The first Riftbound Regional Qualifier in EMEA brought more than 1,500 players to Bologna for three days of intense competition. Some names were circled as favorites from the very beginning, but others arrived with more modest goals and ended up surprising even themselves.

Ahead of the quarterfinals, we spoke with all Top 8 players at the Regional Qualifier in Bologna to get their thoughts on the event, their journeys, and the state of Riftbound. 

This lineup reflected the event’s competitors’ diversity, with some stepping into their first major in-person card game event, while others could boast regional and even world-level titles in other TCGs.

Feeling Reaching Top 8

Making Top 8 at a 1,500-player event is a career milestone for many, and for this group, the emotions ranged from disbelief to just confidence.

For Ghosterdriver, who previously competed in Legends of Runeterra, the run felt almost unreal. “It’s unbelievable,” he said. “I started the day with a score of 6-1-1. I had to win all five. I was like, maybe I win four and lose one, and I get into the top 64, qualify for a regional. But when I got to 10-1-1 and wrote to everyone, and everyone’s like, ‘come on, win it. We’re rooting for you.’ Everyone in Germany is rooting for me… it was awesome.” 

"I started the day with a score of 6-1-1. I have to win all 5" and @ghosterdriver did make it happening with a Viktor deck and is currently playing the Semifinal at #RQBologna pic.twitter.com/k5LUOZlcCg

— Cecilia, was @ Riftbound RQ Bologna (@AithusaHere) February 22, 2026

Even a former European champion in Yu-Gi-Oh!, like Marcus99, had set modest goals, not the Top 8. “My target for this event was just trying to get top 64,” he explained, reiterating that he hadn’t expected to go this deep into the bracket.

TheManLandrft had a different mindset. A seasoned Magic:The Gathering professional, he came prepared and confident. “I came to the tournament thinking I have the best deck and best preparation,” he said. “I was super excited to play and I really liked this game so I’m really happy to get into the top, especially going in with 11-2.”

Alanzq stood with the same confidence as he was widely considered one of the favorites to win the event. “A clean run, undefeated, as expected,” he said a few hours before ultimately winning the event almost undefeated. His last match was against another Polish player, Sebiq, who had made the run with an unlikely Miss Fortune deck. Just a couple of months prior Sebiq had considered dropping the game before finding that deck which clicked with him. 

Familiarity with TCG Games

Riftbound brought together people with diverse backgrounds in TCGs, and the Top 8 in Bologna reflected that. Some have spent more than a decade competing in other TCGs at the highest level, while others are relatively new to in-person tournaments. Their paths into Riftbound vary, but prior experience—whether online or on major stages—clearly shaped how they approached the event.

Krowz was among those with little experience, mostly shaped by Magic: The Gathering Arena online played “during the Covid era,” as he said. “But that’s really about it. No in-person events until now.” On the other hand, Marcus99’s history with TCGs stretches back to childhood. 

“I actually first started playing TCG when I was 10 years old, and my dad took me to a Yu-Gi-Oh locals,” he said. After 12 years in the game, he stepped back due to work before discovering Riftbound. This time, he approached competition differently, focusing on learning rather than chasing immediate results.

More than one of the Top 8 players had played Legends of Runeterra professionally, but Themadlandrft was likely the only one to play Magic: The Gathering professionally. “I’ve been competing in that game and playing the Pro circuit for a while,” he said, adding that he also found success in Lorcana before turning to Riftbound as the next competitive frontier.

Why Choose Riftbound and Issues of Slow Play

For the Top 8 in Bologna, the decision to play Riftbound came down to a mix of skill, challenge, and personal engagement with the game. “I think it’s one of the most interactive TCG with Yu-Gi-Oh, so I think that gives us an edge,” said Randyyy. “I think the best player is very often rewarded.” He practices regularly with both Alanzq1 and Prismaticism, and—pointing at the trio’s consistent performances across events—believes the results speak for themselves.

But not everyone was fully satisfied with the current state of the game. Randyy raised concerns about balance and structure, particularly around certain archetypes and time constraints in long Swiss rounds. But the main issue most players attending the event were complaining about online was about slow play, however only one among the Top 8 players at the Qualifier seemed to have had any issues with it. 

Prismaticism heard “a lot of horror stories” about opponents taking excessive time and forcing draws from losing positions, but he personally “had no issues with slow play.” According to him, only one match—his Round 12—went to time, while the rest concluded naturally, including a 2–0 result that might also have reached time had it gone to a third game.

Themadlandrft reportedly had issues with “time in general.” While he praised most opponents for trying to keep games flowing, he identified tournament pacing as one of the few aspects in need of refinement. 

From seasoned champions to first-time major competitors, these players showed the diversity of Riftbound’s emerging competitive scene. Favorites like Alanzq1 delivered on expectations, while players such as Ghosterdriver and Marcus99 exceeded their own. 

With little time to rest, many of these same players will be back at the tables in less than a week for the next Regional Qualifier in Las Vegas.