Olivia R. June 19, 2019
After just one hour on testing servers, League of Legend's aubobattler game mode Teamfight Tactics became the top viewng category on Twitch.
With over 190,000 viewers by its second hour, Teamfight Tactics beat Grand Theft Auto V, Fortnite, and League of Legends. This was, in part, due to some of the top streamers, like Michael "imaqtpie" Santana, streaming the new game mode.
Teamfight Tactics also saw instant success when it was first introduced onto the PBE. So many players attempted to log in and try out the autobattler that more than 9,000 users were put on a wait list. The game had reached its full capacity after just over 30 minutes.
"We've upped the capacity of PBE, which caused a spike of players. That has resulted in some games crashing, but it will resolve itself shortly. So please be patient and hang in there. Thanks for everything," Rioter Ed "SapMagic" Altorfer said.
Riot Games announced Teamfight Tactics earlier in the month, inspired by Dota 2's Auto Chess mode. The mode sees eight players facing off in a free-for-all, encouraging each participant to choose the best combination of champions, strategies, and items.
The new game mode will offer a more diversified experience in League of Legends and may possibly attract new players. Teamfight Tactics will be featured on the main League of Legends client as its own game with a ranked ladder. This will include regular updates and patch notes.
"Recently, we've been trying different kinds of modes that are deep and unique additions to the League experience. TFT is our next big exploration in that space and the first time we’re jumping into a different genre. We’ve always loved strategy games and recently we’ve gotten into the new auto-battler genre," the developers said.
SapMagic stated that Teamfight Tactics will be released on live servers after the initial testing period. Teamfight Tactics will be available on June 25, along with Patch 9.13.