Riftbound bans Ekko and Stacked Deck from September 18
The September 18 ban update removes two cards from Standard and Constructed 2v2. Check your Lux-combo and Kennen/Chaos lists before your next event.
Updated
Riftbound competitive players: as of September 18, 2026, two cards are illegal in Standard and Constructed 2v2.
Riot announced the change on September 15 so people could prepare ahead of the next Regional Championships. The bans are live now.
What’s banned
- Ekko, Recurrent — aimed at Lux combo “infinite” lines that feel like solitaire and leave few windows to interact
- Stacked Deck — a cheap consistency tool that, with Kennen and cards like Lightning Rush, was letting Chaos decks dig too efficiently
What this means for your deck
Standard is the main constructed format most tournament players use. Constructed 2v2 is the partner-team version of that same ban list.
If your deck leaned on Lux combo via Ekko, or on Kennen/Chaos churning with Stacked Deck, those cards have to come out before you register for upcoming regionals (Los Angeles Regional Qualifier and the Chengdu Major are specifically called out in the announcement).
Riot’s pitch: keep matches interactive, stop one “definitive best” list from owning the room, and still leave Kennen’s core plan intact — just less consistent.
Source: official Riftbound September ban list update.