13-round Swiss stage at 11-0-2. His only non-wins were intentional or recorded draws against Xeno in Round 12 and HXN TEMPETE一些雪 in Round 13.
Once the tournament moved into single elimination, Prismaticism won three consecutive 2-1 matches. He beat HXN TEMPETE's Akali in the quarterfinal, NRW Rocklho's Azir in the semifinal and Xeno's Irelia in the final.
| Top Cut round | Opponent | Opponent's Legend | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinal | HXN TEMPETE一些雪 | Akali, Rogue Assassin | 2-1 win |
| Semifinal | NRW Rocklho | Azir, Emperor of the Sands | 2-1 win |
| Final | Xeno | Irelia, Blade Dancer | 2-1 win |
The championship gave Prismaticism another major Vendetta result with Rengar and ended the Regional Qualifier season with one of the strongest individual tournament records of the year.
Riftbound Los Angeles Top 8 standings
The final Riftbound RQ Los Angeles Top 8 featured seven players on five different Legends. Irelia and Azir each placed two pilots in the bracket, while Rengar, Master Yi, Akali and Ornn filled the remaining seats.
| Finish | Player | Legend | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | DSG Prismaticism | Rengar, Pridestalker | Champion |
| 2nd | Xeno | Irelia, Blade Dancer | Finalist |
| 3rd | MICE Squirtle | Azir, Emperor of the Sands | Semifinalist |
| 4th | NRW Rocklho | Azir, Emperor of the Sands | Semifinalist |
| 5th | TM2 | Irelia, Blade Dancer | Quarterfinalist |
| 6th | SWAGALISK | Master Yi, Wuju Bladesman | Quarterfinalist |
| 7th | HXN TEMPETE一些雪 | Akali, Rogue Assassin | Quarterfinalist |
| 8th | MICE TheManLand | Ornn, Fire Below the Mountain | Quarterfinalist |
The bracket also showed how quickly the metagame picture changed late in the tournament. Kennen had been one of the strongest and most visible decks earlier in the event, yet no Kennen player survived the cut to the final eight.
Prismaticism's winning Rengar decklist
Prismaticism won Los Angeles with the Body/Fury Rengar, Pridestalker archetype that had already established itself as one of Vendetta's strongest proactive strategies.
The publicly available championship list contains Rengar, Trophy Hunter as the Chosen Champion, a 40-card main deck, three Battlefields and 12 Runes.
DSG Prismaticism Rengar deck
| Section | Cards |
|---|---|
| Legend | 1x Rengar, Pridestalker |
| Chosen Champion | 1x Rengar, Trophy Hunter |
| Main deck | 1x Darius, Trifarian 1x Ferrous Forerunner 2x First Mate 3x Grim Apothecary 3x Inferna 3x Irresistible Faefolk 3x Kai'Sa, Survivor 3x Kinkou Initiate 2x Nidalee, Cat Form 3x Noxus Hopeful 1x Pakaa Cub 3x Pit Rookie 3x Punch First 1x Pyke, Dockside Butcher 2x Rampage 3x Sabotage 2x Thrill of the Hunt |
| Battlefields | 1x Emperor's Dais 1x Seat of Power 1x Star Spring |
| Runes | 8x Body Rune 4x Fury Rune |
The list leans heavily into cheap pressure and efficient combat tools. Punch First, Sabotage and Thrill of the Hunt help Rengar force favorable exchanges, while units such as Pit Rookie, Inferna, Kinkou Initiate and Kai'Sa, Survivor keep pressure on opposing Battlefields.
The Los Angeles configuration used three copies of Sabotage and two Thrill of the Hunt, giving the winning build a slightly different balance of disruption and combat tricks from some earlier Rengar lists.
Xeno's runner-up Irelia decklist
Xeno reached the final with Irelia, Blade Dancer and came within one game of winning the tournament. The Calm/Chaos list combined Irelia's movement-based game plan with disruption, efficient low-cost cards and a more substantial mid-game package.
| Section | Cards |
|---|---|
| Legend | 1x Irelia, Blade Dancer |
| Chosen Champion | 1x Irelia, Fervent |
| Main deck | 1x Abandon 1x Akali, Silent 2x Boots of Swiftness 2x Charm 3x Defiant Dance 3x Defy 3x Discipline 2x En Garde 1x Flash 1x Guardian Angel 1x Gust 1x Not So Fast 1x Pyke, Returned 2x Ride the Wind 3x Scuttle Crab 2x Star-Crossed 3x Stellacorn Herder 3x Tideturner 1x Twilight Shroud 1x Vex, Apathetic 2x Zhonya's Hourglass |
| Battlefields | 1x Targon's Peak 1x Sunken Temple 1x Abandoned Hall |
| Runes | 6x Calm Rune 6x Chaos Rune |
Xeno's version differed from some established Vendetta Irelia lists by making room for cards including Akali, Silent, Vex, Apathetic and other mid-game options rather than relying exclusively on the most streamlined version of the archetype.
