There are moments in this hobby that make you stop and appreciate just how far a passion project can take you
Walking through the doors of Riot Games’ Los Angeles headquarters to sit down with Riftbound Game Director Dave Guskin and play Vendetta, the upcoming fourth set, before it hits shelves was one of those moments.
I’ll be honest: I never expected to end up here when I started covering tabletop games for The Outerhaven. Yet there I was, with cards on the table and Dave sitting across from me, somewhere inside one of gaming’s most recognizable companies.
Riot HQ Is Exactly What You’d Expect and Nothing Like It
The campus itself carries that unmistakable Riot energy. League of Legends DNA is everywhere, from the art on the walls and the architecture to the quiet sense that the people walking past you helped build something hundreds of millions of players experience every day. It’s a lot to take in. I made sure to take photos outside before heading in because, once you walk through the doors, you’re a guest, and guests pay attention.
Inside, the Riftbound team had everything set up and ready to go. The cards were laid out, the battlefield was waiting, and Dave Guskin, the game’s director, was ready to sit across from a solo media writer from the Pacific Northwest and actually play.
Getting Hands-On With Vendetta
Vendetta is built around rivalries, specifically the real, storied rivalries of League of Legends, and that theme comes through immediately at the table. I’m keeping the specific card details under embargo for now, but what I can say is that the set feels purposeful in a way that rewards players who have been with Riftbound since Origins. The new domain pairings change the texture of the game in ways I didn’t fully anticipate, and there were many moments during our session when I caught myself thinking about what I would do differently in a second game. That’s always the sign of a well-designed game.
Dave was generous at the table, patient with my questions, engaged with the gameplay, and genuinely enthusiastic about what Vendetta brings to Riftbound. It’s the kind of enthusiasm that comes across as genuine because it is. This is someone who clearly cares deeply about what the team is building.
More Coming Soon
This visit was the beginning of something bigger, not just a preview, but a conversation about where Riftbound is headed.
Check out our Vendetta interview here.
