Koko Lopez

TL;DR

Following an investigation into an incident at the Riftbound Regional Qualifier Los Angeles on September 26, 2026, Riot Games determined that Koko Lopez intentionally stacked his rune deck to gain a competitive advantage. Riot Games determined that this conduct constituted cheating under the Riftbound Tournament Rules. 

As a result, Koko Lopez is suspended from all sanctioned Riftbound tournaments and events, regardless of Organized Play Level, until January 1st, 2029.

TIMELINE

On September 26, 2026, during Round 2 of the Riftbound Regional Qualifier Los Angeles, a floor judge observed Koko Lopez to be pile shuffling his rune deck and not following it with a method of randomizing the contents, and that his runes appeared to be played in the same order in each game following a specific sequence. Following the round, judges observed Koko Lopez arranging his rune deck into a specific order before returning it to his deck box. 

During Round 3, judges assigned to monitor the situation observed that Koko Lopez did not shuffle his rune deck and did not present it to his opponent to cut. Judges intervened and inspected the deck, confirming that it followed the same sequence previously observed. 

Tournament officials disqualified Koko Lopez from the event for cheating. Following the event, the matter was escalated for further review. Riot Games initiated formal disciplinary proceedings and invited Koko Lopez to provide a written response.

RELEVANT RULES

Competitors in official Riftbound tournaments must abide by the Riftbound Tournament Rules. 

The following rules are relevant to the present case:

• 703.7. Insufficient Randomization: A player did not sufficiently randomize their deck when required to.
  • 703.7.a. If a player believes an opponent has not sufficiently randomized their Main Deck or Rune Deck before presenting them, they may call a judge.
  • 703.7.b. Pile shuffling is not a sufficient randomization method and should only be used as a counting method.
• 704.8. Cheating: Riftbound does not tolerate cheating at any level of play.
  • 704.8.a. Cheating includes but is not limited to performing any action that results in a penalty listed under 702 or 703 if it is done knowingly or maliciously to obtain an advantage.
    • 704.8.a.1. This includes attempting to create game errors to use a remedy to the player’s advantage.
    • 704.8.a.2. If judges suspect a player is violating the rules knowingly or maliciously, the head judge may initiate an investigation to determine if cheating occurred.
  • 704.8.b. Lying to a tournament official is cheating
• 705.3.c. - Cheating is prohibited. Enabling or assisting others to cheat is also prohibited.

RULING

The following summarizes Riot Games’ findings and the considerations underlying its disciplinary decision. While all available evidence was considered, this ruling includes only what is considered necessary to explain the reasoning of the case.

FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSMENT

While all forms of cheating are unacceptable, violations may differ in their nature, severity, and potential impact on competitive integrity of Riftbound competition. In assessing Koko Lopez’s conduct and determining an appropriate sanction, Riot Games considered the following factors:

1. Intent Determination - Whether the player knowingly or deliberately engaged in conduct intended to obtain a competitive advantage. 
2. Premeditation Evaluation - Whether the conduct involved advanced planning or deliberate preparation, rather than a procedural lapse or opportunistic violation.
3. Competitive Impact - The nature of the misconduct, the competitive advantage it could provide, and the resulting threat to the integrity of the competition. 

CONSIDERATIONS

Riot Games determined that Koko Lopez deliberately stacked his rune deck to gain a competitive advantage by arranging his nine Chaos runes and three Order runes in a repeating three-to-one pattern. His preparation of the deck before his matches, coupled with his failure to shuffle it or offer it to his opponent for a cut, demonstrated both planning and intent to cheat. 

Randomization is fundamental to fair competition in Riftbound. Intentionally arranging cards in a predictable sequence creates an unfair competitive advantage and undermines the competitive integrity of Riftbound competition. While Koko Lopez’s subsequent admission to Riot Games and public apology were given mitigating weight, Riot Games determined that a shorter sanction would not adequately reflect the combined seriousness of the conduct. 

CONCLUSION

The actions of Koko Lopez constitute cheating.

Due to the nature of the above described violations, Koko Lopez is suspended from all sanctioned Riftbound tournaments and events, regardless of Organized Play Level until January 1st, 2029. Furthermore, Koko Lopez is warned that any further violations of the Riftbound Tournament Rules may result in additional penalties. 

When passing its ruling, Riot Games took into consideration the specific circumstances of the case, the seriousness of the offense committed, as well all aggravating and mitigating circumstances. Riot Games remains committed to upholding competitive integrity and ensuring a fair environment for all participants.

Upon issuance of this ruling, this matter is considered closed, and the ruling is final and cannot be appealed. Riot Games reserves the right to review the matter should new, substantive evidence come to light.