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Teamfight Tactics

Riot··9 votes·409,416 views

Teamfight Tactics is a totally new game mode in League that'll hit PBE later this month.

TFT is a round-based strategy game that pits you against seven opponents in a free-for-all race to build a powerful team that fights on your behalf. Your goal: Be the last person standing.



How It Works

You’ll spend gold in the store before each round to recruit League champions to your team. Throughout the game, your team will become more powerful as you draft champions that share origins and classes to unlock trait bonuses. Additionally, you can combine three duplicates of the same champ to upgrade them into a super version of themselves, and combine three supers to create the ultimate version.

Your team will then travel to an opponent’s board (or they will come to you) and a battle will unfold. During combat, your champions will move, attack, and cast spells automatically. Just like in League, you’ll need to choose a team comp and position your champs wisely to unlock their full potential.

At the end of each round you'll earn gold to spend in future rounds. Occasionally, everyone will gather for a special event and draft from a single line-up of champions of varying strengths. Players will pick in the reverse order of their current standing, giving the players falling behind the chance to make a comeback. Win teamfights consistently to avoid losing health and deal damage to your opponents. Outlast everyone else to win, and don’t forget to spam your emotes along the way.



How and Why We’re Making Teamfight Tactics

Recently, we've been trying different kinds of modes that are deep and unique additions to the League experience. TFT is our next big exploration in that space and the first time we’re jumping into a different genre. We’ve always loved strategy games and recently we’ve gotten into the new auto-battler genre—folks around the office have been playing an insane amount of Dota Auto Chess in particular. We love it, and it actually got us inspired to create something new as a mode in League.

We’re building this one with you. TFT’s initial launch is a beta, so expect it to be a work in progress as we work all of the kinks out. Every step of the way we’ll be listening closely to your experiences and feedback, so please let us know what you think. For our part, we’ll be in frequent contact via dev articles, updates and patch notes.

Part of treating this like a Real Grown Up Game Mode means we'll support it with cool metagame features. That includes ranked. You can expect to see the ranked for TFT start up around patch 9.14. At that point, we should be in a good spot with bugs and initial game balance.



Introducing Little Legends

With the introduction of Teamfight Tactics, we’re excited to bring a whole new personalization option to League: Little Legends. These critters will be your avatar in TFT, dancing, emoting, animating, and generally showing off. After your first few games, you’ll unlock your first LL just by playing.

After picking up your one-time-only free Legend, you can purchase additional species in the store for 750 RP. We’re launching with six species:

If you’re not yet smitten with these Little Legends, expect more varieties with each patch, just like skins. Additionally, for those of you who want your Little Legends to really pop we’ll feature Rare LL Eggs, purchasable for 490 RP. Rare Eggs contain special variants of those same species, with an added twist: hatching a variant you’ve already found will make them star up just like the champions in TFT, powering up their models and effects. Once a variant has reached its third level, it will not drop from future Rare Eggs you open.

Little Legends will also join you on the Howling Abyss, where they'll cheer you on from the sidelines while you battle.

You’ll see all of the Little Legends emoting their faces off on PBE, but we’ll talk more about what they are and how they work before they go live.

Expect TFT to hit live servers during patch 9.13.

692 Comments

CrazianQ306 votes

It's over. Forget solo queue, this is where the real boys play ranked.

SpaceOd59 votes

Or could we get it as a pop up client so I can play during my 20 min queue?

Gu5t8 votes

look out! we got a challenger over here...

Im 2 Fast173 votes

Nexus blitz died for this? h3zW

Charles Redd54 votes

That's what I'm saying, I want my sweet baby Nexus Blitz back. I've ignored auto chess as it doesn't interest me, now it's being added to me favorite game instead of my favorite mode coming back. Thanks Rito.

SpecterVonBaren30 votes

NB was an alternate game mode for League. This is literally an entirely different game.

Luxanna Magica28 votes

explains why it's being added to League of Legends in a patch for League of Legends through the client of League of Legends where you play all the other new and unique modes for League of Legends

SpecterVonBaren39 votes

Because this is Riot's game launcher maybe? Blizzard also has a launcher that launches Starcraft 2 and Hearthstone, doesn't mean a card game and an RTS are the same genre.

dqflynn10 votes

I would personally consider this an alternate mode as well, but you all are worrying about the wrong thing. I want NB back too, but I don't think that's gonna happen. Just appreciate the FREE stuff that's being given to you now instead of whining about it. I don't want to be overaggressive, but the fact that people are genuinely unhappy about getting free stuff they didn't want as much as other free stuff is just sad.

