Teamfight Tactics arrives on mobile

Auto-battler, what started as a simple mod within the Dota 2 game, became a sensational genre of its own. An auto-battler is a subgenre of strategy games which pits a player against 7 others in which each player builds a composition from various units who then fight against the opponent's composition without requiring any input from the player. The genre combines elements from deck-building, chess, and battle-royale to provide a unique experience.

A quick overview of the Auto chess core loop:

Auto Battlers - the story so far

First created and popularized by the Dota Auto Chess, it was quickly picked up by the established studios with games such as Dota Underlords (Valve Corporation), Hearthstone Battlegrounds (Blizzard Entertainment), and Teamfight Tactics (Riot Games)

Each of these games peaked on Twitch viewership counts when they released. Teamfight Tactics, especially, captured a grand total of 3,65,000 viewers at its peak one month after its launch in June 2019. This number is 6 times larger than what other games in the genre peaked at! Let’s breakdown why the game received such a positive response. Looking at Twitch data, Riot’s Teamfight Tactics (perhaps the strongest of these games) after its release, it held its position in the top 10 most viewed games on Twitch for 6 months straight!. And just like that, the leading title of the auto-battle genre - Teamfight Tactics initially created for PC expanded to mobile with Riot Games’ announcement of its mobile launch!

Teamfight Tactics - a unique twist on the genre

The mobile release of Teamfight Tactics is also coming with the newest set - Galaxies. The 3rd set in the lifespan of the game is bringing old champions back and introducing new champions as well. This new set will feature your favourite champions and their abilities - from Darius’s dunk to Blitzcrank’s grab - making sure that you are not missing out on the action! This will allow players to explore different team compositions, ensuring that the meta stays fresh and constantly adapting.

What makes Teamfight Tactics shine above other titles of the genre is the carousel. Some rounds within a match of TFT feature a carousel of champions, each with a different item equipped. Each player then takes turn picking up one of the champions, starting from the player with the lowest HP. This provides a unique comeback mechanic - the player who was at the bottom, can now present a threat for all. Not only that, picking up that champion or item you require provides a feeling that parallels winning. This unique mini-game inside of the game is a blast - especially if you are playing with friends in the lobby!

Not only this, but Galaxies will also take the players to different universes as well - each with their own unique rule. For example, in one universe called the “Neekoverse”, each player starts the game with two copies of Neeko’s Help which allows them to ramp up their champions earlier than usual. Another universe, “Liliac Nebula”, offers the players 4-cost champions in the first carousel round which can change the gameplan completely! This is what makes TFT special, as other titles in this genre have not explored this enough.

These game-changing features of Galaxies are also coming with some amazing new vanity items! From Little Legends in space suits to battle arenas full of crashed UFOs, Galaxies will make us all feel like we are in space!

Teamfight Tactics - the new king of mobile strategy games?

The most important aspect of TFT coming to mobile devices is that it has no advantage or disadvantage over playing on PC. The touch controls feel natural, and the game has made really good usage of the real estate available. The UI feels crisp and clean - something that most games struggle to achieve. Players will be able to carry over their progression from PC to Mobile seamlessly as well. There is cross-platform play as well, which allows you to play with your friends even if they are playing on a different platform! Combined with the refreshing gameplay of the game, we predict that Teamfight Tactics will perform really well in the mobile market.

Even though Teamfight Tactics is arriving late to the party, it is arriving in style. Since the game is based around the League of Legends universe - which was the largest game in the world with over 8 million concurrent players per day - the leap to mobile is expected to capture the mass audience quite easily. Now, all 2.4 billion mobile gamers will have access to the League of Legends universe right in their pocket. Combined with the smooth, friendly-yet-competitive game loop of Teamfight Tactics, it is bound to capture all kinds of gamers - from casual to competitive.

From what we have seen, PC games have the tendency to blast off when they come on mobile. We saw this phenomena with games like PUBG, Call of Duty, and Hearthstone. From MOBA to card-games, mobile is becoming the home of all types of strategy games. Honestly, it would not come as a surprise to see Teamfight Tactics top all the charts on its mobile launch.

Why are you still reading?? Go and play if you have not already! This is the prime time to get into the genre with Teamfight Tactics. We will be providing a reflection on our prediction in another piece as well, so make sure to stay tuned for that!!! Till then, see you in the galaxies! Oh, and feel free to join the Facebook group to play with new friends - the game is a thousand times better with them!