Vancouver featured a similar metagame to the one we saw in Xi'an, keeping Aurora to a reasonable synergy although it still managed to post a few strong performances, such as Sivir reaching the top 8, or Fiora in top 16.
However, the headlines from Canada won't be about the 9-cost gear for once. Instead, the two legends in the finals are the most interesting to look at.
First, we have Diana, the newly crowned best legend in Riftbound. The Scorn of the Moon improved her best performance in every regional tournament so far. To beat her Vancouver self, Diana will have to play a mirror match in the finals, or seize three of the top 4 spots.
On the back of incredible players picking her, Diana clearly has the potential to dominate now that refined builds are out and available to everyone. However, Irelia could very well claim back her top spot with a strong performance in the next regional, while the other legends chasing these two aren't far enough to forget about them completely.
From that group, Master Yi and Azir are on the rise, both solidifying their position as great performances in Vancouver and smaller events. Sivir managed to navigate a difficult metagame to the top 8, showing she can perform even with gear removal in every deck.
Last, LeBlanc is the one with the worst week, losing in top 32 after back-to-back top 8 spots. Arguably, the Deceiver is the legend least able to adapt to a changing environment, forced to build around her feature synergy, meaning match-up specific cards make that core less reliable.
Speaking of legends in the hunt, Rengar just skyrocketed to the top of that list. Indeed, the Pridestalker could have won the finals in 45 minutes if it wasn't for a sequencing nobody spotted until after the tournament. Yet, a spot in the finals is more than enough to make Rengar the new intriguing legend in Riftbound, especially as the list Samdsherman used wasn't a typical one.
Now, we'll have to keep a close look at Rengar, and check its performances in the near future. I've been careful in the rankings, and only moved it to the bottom of Tier 2 for now. However, if many results from smaller events, or another top cut performance happens in Utrecht, we'll know Rengar just reached a new gear, and might force the Unleashed metagame to evolve once more.
Riftbound Unleashed Meta Tier List
Tournaments used to create this Meta Tier List:
- Suzhou Regional Open
- Sydney Regional Qualifier
- Xi'an Regional Open
- Vancouver Regional Qualifier
- 24 tournaments with 64+ players since May 15th.
| Tier | Legend Best Performance in Regional Tournaments Top Cut Performances in 64+ Tournaments |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Diana Top 32 Suzhou / Top 4 Sydney / Top 2 Xi'an / Wins Vancouver 5 Win / 18 Top 8 |
| Tier 1 | Irelia Top 2 Suzhou / Wins Sydney / Top 4 Xi'an / Top 8 Vancouver 2 Win / 14 Top 8 |
| Tier 1 | Origins Master Yi Wins Suzhou / Top 16 Sydney / Top 16 Xi'an / Top 4 Vancouver 4 Win / 36 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | LeBlanc Top 64 Suzhou / Top 8 Sydney / Top 8 Xi'an / Top 32 Vancouver 4 Win / 16 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Sivir Top 4 Suzhou / Top 2 Sydney / Top 32 Xi'an / Top 8 Vancouver 8 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Azir Top 64 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Wins Xi'an / Top 8 Vancouver 11 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Vex Top 16 Suzhou / Top 4 Sydney / Top 8 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver 10 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Fiora Top 32 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 32 Xi'an / Top 16 Vancouver 1 Win / 9 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Ezreal Top 8 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 32 Xi'an / Top 32 Vancouver 5 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Kha'Zix Top 16 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 16 Xi'an / Top 32 Vancouver 1 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Annie Top 32 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 16 Vancouver 1 Win |
| Tier 2 | Rengar Top 128 Suzhou / Top 16 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 2 Vancouver No Results |
| Tier 3 | Viktor Top 64 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 16 Vancouver 1 Win / 4 Top 8 |
| Tier 3 | Miss Fortune Top 16 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 32 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver 2 Win / 3 Top 8 |
| Tier 3 | Draven Top 64 Suzhou / Top 16 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver 1 Win / 5 Top 8 |
| Tier 3 | Teemo Top 64 Suzhou / Top 8 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver 1 Top 8 |
| Tier 3 | Kai'Sa Top 16 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 16 Vancouver 4 Top 8 |
| Tier 3 | Poppy Top 4 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver 1 Top 8 |
| Tier 3 | Sett Top 128 Suzhou / Top 16 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver 1 Win / 2 Top 8 |
| Tier 3 | Lillia Top 32 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver 1 Win / 1 Top 8 |
| Tier 3 | Lux Top 64 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver No Results |
| Tier 3 | Pyke Top 16 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 32 Vancouver 1 Top 8 |
| Tier 4 | Vi Top 128 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver No Results |