Other notable Riftbound Los Angeles decklists
Several other Top 8 lists were publicly shared after the event. MICE Squirtle finished third with Azir, HXN TEMPETE took seventh with Akali and Barcelona champion MICE TheManLand reached another Regional Qualifier Top 8 with Ornn.
MICE Squirtle's third-place Azir core
Squirtle's Azir list used Azir, Sovereign as its Chosen Champion with a Calm/Order Rune base. The main deck included three copies each of Arise!, B.F. Sword, Back Off, Brutalizer, Defy, Discipline, Doran's Shield, Eye of the Herald, Guards!, Hidden Blade and Soul Sword, backed by two Deathgrip, two En Garde and two Sterak's Gage.
Its Battlefields were Trifarian War Camp, Hall of Legends and Seat of Power.
HXN TEMPETE's Top 8 Akali deck
HXN TEMPETE reached seventh with Akali, Rogue Assassin and Akali, Deadly Weapon. The Fury/Calm list included core interaction such as Defy, Discipline, Falling Star, Shuriken Flip and Zhonya's Hourglass alongside Kai'Sa, Survivor and Stellacorn Herder.
The deck used Sigil of the Storm, Void Gate and Forgotten Monument as its three Battlefields.
MICE TheManLand returns to the Top 8 with Ornn
MICE TheManLand followed his Barcelona Regional Qualifier victory with another Top 8 appearance, this time finishing eighth with Ornn, Fire Below the Mountain.
The Calm/Mind build continued to center on defensive efficiency and Gear synergies, with cards including Clockwork Keeper, Patched Porobot, Pit Crew, Poro Snax, Seal of Focus and Sterak's Gage.
What the Los Angeles results say about the Riftbound meta
Los Angeles was the first major Regional Qualifier played after Riot's September 18 ban-list update and therefore offered the clearest high-level snapshot of the late Vendetta metagame under the new restrictions.
The Top 8 ultimately featured six different deck slots across five distinct Legends: two Irelia, two Azir, Rengar, Master Yi, Akali and Ornn.
The most striking omission was Kennen. The archetype had performed extremely well earlier in the tournament and entered Los Angeles with a strong competitive reputation, but its highest-finishing pilots stopped outside the Top 8.
Irelia showed both depth and ceiling. Xeno reached the final and TM2 also made Top 8. Azir converted both of its elimination-bracket representatives into semifinalists through MICE Squirtle and NRW Rocklho.
Rengar's victory was different. It was not the most represented strategy at the top of the field, but Prismaticism converted it into the championship with an unbeaten match record.
One tournament is not enough to define a solved metagame, especially with Radiance immediately changing the competitive card pool. Los Angeles nevertheless showed that the post-ban Vendetta environment could support several different strategies at the highest tables.
Riftbound RQ Los Angeles attendance
The Los Angeles Main Event recorded 2,165 players in the official UVS Games tournament system, making it another major four-figure Regional Qualifier for Riftbound's first competitive year.
That field had to navigate 13 Swiss rounds before the tournament cut to eight players for single elimination.
RQ Los Angeles format and tournament structure
The Main Event used the Constructed format. Players competed through 13 Swiss rounds, with the leading eight advancing to a single-elimination bracket.
The Top 8 consisted of quarterfinals, semifinals and the championship match. Prismaticism and Xeno both survived Swiss undefeated before eventually meeting again in the final.
RQ Los Angeles venue and event dates
Riftbound Regional Qualifier Los Angeles ran from September 25-27, 2026 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, California.
The weekend combined the Main Event with side events, vendors, community activities, the Prize Wall, merchandise and the Radiance developer panel. Early badge collection began on Thursday, September 24 before the main event weekend.
Riftbound Regional Qualifier Los Angeles had a $25,000 prize pool
Riot's official Los Angeles event information set the Main Event prize pool at $25,000. Prismaticism earned $6,000 for first place in addition to the tournament's winner-exclusive promotional rewards.
| Finish | Cash prize | Main rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Top 128 | None listed | Crystal Rose Lux playmat and Jayce Top 128 promo |
| Top 64 | None listed | Top 128 rewards, 40 Prize Wall Tickets, Regional Championship invite and future RQ Competitor Pass |
| Top 32 | $250 | Top 64 non-cash rewards |
| Top 16 | $500 | Top 64 non-cash rewards |
| Top 8 | $1,000-$3,000 | Top Cut playmat, exclusive Top 8 Jayce promo and additional rewards |
| Champion | $6,000 | Winner playmat and promo plus the other champion rewards |
Top 64 qualified for a Riftbound Regional Championship
Los Angeles was one of the final routes into Riftbound's first Regional Championships. Every competitor who reached the Top 64 earned a Regional Championship invitation.
