Riftbound has announced fresh updates to the Standard Constructed ban list, effective July 24, 2026. This second wave of competitive bans specifically targets a newly discovered infinite combo alongside two highly polarizing battlefields that were warping tournament play patterns.
The Complete Standard Ban List
The following cards and battlefields are illegal in competitive play. The three newest additions are highlighted at the top of the list:
- (NEW) Stealthy Pursuer
- (NEW) The Arena’s Greatest
- (NEW) Aspirant’s Climb
- Called Shot
- Scrapheap
- Draven, Vanquisher
- Fight or Flight
- Reaver’s Row
- The Dreaming Tree
- Obelisk of Power
Why the Changes?
The ban of Stealthy Pursuer comes as a direct response to a massive infinite Unit combo discovered during the Vendetta preview season. When paired with Eye of the Herald and Renata Glasc, Industrialist, players could flood the board with infinite Recruits as early as turn three. The design team's internal testing confirmed the combo was consistent enough to create heavily polarized games, forcing a swift ban before it could ruin the meta.
Meanwhile, The Arena’s Greatest and Aspirant’s Climb were removed to address how players select battlefields in tournament settings. These point battlefields had become purely deterministic choices for Game 2 or 3 depending entirely on who won the coin flip. The Arena’s Greatest gave the starting player too massive of an advantage, while Aspirant's Climb artificially dragged out tournament round lengths by adding extra points.