Does Darius Triffarian count countered spells or was it changed during the last rules update?

According to the Riftbound rules and FAQs, Darius, Trifarian does not count a countered spell.

This has not changed in recent updates. The ruling remains consistent with the core game mechanics regarding "playing" a card:

  • "Played" means "Resolved": A card is only considered "played" once it has fully resolved on the chain.
  • Countered spells do not resolve: According to Rule 425.1.b, "A card that is Countered is not considered to have been played." Because a countered spell is cleared from the chain without resolving, it does not count toward the total number of cards played in a turn for the purpose of triggering Darius's ability.

As confirmed in RiftJudge FAQ #2190 and FAQ #8306, triggered abilities that rely on a card being "played" only trigger if the card successfully resolves. If a spell is countered, it does not count as being played, and therefore will not contribute to the count required to trigger Darius, Trifarian.