Tencent, Riot to bring unique version of TFT to China called ‘Battle of Golden Spatula’

Gaming giants Tencent and Riot Games are working on bringing a “unique” version of Teamfight Tactics to mobile platforms in China, according to industry expert Daniel Ahmad. 

The game, which is close to completion, has been approved for release in China by regulators and has started its pre-registration period. 

Co-developed by Tencent’s NExT Studios—an indie developer behind games like Crown Trick, Bladed Fury, and Iris Fall—the game will be called “金铲铲之战” (or Battle of Golden Spatula in English) and will be adapted as a “spin-off” of Riot’s popular autobattler. 

Catered to a Chinese player base, the game will have a similar look and feel to TFT with aligning champions and items. But balance, patches, skins, and microtransactions will almost certainly be separate from Riot’s already-established model.

In a trailer for the game, familiar faces like Yasuo, Leona, and Mordekaiser can be found. The game’s menu and UI, however, appear to be slightly different than Riot’s mobile interface.

The global release of TFT was one of the top 20 most streamed games on Chinese live-streaming sites last month, according to Ahmad.

The release of Battle of Golden Spatula in China, despite its key differences to TFT, could be another roaring success.