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Brian Kopleck

@bkop.me
1.1K followers 838 following 409 posts

senior game designer at Riot Games on Legends of Runeterra | he/him | 50% WR against PVDDR

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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 29/09/2026
the kenny rogers edit
the riftbound card "Hold 'Em" with text redacted to say "your turn is over" and the flavor text "you can't play the hand."
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 15/09/2026
if it's ios, here's what it looks like for us
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 17/08/2026
that was actually the art pitch for Warden of the Tribes! elnuk antlers, poro tongue, yeti head/eyebrows, dragon tail, eight legs (spider). can't remember what the eyes were, maybe tech (this was commissioned before bird/cat/dog)
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 17/08/2026
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 17/08/2026
aint look like no bird i ever seen
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 01/07/2026
Legal Legends
a sign that says Mortar Geyser, which sounds kinda Mordekaiser
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 05/05/2026
LoR is getting close to its 6th anniversary, which means it's also my 5 year anniversary at Riot! 🎂 to celebrate, i made you all a zoe. enjoy~
the official LoR announcement tweet that we're adding Zoe to path of champions
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 10/03/2026
i got Mike Wazowski'd
Legends of Runeterra launcher but my face is blocked by the logo while Eric's isn't at all
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 20/02/2026
ok fine
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 06/11/2025
because live games don't really do credits, my first industry credit in 12 years is for Riftbound lol forever living under the shadow of The Cooler Brian K Card Gamer though
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 26/09/2025
LoR players tryna get me in trouble with the wife smh
a chatter asking if i'm single on our live AMA
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 11/08/2025
old LoR PvP pros reading this
a dog sitting on a book with the superimposed text "none of these words are in the bible"
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 30/07/2025
i have riftbound at home
the Command Tower alt art with the flavor name Summoner's Rift
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 30/07/2025
back on my bullshit
a commander deck with SpongeBob as the commander and collection of 26 cards each from a different non-Magic IP
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 16/07/2025
could be stats, could be the battle menu
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 16/07/2025
this is the sign of a store near me. below this they list their wares: cigarettes, beer, wine, and then specifically teriyaki. then there's like five more giant signs outside that just say "teriyaki". i am both very curious and slightly afraid
a sign of a wizard looking at an orb, just above the word "Choice", which is presumably the name of the store
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 17/06/2025
really makes you think
google sheets iconsmash bros icon
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 12/06/2025
picked up a cup while walking in a way that made me suddenly remember Peanut Panic. kid me thought this was peak games
picture of the board game Peanut Panic
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 19/05/2025
whoa 2XKO lookin hype
Baby Lasagna x Käärijä concert performance, the aesthetic is meant to look like a fighting game.
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 08/05/2025
😂i appreciate the report!
guy sticking stick in bike wheel meme
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 06/05/2025
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 05/05/2025
bluesky exclusive: his bonus stars :)
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 05/05/2025
postin the akshan reveal here! i designed the kit, happy to answer questions
starting deck: Vekauran Bruiser, The Absolver, Tomb-Raider Barbara, Treasure Seeker (cont. on next image)Starting Deck: Vekauran Vagabond, Vekauran Safecracker, Quicksand, Grappling Hook, and Akshan1* Going Rogue: When an allied landmark counts down, give allies +1|+0 this round.
2* Sentinel Business: +1 mana. Game Start: Summon a Warlord's Palace
3* Going Rogue II: 1* + Your Countdown completion effects activate twice.
4* The Craftman's Favor: Round Start: Create a Fleeting Time and Dedication in hand.
5* Manaflow: +1 mana.
6* Absolution: When an allied Warlord's Palace is destroyed, steal a mana gem. When an allied Warlord's Hoard is destroyed, revive the strongest dead non-Ephemeral ally.New Relic available in Akshan's Celebration Bundle

Scoundrel Hunter
Challenger
Power: When you play a champion, summon a Warlord's Palace or advance it 2 rounds.
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 30/04/2025
my wife was idly browsing rentals while we played Blue Prince and suddenly loudly gasped
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 16/04/2025
a tale in 5 words
two commit messages, first is "fix error" and second is "*really* fix error"
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 15/04/2025
meanwhile me
screencap of The Most Dangerous Gamer's format legality on Scryfall
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 08/04/2025
Hank Hill in a computer business center saying "Do I look like I know what a JRPG is?"
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 04/04/2025
LOR mentioned
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 14/03/2025
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 10/03/2025
i know not everything's about me but spongebob being jodah really feels like someone at wotc saw my stupid IP deck and decided to print the "perfect" commander for it
the new SpongeBob magic card, as a skin of Jodah, the Unifier
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 05/02/2025
my wife calls it my small business (derogatory)
screenshot of tcgplayer seller profile BMK MTG showing a Gold Star designation, 100% rating, and 195 total salesscreenshot showing Seller Level: Level 4
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 14/12/2024
he gets to be on the client :)
legends of runeterra on the riot client, showcasing Eric Shen from the most recent dev video
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 03/12/2024
Jesus Christ How Horrifying
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 03/12/2024
thriving in my micronotoriety
Reddit post: "Is there a Rioter whose sole job it is to think up new ways to screw players?" with a screenshot of two difficult combat nodes (a bug fwiw)

A commenter responds: "His name is Brian Kopleck.