According to Riot's 2026 Regional Championship information, invitations are not locked to the region where they were earned. A qualified player can use an invitation for either the European Regional Championship in Stuttgart or the North American Regional Championship in Las Vegas.
Players who earned invitations through multiple Regional Qualifiers may attend both championships.
Best-Of Legends rewarded standout performances
Overall tournament placement was not the only competitive prize in Los Angeles. Riot offered 33 Best-Of Foil Plated Legends covering Spiritforged, Unleashed and Vendetta.
Each eligible Best-Of Legend went to the highest-finishing player piloting that Legend, allowing competitors outside the overall Top 8 to earn a major event-exclusive reward for outperforming everyone else using the same Legend.
Ekko, Recurrent and Stacked Deck were banned before Los Angeles
The tournament took place only eight days after Riot made an important change to the competitive card pool.
Ekko, Recurrent and Stacked Deck were added to the Standard and Constructed 2v2 ban list effective September 18, 2026.
Riot's September ban-list update specifically cited the approaching Los Angeles Regional Qualifier and Regional Championships when explaining why the changes were being released quickly.
Los Angeles therefore became the first major Regional Qualifier test of the updated Vendetta environment.
RiftDaily's Riftbound rules guide covers the core game systems, while Riot's Rules Hub remains the authoritative source for current tournament legality and policy.
Radiance preview season started at RQ Los Angeles
Los Angeles did more than close the Vendetta Regional Qualifier season. It also officially opened preview season for Riftbound: Radiance, the game's fifth set.
The Friday developer panel featured Game Director Dave Guskin, Radiance Lead Designer Jon Moormann, Creative Director Brice Cox and Radiance Art Director Michelle Mauk.
Riot also published its first major Radiance overview during the Los Angeles weekend, confirming the set's key mechanics, product structure and release schedule.
Deploy
Deploy allows certain Gear to be played directly to a Battlefield. The Gear provides its benefit while there and is killed when an opponent holds that Battlefield.
Show Off
Show Off asks the player to reveal a qualifying card from their hand or board to unlock an additional effect on the card being played.
Disarm
Disarm reduces the Might of an enemy Unit while attacking, with additional instances increasing the reduction.
Equipment Units and other Radiance additions
Radiance also expands Gear design through Equipment Units. Riot highlighted Orianna's ability to turn equipment into Units and confirmed other new design space alongside the set's music and performance theme.
The first Radiance announcements also confirmed nine new Legends with Overnumber variants, including artist-signed versions, as well as special HEARTSTEEL Overnumber treatments.
Riot also confirmed an Ultimate Rare for Radiance. Across the entire print run, Riot lists the average Ultimate Rare appearance rate at approximately 0.025% of booster packs, although that is a print-run average rather than a guarantee for any box or case.
Radiance previews run from September 25 through October 9. Pre-Rift events take place October 16-22, with the full set releasing on October 23, 2026 in English, French and Chinese.
For the broader Riftbound product calendar, see RiftDaily's Riftbound release date guide.
Riot and UVS addressed earlier Regional Qualifier problems
Ahead of Los Angeles, Riot publicly acknowledged problems players had encountered at the previous two Regional Qualifiers and said it had been working with UVS on improvements.
The organizers highlighted three areas in particular:
- More play space for players
- Improved logistics around the Prize Wall and merchandise stores
- A review of judge staffing and policies
Riot also said some solutions would require longer-term work and feed into future Riftbound Organized Play events.
How to watch Riftbound RQ Los Angeles after the event
The live tournament has concluded, but Riftbound's official video channels remain the main destinations for archived Los Angeles coverage, match footage and related event content.
The event was broadcast through the official Riftbound YouTube channel and the Riftbound Twitch channel.
The broadcast desk featured Julian Carr, Alex Coccia, Silverfuse, Charm3r, Ursiiday and Barrett Bryant.
Riftbound Organized Play also used @RiftboundOP on X for match results, bracket updates, player interviews, behind-the-scenes coverage and deck techs during the event.
Secret Garden Bundle was sold at RQ Los Angeles
The English Secret Garden Bundle was available for $70 during the Los Angeles event, limited to one bundle per event badge while supplies lasted.
The bundle contained three alternate-art cards — Ivern, Green Father; Lillia, Bashful Bloom; and Ultrasoft Poro — alongside five alternate-art double-sided tokens, two sleeve packs, two full-art postcards and three Unleashed booster packs.
