Ekko and Evelynn in Riftbound: The Two Radiance Legends to Watch

Ekko has a revealed ability that kills the unit it helps you play. Evelynn has artwork, a name, and nothing else.

These two Legends sit at opposite ends of what we know about Radiance, which makes them a useful pair to look at together. One shows how the set builds on Vendetta's mechanics. The other shows how much Riot is still holding back three weeks from launch.

Radiance releases 23 October 2026. Reveal status is accurate as of 1 October, tracked via riftbound.zone and RiftCompare's spoiler tracker, with set structure confirmed on riftbound.gg.

Ekko, Boy Who Shattered Time

Ekko is one of only two Radiance Legends with a revealed ability.

You can disempower Ekko to reduce the cost of your next unit, but that unit is killed at the end of the turn.

Read that twice, because the second half changes everything. This isn't a discount, it's a rental.

He sits in Fury and Mind, and he uses Empower, the mechanic introduced in Vendetta. That makes him the clearest case of Radiance extending the previous set rather than starting from scratch.

What Ekko's ability is actually for

A unit that dies at end of turn is only worth playing if it does something the moment it arrives.

That points at a specific kind of card: units with powerful effects when they enter play, or units big enough to win a single exchange decisively. You're buying one turn of impact at a discount and accepting that the body is gone afterwards.

It also means Ekko is terrible with most normal units. Playing a solid midrange body a turn early and watching it die is a losing trade.

The design fits the champion. Ekko's character premise is rewinding time, and a unit that exists for exactly one turn before vanishing is about as literal a translation of that as a card game allows.

How strong this is depends entirely on what enter-play effects exist in Radiance, and most of the set's rules text is still unpublished.

Evelynn, Agony's Embrace

Evelynn was one of the first Radiance cards shown, and she remains one of the least understood.

Riot has published her name and artwork only. No stats, no rules text, no domain confirmed.

What we do know is commercial rather than mechanical. She headlines one of the two confirmed Showdown Decks, paired against Seraphine, at $34.99 MSRP.

That tells you something useful on its own. Showdown Decks are built as ready-to-play products aimed at newer players, so Evelynn's deck will be designed to function out of the box without a collection behind it.

Why Evelynn's silence is notable

As of 1 October, 95 of Radiance's 180 cards are public and preview season closes on 9 October.

Being a Showdown Deck headliner with no rules text this late is unusual. Products with a champion on the box normally reveal that champion early, because the card is the selling point.

Two readings are possible, and it's honest to say we don't know which applies. Riot may be saving her for the final preview days as a closing beat, or the Showdown Deck contents may simply be revealed as a package nearer release.

Either way, expect her details before 9 October rather than at launch.

How the two compare

For anyone wanting a specific one of these two, that last row is the practical answer. Evelynn has a guaranteed route at $34.99. Ekko does not.

Where they sit among the nine Legends

Radiance has nine Legends and eight are public.

Only Seraphine and Ekko have revealed abilities. Orianna, Lady of Clockwork is known to connect to the new Equipment Unit mechanic and sits in Calm and Mind, but her rules text is unpublished. Jarvan IV, Martial Paragon, Ziggs and Mordekaiser, Iron Revenant are names and art.

Riven, The Exile and K'Sante, Pride of Nazumah come from community previews rather than official Riot posts, so treat them as reporting rather than confirmation.

One Legend remains completely hidden.

What to do before launch

If you're planning around these two, three practical points.

Evelynn is buyable, Ekko isn't. The Showdown Deck at $34.99 is the certain route to Evelynn. Ekko has to come out of packs.

Don't build an Ekko deck yet. His ability depends on what enter-play effects the set contains, and most of that is unrevealed.

Watch 9 October. Preview season closes then, and that's the realistic deadline for Evelynn's rules text and the ninth Legend.

Our where to buy Riftbound guide covers reliable retailers for both routes, and our piece on whether Riftbound is passing the tests most new TCGs fail covers the game's wider trajectory.

How JK Index helps

We index the full Riftbound catalog with sold history for every printing, and we track a champion's Legend card separately from any Champion Unit of the same name.

That matters for both of these. If Ekko or Evelynn receives a Champion Unit alongside their Legend, as Seraphine has, those are separate cards with separate markets. You can browse earlier sets including Origins, Spiritforged, Unleashed and Vendetta, track holdings in your portfolio, or check listings on the marketplace.

The takeaway

Ekko, Boy Who Shattered Time discounts your next unit and then kills it at end of turn, which makes him a card about one decisive turn rather than board building. He runs on Empower, carried over from Vendetta.

Evelynn, Agony's Embrace headlines a $34.99 Showdown Deck and still has no published rules text three weeks from release. For a champion printed on the front of a product, that's the most interesting fact about her right now.

FAQ

What does Ekko do in Riftbound Radiance?

You can disempower Ekko to reduce the cost of your next unit, but that unit is killed at the end of the turn. He sits in Fury and Mind and uses Empower, the mechanic introduced in Vendetta.

Is Ekko's ability good?

It depends on what you play with it. A unit that dies at end of turn is only worth discounting if it has a strong enter-play effect or wins an exchange immediately. Most of Radiance's rules text is still unpublished.

What is Evelynn's card in Radiance?

Evelynn, Agony's Embrace. Riot has published her name and artwork but no stats, rules text or confirmed domains as of 1 October 2026.

How do I get Evelynn without opening packs?

She headlines one of the two confirmed Showdown Decks at $34.99 MSRP, paired against Seraphine. That's a ready-to-play product and the only guaranteed route to her.

What is Empower in Riftbound?

A mechanic introduced in the Vendetta set. Ekko uses it in Radiance, where disempowering him is the cost that unlocks his cost-reduction ability.

Which Radiance Legends have revealed abilities?

Only two: Seraphine, Starry-Eyed Songstress and Ekko, Boy Who Shattered Time. Orianna is known to connect to Equipment Units, but her full rules text is unpublished.

When will Evelynn's card be revealed?

Preview season closes 9 October 2026, two weeks before the 23 October release, so her details are most likely to arrive before then rather than at launch.

Do Ekko and Evelynn have Champion Units as well as Legends?

Not announced. Seraphine has both a Legend and a separate Champion Unit in Radiance, so the pattern exists in this set, but nothing similar has been confirmed for either of these two.