Teamfight Tactics has been wildly-popular since launch, allowing fans to build top-tier team compositions to topple seven other players. Although viewership may have declined since the summer, future esports events indicate that Riot Games’ autobattler is here to stay.
Riot global head of esports John Needham discussed TFT’s esports scene in an interview with The Shotcaller released today. While Riot plans on creating more structure for competitive play, TFT will remain “casual” and “entertainment focused.”
“With TFT, it’s not as hardcore a competitive game as the Rift and standard League of Legends,” Needham said. “We’re looking at TFT, from an esports perspective, more as an entertainment property. We’re gonna do more Invitationals, we’re gonna do a charity tournament as part of our All-Star Event in September… and next year, you’ll see, while we have some structure around esports for TFT, it’s not as structured as League of Legends… It’ll be a bit more casual, a bit more entertainment focused, a bit more tournament focused.”
There’s no question that League’s professional scene is intense. Teams, coaches, packed stadiums, and a dominant worldwide presence have made it one of the biggest games. TFT’s focus, on the other hand, will be on entertaining the masses with more relaxed and informal tournaments, according to Needham.
Last month’s Rise of the Elements Invitational, for example, grouped a bunch of influencers and content creators together and allowed them to joke, laugh, and trash talk their way through the tournament. It was certainly a casual affair, but it proved easy to watch and entertaining in a way completely different from its serious older sibling, League.
The All-Star Event kicks off on Dec. 5 and will feature a League and TFT tournament made up of content creators and legendary pros.