Norade903121 votes

I'm excited to see what the League team can do with the Autochess formula.

LinxTY47 votes

Probably make it filled with micro transactions

mage192117140 votes

Y’all act like LoL is overloaded with micro-transactions. They’re all 100% optional with no impact on gameplay. There are tons of pay to win games out there that you can’t compete on equal grounds with those who pay. That isn’t true for League, where you can become one of the best without spending a single penny. Faker is famous for not using skins. If you want skins, spend money. That’s all there is to it.

Stop complaining for a second. There are definitely things Riot could do better with the game, but their micro-transaction policy is completely fine.

ShenVox43 votes

I'm almost certain They have some of the best prices on their micro transactions. It's kinda how a free game makes it's money. If it didn't have micro transactions the game wouldn't be able to sustain itself. Paragon had them, but very little of them and ended up not being able to pay for their servers anymore and had to shutdown to save money room for fortnite because epic wasn't committed to paragon as much. I've played multiple MOBA's including mobile MOBA's and everything is much more expensive. Respect to league for trying their best and giving us new games (That are fun) and not ripping anyone off For a helmet fragment or a skin that looks terrible but is 10-20$. Enough said.

Jabalor90 votes

SO let me get this. Nexus Blitz had to pass 2 beta testings before you guys could decide if it would become a permanent gamemode. Yet this one you are already planning even ranked ladder for it?????

UpooOnMe72 votes

Autochess has ranked so this kind of game mode already has a proven competitive pull. Nexus Blitz is so new and random. Making a ranked ladder for it was not a priority while it was in testing because they were figuring out if people even wanted to play it long-term.

Bertle59 votes

Atleast they mentioned autochess

folks around the office have been playing an insane amount of Dota Auto Chess in particular.

Nicholas Paul49 votes

Glad they were being genuine and honest about it. I'm excited for it as well because it's extremely addicting.

Mirio Togata57 votes

People saying that this "ripped off" autochess, I think you forgot that league also "ripped off" dota. It's a genre, and if a genre starts becoming popular of course more of it is gonna pop up.

Kazekiba12 votes

[{quoted}](name=Mirio Togata,realm=NA,application-id=Ag8jgd8Q,discussion-id=NisWnwVl,comment-id=0008,timestamp=2019-06-10T15:25:32.538+0000)

People saying that this "ripped off" autochess, I think you forgot that league also "ripped off" dota. It's a genre, and if a genre starts becoming popular of course more of it is gonna pop up.

Difference is League started as a Mod of DotA, built by the people who designed DotA All-Stars, so they could explore a game that had different mechanics inherent to its design. Like Flash being a free slot instead of an item and no turn rates, etc. Guinsoo and Tryndamere broke away from the game to make a mod, said mod was super popular so they made it its own game.

This is just taking League's IP and shamelessly wearing someone else's mask with it. Like they did with Overwatch, and tried to do with Nexus Blitz (particularly Bardle Royale). This isn't creativity or originality on Riot's part, nor is it popular demand.

No one: I wish Riot would make a League Autochess Riot: Hey let's steal someone else's idea to make money instead of making our own game tolerable outside of China again, or make a new game!!!!

Brush Boy20 votes

I think this is a bad take, we don't know how they can spice up the formula yet, and they've barely announced the game mode. It seems like it came from a passion project around the office, and I can get behind that.

Like they did with Overwatch, and tried to do with Nexus Blitz (particularly Bardle Royale). This isn't creativity or originality on Riot's part, nor is it popular demand. I think that's incorrect. Nexus blitz did a lot to bring my friends back to league, so many came flocking back for nexus blitz, when they said it wasn't staying permanent I was heartbroken, I loved how fun, quick, and chaotic the games were. They made league feel fresh again, despite things like king of the hill and bardle royale being common concepts in other games, because of things like bardle royale paranoia, or the fact that it wasn't a shooter, it was league of legends. You just have to give riot a chance, I can't wait to see how this project turns out.

NoPicklesPlease11 votes

HARD AGREE!

If this project is being developed naturally, just like how League started, I think it has a lot of potential.

elementpaw266 votes

Dota 2 came out in 2013 and league came out in 2009, maybe you should research before posting stuff. The first dota was not it’s own beginning either. The genre began way before anything was created.

Larriet59 votes

DotA came out in 2003 though? Not to be snarky but maybe take your own advice ahaha

Xeryyn12 votes

Yes, Yes it did.

