Teamfight Tactics lead desiger Stephen ‘Mortdog’ Mortimer reveals the target audience and game length for the new TFT ‘Turbo’ mode.
In the 2021 rundown for Teamfight Tactics, product lead TJ Bourus, aka Green Teej, briefly mentioned a new game mode is coming sometime this year. While he didn’t get too specific with the reveal — we don’t even know what the mode is called — Bourus hinted that it’s “something… turbo.” In other words, it’s a faster-paced version of TFT.
“We’re working on a mode that you can play when you’re shorter on time,” he revealed. It sounds like the new mode will still have the same basic mechanics, but slightly tweaks so that it’s “simpler and much faster.”
Unfortunately, that’s all that he had to say about the new mode, other than it’s expected to ship with Set 5 this Spring.
Teamfight Tactics lead designer Stephen “Mortdog” Mortimer had a bit more to share on his personal stream, however, and we now have a bit more details about the intriguing new mode.
For starters, the new mode is aimed more at newcomers. It sounds like the goal is to attract new players by simplifying the mechanics and shortening the overall game length.
“If you’re a hardcore TFT player who has put like 500 games in the new set, this new mode is probably not for you,” Mortdog admitted. “If you’re looking for a way to get your friends in TFT, that’s what the mode is probably good for.”
With TFT now over a year old, it makes sense to support it with other modes that could grow the player base (and possibly spend money, which we all know is the bottom line). Let’s be honest, Teamfight Tactics is a great game. But it’s also intimidating to newcomers. It sounds like this new Turbo mode will do a good job of introducing players to the game by simplifying the mechanics.
It’s kind of like ARAM with League of Legends. It’s a simple twist on the standard game that appeals to a specific crowd. It’s less stressful because it’s considered a side mode with no meaningful repercussions.
It also sounds like this mode could be targeted at those who play TFT on mobile. With mobile gameplay sessions being shorter than those on PC or consoles, it’s understandable why Riot would want to create a mode that appeals to a broader mobile audience. According to Mort, the average game length for this new Turbo mode is between 14 and 20 minutes, which is about half of the normal Teamfight Tactics game length.
That’s all we know for now, but I’m sure we’ll hear more about TFT‘s new game mode in the coming weeks.