| Tier 4 | Rek'Sai Top 16 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver 3 Top 8 |
| Tier 4 | Darius Top 256 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 16 Darius / Top 128 Vancouver 1 Top 8 |
| Tier 4 | Ornn Top 64 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver No Results |
| Tier 4 | Lucian Top 256 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver No Results |
| Tier 4 | Volibear Top 128 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver No Results |
| Tier 5 | Ahri Top 256 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver 1 Top 8 |
| Tier 5 | Yasuo Top 128 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver No Results |
| Tier 5 | Lee Sin Top 128 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver No Results |
| Tier 5 | Renata Glasc Top 256 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver No Results |
| Tier 5 | Unleashed Yi Top 256 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 512 Vancouver No Results |
| Tier 5 | Ivern Top 256 Suzhou / Top 512 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver No Results |
| Tier 5 | Garen Top 64 Suzhou / Top 512 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 512 Vancouver No Results |
| Tier 5 | Leona Top 256 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 512 Vancouver 1 Top 8 |
| Tier 5 | Jinx Top 256 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 512 Vancouver No Results |
| Tier 5 | Jax Top 256 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 512 Vancouver No Results |
| Tier 5 | Rumble Top 128 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 512 Vancouver No Results |
| Tier 5 | Jhin Top 256 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 512 Vancouver 1 Top 8 |
- Tier 1: Expected top cut performer and potential winner in high-stakes tournaments.
- Tier 2: Top cut contender, but not expected to win it all.
- Tier 3: Competitive pick with an experienced pilot, combining both a good understanding of this legend and the tournament metagame.
- Tier 4: Competitive sparks here and there, when the draws align or in the right environment.
- Tier 5: Best-of cards are worth good money.
Tier 1
With her win in Vancouver, alongside another player in the top 4, Diana once again improved her stock in Unleashed. Plus, the Scorn of the Moon now has the most wins in non-regional events as well. As a result, it felt only fair to sit her on the throne, taking that spot from a Blade Dancer who is starting to reproduce her "always top, rarely wins" situation from the Spiritforged metagame.
These two are neck and neck, arguably in a group of their own if we looked at regional tournaments only. However, Master Yi stills hangs on in the higher tier, thanks to its stellar track record in smaller events, alongside a top 4 in Vancouver. It is clear now, that Master Yi lacks a bit of flexibility, of that unexpected, explosive factor to go toe to toe with the best in Riftbound when the stakes are the highest.
Diana
Regionals - Top 32 Suzhou / Top 4 Sydney / Top 2 Xi'an / Wins Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 5 Win / 18 Top 8
Irelia
Regionals - Top 2 Suzhou / Wins Sydney / Top 4 Xi'an / Top 8 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 2 Win / 14 Top 8
Master Yi
Regionals - Wins Suzhou / Top 16 Sydney / Top 16 Xi'an / Top 4 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 4 Win / 36 Top 8
Tier 2
LeBlanc
Regionals - Top 64 Suzhou / Top 8 Sydney / Top 8 Xi'an / Top 32 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 4 Win / 16 Top 8
LeBlanc had her second misstep in Vancouver, unable to reach the top 8 and falling out of the top tier as a result. Her dominant showing in smaller events keeps the Deceiver a solid contender overall, but it is becoming apparent LeBlanc isn't Regional Winner material. Most likely, she suffers from the same issue as Master Yi, lacking some flexibility to surprise the best players in the later stages of a tournament.
Sivir
Regionals - Top 4 Suzhou / Top 2 Sydney / Top 32 Xi'an / Top 8 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 8 Top 8
Sivir bounced back from Xi'an with a top 8 in Vancouver, anchoring two key points : The Battle Mistress is unarguably the best legend to play Aurora, and the 9-cost gear can still post strong performances even if the metagame is built to counter it.
Most likely, Sivir won't contend for the win until the environment changes to pack fewer gear removals. Yet, this legend should keep reminding everyone why they should not pack fewer gear removals.
Azir
Regionals - Top 64 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Wins Xi'an / Top 8 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 11 Top 8
A top 8 in Vancouver was exactly what Azir needed to shut up everyone about a possibly lucky run to win Xi'an. The Emperors of the Sands earned its spot among Riftbound strong performers, and should be looked at a potential top cut legend going forward.
Vex
Regionals - Top 16 Suzhou / Top 4 Sydney / Top 8 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 10 Top 8
After a fantastic month to kick of Unleashed, Vex dropped the ball in Vancouver. It is quite ironic considering the Gloomist also posted her best week in the smaller events metagame. Indeed, with 6 top 8 performances recorded, Vex posted more this week than in the entire month of May.