Nameless Drifter47 votes

Is this a joke?

Is this where the resources have been put?

The New Client is a mess and a disgrace. Features are extremely incomplete. Other gamemodes were trashed to never see the light of day. Balance is completely broken and incompetent. And yet we put resources into making a new gamemode with ranked, even though the other ranked queues need serious fixes, and Twisted Treeline needs a serious update.

"We here at Riot dont like fixing our stuff, but we do like stealing ideas from other companies for money which we desperately need."

Each year is passes this company is becoming more of a joke. What a shame.

Lesbian Yorick38 votes

Scarra said in his impressions video (he along with other NA content creators got to play test this last week) that there's only a small team of around 30 people working on this. So no, resources are not being put towards this, at least not an acknowledgeable amount of resources. Yes, there's a lot of shit wrong with the game at the moment but in the end it's their IP and they can see fit to do whatever they want with it.

Minarde12 votes

there's only a small team of around 30 people working on this. So no, resources are not being put towards this, at least not an acknowledgeable amount of resources.

That honestly sounds like a larger team than Treeline, ARAM, and Dominion, combined, have had since their releases.

Alitaher00330 votes

This is like people complaining that scientists are spending millions sending robots to Mars instead of curing cancer. Different teams for different things.

KillGoldfish33 votes

These look really cool!

Only question I have is: why are the Little Legends visible in ARAM but not Summoner's Rift? As someone who doesn't play ARAM but plays a ton of SR, I'd like these lil guys to be visible in the fountain by the shopkeeper or something.

Dominion Chi17 votes

something something, integrity of ranked, something something.

Most likely what they'd say.

PrevaiI32 votes

We'll be playing a game based off a mod in a game based off a mod of a game based off a mod. Mod-ception.

La Bello23 votes

isnt this just Autochess lol? How are they gonna survive the inc Lawsuit?

kywh109 votes

Can't copyright a game mode.

Bik5 votes

PUBG literally tried to sue Epic Games for making Fortnite. They chose not to pursue the lawsuit, but it did happen.

fugertech32 votes

Yeah. They didn't pursue it because they weren't the pioneers of the "Battle Royale" style of game.

RivenRiseAgainst15 votes

They didn't pursue it because their lawyers told them to calm the fuck down and that they couldn't win it.

Poppì QT46 votes

They can't get sued for this. That's like saying every company that's made an FPS can get sued by the first company that ever made one. You can't trademark an idea.

Agilio64 votes

Same way they made LoL from Dota

UpooOnMe108 votes

Riot Games - taking Dota's ideas and making them better.

Tamarizz16 votes

"better"

ShadyGecko15 votes

You're here aren't you? But you're right, better isn't the word. Different. They went for more accessibility and more emphasis on abilities.

HippoPlays18 votes

Didn't Riot's founders... create DotA?

MianBao Bread82 votes

auto chess is not original, the origin is war3 mod "battle 3 kingdoms"

EYEYE55 votes

Knowing about battle 3 kingdoms makes you the winner of the comment section. True OG

StormsSurges6 votes

my man you win a item 1056 enjoy fighting with eveyone who dosnt know what that is

Lord Ryu22 votes

So this is getting ranked right off the bat and you guys are going to "support it with cool metagame features"? How long has it been since Twisted Treeline received any sort of support metagame or otherwise? I don't know if you guys remember but that has a ranked queue too. I wont even mention Nexus Blitz, which was supposed to be permanent, because it has already been mentioned so many times in these comments. Riot doesn't support any modes besides Summoner's Rift, be it through missions or events, and then wonder why player engagement is low. It's mind-boggling.

Nirosu19 votes

Little legends are paid only...seriously at least copy all the good parts of autochess. Have a currency for them if you don't want to use blue essence, or a battle pass system that manages to beat out autochess's battle pass.

UpooOnMe11 votes

Yeah there are tons of amazing cosmetics in League that I'd rather spend money on than an Avatar that nobody pays attention to.

Larriet18 votes

I'm looking forward to it! But I'm probably gonna pick champions I like rather than playing to win, lol.

The Little Legends showing up in ARAM is a nice incentive to get me to play, too. Anything that lets me express my taste a bit is a welcome addition in my book!

Wibble Wobble16 votes

Where's Nexus blitz, one for all, project game mode, blood moon game mode, poro Kong, ascension, darkstar, Nexus siege, doom bots, not Dominion, hexakill, I'd even take nemesis draft at this point.

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