A new mid-set update for Teamfight Tactics means new champions coming in, as well as the return of some of TFT’s most powerful units (albeit with a couple of changes to bring down their power level a touch). As a result, old champions will be departing for a little while—some of whom never got to experience life at the top of the meta. Here’s hoping they’ll be reworked into something new.
In the meantime, here are all the new and returning TFT Set 9.5 champions, along with those chosen to make way for the incumbents.
Confirmed new champions for TFT Set 9.5
To start, the major champ changes we’re seeing for Set 9.5 will be in the four-cost slot. We received a hint that there would be a change to four-cost champions some time ago, but Riot has now confirmed just who will be returning—and who will be making way for them in the process.
Related: High-cost, high-reward: TFT Set 9.5 Horizonbound brings a new class and more 4-cost champs
Old champions leaving for TFT Set 9.5
In total, five champions will depart TFT, at least temporarily. Those champions include:
- Lux (Demacia/Sorcerer)
- Yasuo (Ionia/Challenger)
- Urgot (Zaun/Deadeye)
- Zeri (Zaun/Gunner)
- Gwen (Shadow Isles/Slayer)
Most of these units are moving out because one of their traits is no longer active in the set, while others are just for variety’s sake. Since units like Lux and Yasuo were so crucial to comps both early and late in Set 9, seeing them rotate out means we’ll have more unique carries for this update.
Urgot makes way as the Deadeye trait is gone, with Vanquisher largely taking its place, while Gwen is out despite a few of her key item pickups receiving buffs this set.
Zeri, on the other hand, never really got the chance to shine like her peers. While she proved to be a strong unit alongside her fellow Gunner and Zaun units, she never really cracked the S-tier of team compositions. Here’s hoping her return in the future sees her closer to her League of Legends level…maybe not that close.
New and returning champions for TFT Set 9.5
Alongside two new champions, five four-cost units have returned from purgatory with a few reworks and adjustments.
- Silco (Zaun/Sorcerer)
- Nilah (Bilgewater/Vanquisher)
- Xayah (Ionia/Vanquisher)
- Mordekaiser (Noxus/Slayer)
- Fiora (Demacia/Challenger)
- Milio (Invoker/Ixtal)
- Naafiri (Challenger/Darkin/Shurima)
To highlight these new additions, we got some champions making their return to TFT, including Fiora and Xayah who both shone during their previous stints as true carry units in previous sets.
Silco is back with a new ability, Undercity Tactics, which sees him throw a vial of Shimmer at a nearby enemy, coating them and nearby hexes with the deadly toxin. Any enemy unit inside of the hex taxes damage over time, while allies in the zone are healed.
Nilah is back with the new Bilgewater and Vanquisher traits, plus her Formless Blade ability lets her dive away from the action with a shield and boosts her attack speed, giving her a way back into a fight. Throw on a Bloodthirster and watch her disintegrate her opposition.
Mordekaiser is also back after two years on the bench, out to steal the stats of every target unit he can get his hands on. This time, he features the Noxus and Slayer traits, which boosts his effectiveness as games go on and help deal that extra bit of damage to finish enemies off.
Another highlight is, of course, our champion debutants in Milio and Naafiri. Both are in TFT for the first time, and both are cheaper units in comparison to the other champions in this list.
Published: Aug 28, 2023 03:06 am