TFT’s last Set 8 patch of the year puts game in a good spot heading into 2023

Riot Games is taking a holiday break, putting four weeks in between updates for Teamfight Tactics Set Eight, and players aren’t complaining. 

Heading into the holiday break for TFT this time last year, players were learning how to work Augments within Set Six Gizmos & Gadgets. Much has evolved within the auto battler over the last year, as Augments are now an evergreen mechanic and no champions are taking up two slots on the board anymore. The 12.23 B-patch heading into the Riot holiday break was quite large, containing 55 balance changes, although a majority were minor tweaks. 

From the PBE testing of Set Eight to its official release on Dec. 7, many players have hailed Monster’s Attack! as one of the best TFT sets. Perhaps players were burnt out on Dragons and champions taking up two slots on the auto battler board. But it’s more likely that the design team has gotten better over the years and that Set Eight is like a love letter to previous sets. 

Starting with Set Three Galaxies, the TFT team began experimenting with mechanics that took advantage of positive RNG, provided players with late-game options, and included flexible build options that didn’t rely on a specific vertical comp. The road from Set Three to Eight had many ups and downs but it appears like the hard work of the design and balance team has finally paid off. 

Much of Set Eight’s success can get attributed to the amazing design of Hero Augments (an evolved version of Chosen champions from Set Four), in conjunction with making regular Augments an evergreen mechanic. The addition of Threat units also plays a major role, allowing players to flex on secondary carriers should their main prospect get contested. And the team continues to support finishing late-game comps with the Set Eight Anvil and Boss Battle systems.

The 12.23 B-patch feels like a Mid-Set update in that the meta is versatile and there are very few outliers dominating the ranked ladder. There are at least six S and A-tier end-game comps players can play, along with another six B-tier builds that can also win games depending on Augments. 

The next TFT Set Eight update will take place on Jan. 11 through Patch 13.1.