What happens after Riftbound Regional Qualifier Los Angeles?
Los Angeles ended the Vendetta Regional Qualifier season, but the competitive path continues through the 2026 Regional Championships.
European Regional Championship in Stuttgart
The Riftbound European Regional Championship takes place November 6-8, 2026 at Messe Stuttgart in Stuttgart, Germany.
The event uses Standard with Radiance legal. Players begin with six Swiss rounds on Friday, followed by another six on Saturday before the Top 8 advances to single elimination on Sunday.
The European Regional Championship has a $50,000 prize pool, including $10,000 for first place. The Top 8 qualify for Riftbound's first World Championship.
North American Regional Championship in Las Vegas
The Riftbound North American Regional Championship follows from December 11-13, 2026 at the Las Vegas Convention Center as part of Convergence Fest.
North America also uses Standard with Radiance legal and offers a $50,000 prize pool with $10,000 for the champion. Its Top 8 also qualify for Worlds.
Regional Championship competitors do not need to purchase a general Convergence Fest pass for the championship itself.
Los Angeles closed the Vendetta qualifier season
RQ Los Angeles occupied an unusual place on the 2026 Riftbound calendar. The tournament decided the final Regional Qualifier champion of the Vendetta season while the same weekend opened previews for Radiance.
That makes the event both the closing competitive snapshot of the post-ban Vendetta format and the bridge into the card pool that will define the European and North American Regional Championships.
Frequently asked questions about Riftbound Regional Qualifier Los Angeles
Who won Riftbound Regional Qualifier Los Angeles?
DSG Prismaticism won Riftbound Regional Qualifier Los Angeles with Rengar, Pridestalker. He defeated Xeno's Irelia 2-1 in the final and finished the event with a 14-0-2 record.
Who finished second at RQ Los Angeles?
Xeno finished runner-up with Irelia, Blade Dancer after losing the final 1-2 to Prismaticism.
What decks made the Riftbound Los Angeles Top 8?
The Top 8 featured Rengar, two Irelia decks, two Azir decks, Master Yi, Akali and Ornn.
What deck won RQ Los Angeles?
Rengar, Pridestalker won the tournament in the hands of DSG Prismaticism. The Body/Fury deck used aggressive units alongside cards such as Punch First, Sabotage, Rampage and Thrill of the Hunt.
What was the Riftbound Los Angeles final score?
DSG Prismaticism defeated Xeno 2-1 in the championship match.
How many players attended Riftbound RQ Los Angeles?
The official UVS Games event page records 2,165 players in the Los Angeles Main Event.
When was Riftbound Regional Qualifier Los Angeles?
The event weekend ran from September 25-27, 2026, with early badge collection beginning September 24.
Where was Riftbound RQ Los Angeles held?
The event was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015.
What was the Riftbound Los Angeles prize pool?
RQ Los Angeles had a $25,000 cash prize pool. Prismaticism earned $6,000 for winning the tournament, while cash payouts began at Top 32.
What placement earned a Regional Championship invite?
Players who finished in the Top 64 earned a Regional Championship invitation. Invitations are not region-locked, so qualified players can choose the European or North American Regional Championship. Players with multiple invitations may attend both.
Which cards were banned before RQ Los Angeles?
Ekko, Recurrent and Stacked Deck were added to the Standard and Constructed 2v2 ban list effective September 18, 2026.
What Radiance mechanics were revealed at RQ Los Angeles?
The opening Radiance preview introduced three major mechanics: Deploy, Show Off and Disarm. Riot also revealed more about Equipment Units, the set's Overnumber treatments, HEARTSTEEL cards and Radiance's collectibility structure.
When does Riftbound Radiance release?
Riftbound: Radiance releases October 23, 2026, following Pre-Rift events from October 16-22.
Where can I watch RQ Los Angeles coverage?
The tournament was broadcast through Riftbound's official YouTube and Twitch channels. Those channels remain the best official places to find available Los Angeles match footage and event coverage after the tournament.
Prismaticism ends the Regional Qualifier season unbeaten
Riftbound Regional Qualifier Los Angeles ended with DSG Prismaticism completing one of the standout runs of the 2026 circuit. After finishing 11-0-2 through Swiss, he defeated Akali, Azir and Irelia in the Top 8 to close the tournament at 14-0-2 with Rengar.
The event also delivered the final major look at Vendetta after the September bans. Kennen remained dangerous throughout the tournament but disappeared before the Top 8, while Irelia, Azir, Rengar, Master Yi, Akali and Ornn shared the final bracket.
With the Regional Qualifier season complete, attention now shifts to Radiance and the European and North American Regional Championships, where qualified players will compete for places at Riftbound's first World Championship.