He also makes sure half the frags you get are Yuumi's fragments.

He's having a blast."

and I respond: "I also control top decks and trap placement"
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 18/11/2024
Four games I've worked on
Legends of Runeterra logoGambit Card Battler logoSkulldug board game box with componentsBig Fish Casino logo
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 14/11/2024
a redditor asked for some design notes on the recent Warwick adventure so I wrote something up, thought i'd share it here too
Fiddles adventure was "gameplay first", e.g. the encounters were designed before narrative was hooked in, but knowing that the Warwick adventure was meant to pair with Arcane, we wanted to try a "narrative first" approach. We told League's central narrative team the core bits (use WW and/or Amb, set on this PZ map), then they pitched a story and selected followers that fit the rough arc of encounters.

Based on the character/landmark, encounters can be developed mechanically (Sump Monument just summoning itself) or interpreted flavorfully (Zaun Bouncer is an annoying blocker rather than a Flow deck). Being narrative first, I tended toward flavorful interpretations to make the characters feel more like people you were interacting with. The decks occasionally make less mechanical sense because of this, but I like that Academy Prodigy is hanging out with a bunch of other students and they occasionally celebrate Progress Day.

Powers are where we get to make an encounter unique. I kept things simple for the most part, like the powers that just summon landmarks, but I occasionally used them to reinforce the flavor: Academy Prodigy's power makes units "teach" each other and Zaunite Urchin begs for your cards. For bosses, we'll sometimes craft powers that tilt you toward a certain strategy, but I really liked getting to use the powers we had just designed for the champs, made for a nice nod.

The twist ending was suggested by narrative, but I don't think they realized how well it'd actually land. Turns out its as easy as having the adventure icon be Warwick :P I was actually worried that the map scrolling animation that plays when you enter an adventure would give it away, so I toggled the boss node to not be revealed, but it turns out literally everyone skips that animation by mashing click. Very funny to watch on stream.

Narrative had picked the Chemdrake, but his design is basically a power so I wanted him to start in play and Shackles was just a super flavorful chef's…
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 04/11/2024
warwick's relic & some minor stars
Warwick's Signature Relic - Cruel Experiments
Power: When you play an ally with 2+ Health, deal 1 to it and grant it Overwhelm and Impact.Warwick's Constellation Minor Stars
Star of Legends: Your support champions have Ravenous Hydra.
Star of Blessings: Blood Hunt has Mana Potion
Star of Discovery: Spells you acquire in adventures have Pyromantic Wake.
Star of Wonder: Caustic Riff has Elixir of Sorcery
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 18/10/2024
Hello! I'm a senior game designer on Legends of Runeterra. I've always been into CCGs, but I've also done a bunch of system design and even self-published a board game. I love all dogs but especially my small nervous one, and my current hobbies are Coffee and Succulents and Doing Bits
My dog Norah on a hike
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 17/10/2024
screenshot of a riot games job listing edited to have a role called Tempo Decider
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 11/10/2024
quoth the raven "hey! circling back on this"
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 27/01/2024
had a recruiter reach out to me about open roles, tried to ask about what i could forward to folks, popped open linkedin and she's been laid off herself. what a shit week
screenshots of a recruiter reaching out and then that same recruiter saying she was laid off 2 days later
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 05/01/2024
we're fostering again and this time we got ultra rare holographic collector's edition kitties: a brother and sister, both with heterochromia, in opposite eyes from each other 😻
two kittens with heterochromia
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 08/11/2023
this is it, the perfect banner
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 24/10/2023
was watching the psychonauts 2 documentary and spotted the board game i made on their shelves 🥰
the board game shelves at Double Fine studios, with my board game Skulldug circled in red
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 17/10/2023
magic.wizards.com/en/news/maki... the new play boosters have one less playable card for drafts and my commander-ass brain instantly went "just cut the land"
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 06/10/2023
"I do both at the same counter space" knowing nothing about your countertop situation, it does seem like you've opted into this possibility
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 05/10/2023
anyway here's a cool bug i saw
a praying mantis chillin on a jalapeno planta praying mantis staring at the camera
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 02/10/2023
visited the oregon coast for the first time this weekend and its genuinely unfair how beautiful it is up there
scenic photo of the oregon coast
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 21/09/2023
i always thought this tweet captured the feeling perfectly
josh sawyer's tweet about game designer's making players the enemy but still loving them
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Brian Kopleck @bkop.me · 22/08/2023
oh um ...thanks? thanks!
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