# Riftbound game modes: 1v1, 2v2 and free-for-all > Riftbound has five sanctioned modes: 1v1 Duel and Match, 3-player Skirmish, 4-player War and 2v2 Magma Chamber. All play to 8 points except 2v2, which plays to 11. Riftbound rules explained by Runeweave: https://runeweave.com/rules/game-modes Symbols in Riot's text: [M] Might, [A] one power of any domain, [C] one power of the card's own domain, [E] exhaust, [2] two energy. ## Explanation Riftbound's Core Rules define five sanctioned modes of play. Duel and Match are 1v1, Skirmish is a 3-player free-for-all, War is a 4-player free-for-all, and Magma Chamber is 2v2. Each mode sets the number of players, the Victory Score, how many battlefields are in play and how they're chosen, whether you play one game or a match, and any changes to the first turn. Every player brings 3 battlefields in every mode, and each game uses at most one of them. In 1v1, each player puts one into play, for 2 in total. In Skirmish, each of the three players puts one in, for 3. In War and Magma Chamber, the player taking the first turn doesn't use theirs, and the other three players each put one in, so there are also 3. Duel is a single game to 8 points, and each player's battlefield is picked at random. Match is best of 3, and each player chooses their battlefield. After a game that someone wins, the battlefields used are removed for the rest of the match, and new ones are chosen from those set aside. A match can also be played as best of 5, where games 4 and 5 may reuse a removed battlefield once a player has used each of theirs. In both Duel and Match, the player going second channels an extra rune on their first turn. In Skirmish and War, everyone plays for themselves, and the goal is still 8 points. A combat is always between exactly two players: while one is staged or under way at a battlefield, the other players can't move or play units there. Showdowns include everyone, though. Focus passes around the table in turn order, so any player can play [Action](https://runeweave.com/keywords/action) and [Reaction](https://runeweave.com/keywords/reaction) cards. On the first turn, the player going first skips their draw, and the player going last channels an extra rune. Magma Chamber is two teams of two, played to 11 points. Turns alternate between the teams. Teammates share one point total and win or lose together, so if one player concedes, the team loses. Control isn't shared: you can't give your teammate's units standard moves, hide cards at their battlefields, or move your units to a battlefield they occupy. Anything your teammate controls counts as "friendly" for your cards, but XP isn't shared. On your turn, you can invite your teammate to play spells and activate abilities using your priority. Scoring has extra rules in 2v2. Each battlefield can be scored only once per team per turn. A battlefield your teammate controls during your turn's scoring step can't be scored by your team that turn. And for the final point, you don't need to have scored the battlefields your teammate occupied in that step. Teammates can't bring the same Champion Legend or the same battlefields, and 2v2 Constructed has its own [ban list](https://runeweave.com/ban-list). ## What the Core Rules say - **487.4.a** Each player provides three (3) Battlefields, included in their deck during deck building. Only 1 will be used, chosen during setup. - **487.5** Setup: Each player randomly selects one (1) of their three (3) Battlefields. The other two are removed and will not be used for this game. The selected Battlefields are placed simultaneously in the Battlefield Zone. - **487.7** First Turn Process: The player going second channels an extra Rune from their Rune Deck during their first Channel Phase of the game. - **488.6** Format: Best of 3. The first player to reach the Victory Score in Points wins the game. The winner of that game earns One Game Win. Players then reset the game state, remove the Battlefields in play from the game, choose new Battlefields from those set aside, and play again. The first player to earn Two Game Wins wins the match. - **489.7** First Turn Process: The player going first does not draw a card during their first Draw Phase of the game. The player going last channels an extra Rune from their Rune Deck during their first Channel Phase of the game. - **490.4.b** The player who is taking the first turn removes their Battlefields. They will not be used. - **464** Combat can only occur between Units controlled by exactly two players. - **491.3** Victory Score: 11 - **491.5.c.1** The first player will be followed by an opponent, then the first player's teammate, then the first opponent's teammate, and so on. - **491.6.a** Teammates win or lose together. - **491.8.b** A Battlefield can only be Scored, via Conquering or Holding, once per team per turn. - **491.8.d** Points are shared by a team. ## Common questions ### What game modes does Riftbound have? Five sanctioned modes: Duel, a single 1v1 game; Match, a 1v1 best of 3; Skirmish, a 3-player free-for-all; War, a 4-player free-for-all; and Magma Chamber, a 2v2 team game. All are played to 8 points except Magma Chamber, which is played to 11. Source: Core Rules 487.3, 487.6, 488.6, 489.3, 490.3, 491.2, 491.3 ### How does 2v2 work in Riftbound? Two teams of two play to 11 points with 3 battlefields, and turns alternate between the teams. Teammates share one point total and win or lose together. Each player still controls their own cards, and you can't move units to a battlefield your teammate occupies. On your turn, you can invite your teammate to play spells and activate abilities with your priority. Source: Core Rules 491.3, 491.4, 491.5.c, 491.8.d, 491.6.a, 491.8.c, 449.2.b, 491.8.a ### How many points do you need to win in 2v2? 