Riot Games has announced that the League of Legends auto chess style game – Teamfight Tactics (TFT) – will arrive launch on mobile devices this week.
It will arrive in the App Store and Google Play on March 19th 2020 (though launch timing may vary across different global regions).
Teamfight Tactics is Riot’s first ever mobile game, which was first announced last summer.
It launches on mobile as part of what Riot calls ‘a banner year’ that will see the League of Legends developer launch multiple new games across various platforms, including upcoming shooter Valorant.
“Since launching TFT on PC just last year, we’ve been overwhelmed by the incredible response from players,” said Dax Andrus, TFT Product Lead.
“Players have been asking us for more ways to play TFT, and we’re excited to share a mobile version that feels authentic to the PC experience while also keeping in mind the nuances and optimisation features that mobile players love.”
Dax Andrus, Riot Games
TFT on mobile features full cross-play with TFT on PC, allowing players on both platforms to compete seamlessly on different devices.
TFT will launch on mobile with the newly revealed content pack, Galaxies, which features space, galaxy and star-themed LoL champions, customisation options and Little Legends, the player controlled in-game avatars. It is currently in closed-beta testing in select regions.
At launch, TFT on mobile will also feature Galaxies Pass and Galaxies Pass+ (free and paid progression-based features that allow players to unlock content as they play games), as well as Galaxies-themed Booms, which are personalised damage animations.
It will also include existing features from the PC version of TFT, including Galaxies Little Legends, Galaxies-themed Arena Skins and ranked play.
There’s also a new player tutorial for mobile users.
“When we created League of Legends over 10 years ago, we never dreamed it would become this popular with so many players around the world,” said Marc Merrill, co-founder and co-chairman at Riot Games.
“Now, as League enters its second decade, we’re thrilled to bring an authentic, competitive TFT experience to mobile, the first of many multi-platform efforts players will see this year.”
Riot says TFT has had 80m players globally since its launch. Though it’s worth noting League of Legends has 100m+ player accounts, and that has given Riot an instant playerbase for TFT.
Further reading
- In-depth interview with TFT players Xeno, Kiezo and Nutri on the current state of game and if it can succeed as an esport
- Vicksy wins Twitch Rivals UK Teamfight Tactics tournament
- Paul Chaloner on the rise of the auto chess genre
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