Fiora
Regionals - Top 32 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 32 Xi'an / Top 16 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 1 Win / 9 Top 8
Fiora improved her best performance in regional tournament, with a top 16 in Vancouver, after being stuck in the Top 32 in the previous three events. Ironically, the Grand Duelist accomplished that feat with an Aurora deck, so maybe the high cost gear isn't so bad even in a tough metagame.
Ezreal
Regionals - Top 8 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 32 Xi'an / Top 32 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 5 Top 8
Kha'Zix
Regionals - Top 16 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 16 Xi'an / Top 32 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 1 Top 8
Annie
Regionals - Top 32 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 16 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 1 Win
Annie is in a weird place in my opinion. The Dark Child has potential, as attested by her ability to contend for a top 8 spot in both Sydney and Vancouver.
However, these two performances need some context. Indeed, Prismaticism, Atlanta's winner during Spiritforged, part of the strongest practice group in Riftbound, and arguably a top tier player in both regions failed to reach the top 8 with Annie in both Sydney and Vancouver.
If a player of that skill level can't do it, who's going to take Annie to the next step?
Rengar
Regionals - Top 128 Suzhou / Top 16 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 2 Vancouver
In the west, Rengar is a top tier contender in Regional tournaments, one win way from Sydney's top 8, and one obscure sequencing from winning Vancouver. Its failure to post any good performance in smaller events, alongside not looking like a threat in the Chinese metagame means Rengar has yet to be figured out in some parts of the world.
For now, the finals in Vancouver is enough to consider Rengar a potential contender, at least in the western metagame. Another performance like one from Samdsherman, and the Pridestalker will become a real threat.
Tier 3
Viktor
Regionals - Top 64 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 16 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 1 Win / 4 Top 8
Viktor posted its best performance in Regional tournaments in Vancouver. The Herald of the Arcane has been a consistent performer to earn a continental invite, but didn't look able to go much further in a bracket.
Either this was a lucky run most decent legends are capable of once in a while, or the slight shift in the metagame since Xi'an is playing to this legend's strengths.
Miss Fortune
Regionals - Top 16 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 32 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 2 Win / 3 Top 8
Miss Fortune hit a wall this week, with a top 64 in Vancouver, repeating her worse performance in regional tournaments so far, alongside no result in the smaller events as well. Some legends got hit harder by the increase in gear removal.
Draven
Regionals - Top 64 Suzhou / Top 16 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 1 Win / 5 Top 8
Kai'Sa
Regionals - Top 16 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 16 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 4 Top 8
Kai'Sa is doing the splits in the Unleashed metagame, with a great and a disappointing performance in each region.
The list from Vancouver is quite similar to the one from Suzhou, so it is safe to assume this is the right direction for the Daughter of the Void. I guess the pilot is the real difference maker for this legend.
Teemo
Regionals - Top 64 Suzhou / Top 8 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 1 Top 8
Poppy
Regionals - Top 4 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 1 Top 8
Poppy bounced back after a catastrophic showing in Xi'an, with a similar list to the one from Suzhou. Clearly, the metagame plays a huge role in how well Poppy performs in a tournament.
Sett
Regionals - Top 128 Suzhou / Top 16 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 1 Win / 2 Top 8
Lillia
Regionals - Top 32 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 1 Win / 1 Top 8
Lux
Regionals - Top 64 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver
Except for her misstep in Sydney, Lux is proving to a be a reliable legend to earn a continental invite. This is exactly what this third tier represents: Decent performers, but not expected to contend for top cut spots.
Pyke
Regionals - Top 16 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 32 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 1 Top 8
Pyke now has two strong and two weak showings in Unleashed. The list from Vancouver was quite close to the one from Suzhou, so players looking to build a Pyke deck know where to start.
Tier 4
Not much to say about legends in this tier, as most performed up to the expectations they set in Unleashed so far. The disappointment trophy of the week for to Ornn, who keeps regressing after a solid start to this set. In Vancouver, Ornn posted its worse performance in regional competitive play, after looking like a decent performer in Suzhou and Sydney.
Vi
Performance - Top 128 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver
Rek'Sai
Performance - Top 16 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 3 Top 8
Darius
Performance - Top 256 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 16 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 1 Top 8
Ornn
Performance - Top 64 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver
Lucian
Performance - Top 256 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver
Volibear
Performance - Top 128 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver
Tier 5
As the only legend without a Top 128 recorded in regional tournaments, Jhin earns the honor to be Riftbound's worst legend this week. None of these legends are picked for their competitive abilities, rather because the competition to earn a best-of card is limited to a dozen player at best. In a way, being considered the worst might actually make it even easier to earn that precious reward.
