Teamfight Tactics update changes item drops, adds ranked play

Riot Games is making major changes to its new Teamfight Tactics game mode.

Teamfight Tactics has only been live for about a week and players are going crazy for it. Riot pushed some major changes to the game mode on its PBE server. These changes include the introduction of ranked play, changes to item drops, and various champion balance changes.

Ranked testing is now live on PBE. Currently, five matches are required for placement. The amount of ELO gained or lost per match depends on a player’s placement at the end of the match; the top four players gain ELO, while the bottom four lose it. The higher a player places, the more ELO they gain.

Many players have complained about the game’s item drop RNG. Riot is taking that feedback and polishing the system by adding guaranteed drops. The developers have stated they are experimenting with other solutions too, such as additional gold, experience, and champions. 

Every PvE following the Gromp after the first minion fight now drops a guaranteed mystery item from the strongest monster in the encounter. Dragons drop a fully completed item. Items cannot be taken by other players, and will stay on the map until the end of the game, moving to the player’s inventory if not manually collected when the stage is exited.

Monsters that drop items now get either a Dragon’s Claw buff, Red buff, or Guardian Angel buff. These buffs increase magic resistance, give burn damage, or revive champions upon death, respectively.

Demons will now deal 100%/200%/400% true damage to mana-burned targets.

Many items are receiving changes. Runaan’s Hurricane summons a damage-dealing spirit, Frozen Heart has a greater attack speed slow, Hextech Gunblade heals for a greater damage percentage, Morellonomicion deals a percentage of the target’s maximum health as damage over time and prevents healing. There are likely many more changes to come in the near future.

Riot’s developers have announced the beta season of Teamfight Tactics ranked play will go live with Patch 9.14. The first new champion, Twisted Fate, will be added in the patch as well. New content should be added almost every patch in the beta season that is scheduled to end in about three months.