11. Teammates share one point total, so both players always have the same score, and points either of you gains or loses count for the team. A card that checks whether you gained points checks whether your team did. Source: Core Rules 491.3, 491.8.d.1, 491.8.d.2, 491.8.d.3 ### Can I conquer a battlefield my teammate was controlling? Not on a turn when they controlled it during your scoring step. A battlefield your teammate controlled during the scoring step of your turn can't be scored by your team that turn, so you can't have them leave it and then take it yourself. Each battlefield can also be scored only once per team per turn. Source: Core Rules 491.8.b.1, 471.1.a, 491.8.b ### How do you play Riftbound with 3 players? Play Skirmish, the 3-player free-for-all. Everyone plays for themselves to 8 points. Each player randomly selects one of their 3 battlefields, so 3 battlefields are in play. The player going first skips their first draw, and the player going last channels an extra rune on their first turn. Source: Core Rules 489.1, 489.2, 489.3, 489.5, 489.7 ### How does 4-player free-for-all work in Riftbound? That's War: four players, each playing for themselves to 8 points. The player taking the first turn doesn't use their battlefields. The other three each randomly select one of theirs, so 3 battlefields are in play. The first player skips their first draw, and the last player channels an extra rune on their first turn. Source: Core Rules 490.1, 490.2, 490.3, 490.4.b, 490.5, 490.7 ### How do combat and showdowns work with more than two players? A combat is always between exactly two players. While one is staged or under way at a battlefield, players who aren't in it can't move units there or play units there. Showdowns include everyone: focus passes to each player in turn order, so any player can play [Action](https://runeweave.com/keywords/action) and [Reaction](https://runeweave.com/keywords/reaction) cards, even at a battlefield where they have no units. Source: Core Rules 464, 464.1, 464.2, 347.1.b, 347.2.b; [Riftbound Core Rules: Patch Notes](https://playriftbound.com/en-us/news/rules-and-releases/riftbound-core-rules-patch-notes/), October 24, 2025 ### What's the difference between Duel and Match? Both are 1v1 games to 8 points with 2 battlefields. Duel is a single game, and each player's battlefield is picked at random. Match is best of 3, and each player chooses their battlefield. After a game someone wins, the battlefields used are removed, and each player picks a new one from those set aside. Source: Core Rules 487.3, 487.4, 487.5, 487.6, 488.5, 488.6 ### Can teammates use the same legend or battlefields in 2v2? No. Teammates must have different Champion Legends, and no battlefield can appear in both of their decks. Source: Core Rules 491.8.h, 491.8.i; [Riftbound Core Rules: Patch Notes](https://playriftbound.com/en-us/news/rules-and-releases/riftbound-core-rules-patch-notes/), October 24, 2025 ### Does "friendly" include my teammate's units in 2v2? Yes. Two game objects are friendly if they share a controller or if their controllers are teammates, so a card that says "ready a friendly unit" can ready one of your teammate's units. XP isn't shared, though: each player has their own. Source: Core Rules 740.1.a, 491.8.e, 732 ## Example: Setting up a 2v2 game You and your teammate sit next to each other, facing the other team. You're chosen to go first, so your 3 battlefields aren't used. Your teammate and both opponents each randomly select one of theirs, and those 3 go into play. Turn order alternates teams and passes across the table: you, then an opponent, then your teammate, then the other opponent. You skip your first draw, and the other opponent, who goes last, channels 3 runes on their first turn. Your team plays to 11 points, and you and your teammate always have the same score. ## Official rulings > New Rule: In 2v2, partners cannot include the same battlefield across both of their decks. — [Riftbound Core Rules: Patch Notes](https://playriftbound.com/en-us/news/rules-and-releases/riftbound-core-rules-patch-notes/), October 24, 2025 > NEW RULE: Players cannot have the same Champion Legend as their partner. — [Riftbound Core Rules: Patch Notes](https://playriftbound.com/en-us/news/rules-and-releases/riftbound-core-rules-patch-notes/), October 24, 2025 > CLARIFIED: Partners win or lose together. This means one player conceding has their partner lose as well. — [Riftbound Core Rules: Patch Notes](https://playriftbound.com/en-us/news/rules-and-releases/riftbound-core-rules-patch-notes/), October 24, 2025 > CLARIFIED: All players always have agency to act during Showdowns and Chains in all modes. — [Riftbound Core Rules: Patch Notes](https://playriftbound.com/en-us/news/rules-and-releases/riftbound-core-rules-patch-notes/), October 24, 2025 > NEW RULE: In a Best of 5 match, during games 4 and 5 of the match players may present a battlefield that has been removed from the game. … NEW RULE: Players may only re-use a battlefield in this way if they have already presented each of their battlefields at least once during the match, and present a battlefield at most twice in a given match. — [Core Rules: Vendetta Patch Notes](https://playriftbound.com/en-us/news/announcements/core-rules-vendetta-patch-notes/), July 17, 2026 > The rules for 2v2 scoring were slightly contradictory. In the Vendetta rules update we cleaned them up, and in this rules update they’ve been fully aligned. Specifically, the final point and scoring eligibility special rules now apply only to teams that maintain control of a battlefield during their own or a teammate’s turn, and not during an opponent’s turn. — [Core Rules: Radiance Patch Notes (Effective October 16, 2026)](https://playriftbound.com/en-us/news/announcements/core-rules-radiance-patch-notes-effective-october-16-2026/), October 9, 2026 ## Sources - [Riftbound Core Rules](https://playriftbound.com/en-us/rules-hub/), October 9, 2026 - [Riftbound Core Rules: Patch Notes](https://playriftbound.com/en-us/news/rules-and-releases/riftbound-core-rules-patch-notes/), October 24, 2025 - [Core Rules: Vendetta Patch Notes](https://playriftbound.com/en-us/news/announcements/core-rules-vendetta-patch-notes/), July 17, 2026 - [Core Rules: Radiance Patch Notes (Effective October 16, 2026)](https://playriftbound.com/en-us/news/announcements/core-rules-radiance-patch-notes-effective-october-16-2026/), October 9, 2026 Checked against these sources on October 15, 2026.