Red Post Collection: Introducing TFT: Galaxies, Legends of Runeterra Patch 0.9.0 Notes, & More

Continue reading for more information!

• Red Post Collection: Universe Update: The Bow, And the Kunai & More
• Champion & Skin Sale: Week of February 17th
• Free Champion Rotation, Week of February 18th
• PBE Preview: Blackfrost Alistar, Rek'Sai, & Renekton + Hextech Sejuani

• Patch 10.4 & TFT Notes

Table of Contents

• /DEV: Introducing TFT: Galaxies
• Twitch Rivals x Clash Streamer Showdown
• Legends of Runeterra Patch 0.9.0 Notes
• Miscellaneous

/DEV: Introducing TFT: Galaxies

A new /DEV is up with Riot Mort and Riot Beernana discussing the upcoming Teamfight Tactics: Galaxies set -  including thoughts on Rise of the Elements, the new Galaxies mechanic, and more!

"/DEV: INTRODUCING TFT: GALAXIES 

A new set is on the horizon, so we’d like to share the new set mechanic for TFT: Galaxies.

Next month we'll be saying a fond farewell to Teamfight Tactics: Rise of the Elements and giving a warm welcome to Teamfight Tactics: Galaxies. The new set place you in the midst of a League universe-spanning intergalactic war bringing new champions, traits, skins, boards, Little Legends, and a new set-wide mechanic. We'll be sharing more about the upcoming stuff over the next few weeks. Today, we're starting with the new set mechanic for TFT: Galaxies. 

But First, Let's Talk About Elemental Hexes 

Before we get there though, let's talk about the Elemental Hex system. We added a set mechanic to Rise of the Elements because we wanted to increase replayability, add variance to every game, and force players to continuously adapt the way they played. We hoped that dealing with a different core element every game meant that the same composition wasn’t always going to be the best option. Additionally, with hexes being in different spots each game, it wouldn’t always be clear the best way to utilize them. 

Overall we're happy with how the Elemental Hex system turned out, especially with the way Qiyana integrates with the system and the way it allows for new builds across games. Mountain games have stronger front lines and the earlier appearance of the Mountain trait. Ocean games allow for quicker spell casts and Shojin states. Cloud games give spell casters a slight edge, and Inferno games are more explosive than normal. Every game feels a little bit different, which is what we wanted.

That being said, it's not perfect and we’re definitely taking a few learnings going forward. The first one is clarity issues. The hexes use the item system, and while we intended for that to be an interesting strategic trade-off, it's also very unclear (especially for new players) what benefits your champions are getting. We were also a bit conservative with the hexes’ power level. They're such a light touch to the game that it’s often ideal to simply ignore the mechanic for better positioning. Ideally, game mechanics with that level of visibility and mind share require you to interact with them in clever ways; Elemental Hexes aren't quite hitting that bar right now. 

Elemental Hexes will be leaving TFT with Rise of the Elements, and we'll be moving forward with a new set mechanic for Galaxies. 

Galaxies Within Galaxies 

We're calling the set mechanic for Teamfight Tactics: Galaxies... "Galaxies." Yes, we're very creative. Here’s how it works: In addition to games with normal rulesets, some games of TFT will take you to a different galaxy where the rules are just a bit different. 

For example, one Galaxy you might travel to is the Neekoverse Galaxy, where everyone starts with two Neeko’s Help items ready to go. With everyone having this advantage, it becomes about making strategic decisions around when and how to use those Neekos. Do you use them early on a powerful three-cost or four-cost to start win streaking? Do you chase a powerful 3-star that might normally be too hard to achieve? Or do you hold out for that late game 2-star five-cost champ?

Another Galaxy you might travel to is the "4-cost-carousel" Galaxy (the name is a work in progress), where the first carousel is entirely four-cost champions. This brings a new set of questions: Should you build around that champion? Or are you going to sell it for an early gold spike? A four-cost with the right component is strong from the start, but four additional gold could enable multiple 2-star champions right out of the gate. 

You won’t know which Galaxy you’re playing in until the game starts, so your ability to adapt is going to be put to the test. And there's one more thing: New Galaxies will open up gradually as the set goes on. So at launch you’re very likely to have a normal game as only one or two Galaxies will be active, but by the end of the set, there may be as many as 10 different Galaxies (…and some may go away as well).
The universe is vast and there’s a lot to explore out there! 

Why Though? 

We had a few goals for Galaxies. First, we wanted something that increased variance and required more adaptability. TFT is at its best when you can’t just look up a guide and know the best way to play, but rather have to adapt to what’s going on in game. So coming up with a set mechanic that made that happen was important. 

Second, we wanted as clear of a set mechanic as possible. As mentioned, Elemental Hexes were a pretty simple mechanic, but with some confusion around its rules. For Galaxies we wanted something that would be clear right off the bat, so that even if it was your first TFT game, you’d be able to understand what was going on. 

Finally, we wanted something expandable. Elemental Hexes are great, but we were disappointed that we weren’t able to add additional hexes over the course of the set. Galaxies give us the opportunity to add new ones pretty frequently since they aren’t so ingrained into the set’s champions like Qiyana was. We’re excited to bring you some really unique Galaxies to explore over the next few months.

How We'll Know If It's Working 

As you load up into each game, you should be excited about the possibility of going to a different Galaxy, and when you get there, it should change how you approach the game in a unique and fun way. If we’re seeing different games on different galaxies play out in unique ways, then this will be a success. 

We hope you have fun exploring the Galaxies, and we can’t wait for you to try them all! Tune in next week for a look at a few of the traits that will show up in Teamfight Tactics: Galaxies."

Twitch Rivals x Clash Streamer Showdown

With the launch of Clash imminent, a new Twitch Rivals event is happening Februsry 18-20! - "Twitch Rivals is celebrating the launch of Clash with a premade team streamer showdown."

"Twitch Rivals is going big with a 16 team Streamer Showdown! Twitch and Riot are partnering to challenge some of your favorite community creators to compete in a 16 team, 80 person Streamer Showdown. Watch the partners communicate, strategize, and compete during the week – then grab a team of friends and enter a Clash tournament over the weekend! 

Tune in starting February 18, 2020 at 12 PM PT to see these teams battle head-to-head. The 3-day tournament takes place over at twitch.tv/twitchrivals, with all Streamers broadcasting their point of view on their own channel. The group stage will lead to the Playoffs Day, February 20th, 2020 at 12pm PT. For more details on the tournament structure, Twitch has the full breakdown here. 

But wait, there’s more! Throughout the tournament, any viewer with a linked Riot Games & Twitch Account will be eligible to earn a free Clash ticket via Twitch Drops. That ticket allows you to join your friends over the weekend of February 22 & 23 to complete the long awaited launch of Clash. 

To help make sure you’re ready for Twitch Drops, we created this handy walkthrough. 

How to Earn Twitch Drops 

Twitch has made this friendly FAQ, but to help make it easier for you, here is a step by step guide. 

Step 1 - Connect your Riot Account to your Twitch account 

First off, it’s important to clarify that Twitch.TV and Twitch Prime are separate. A lot of our players may have already linked to Twitch Prime (which is awesome). However, drops are different, and only eligible for those who connect their Riot Account to their Twitch.TV account. This allows everyone to reap the rewards, whether they have Prime or not. So hop over to Twitch to link your account! All you'll need to do is find Riot Games and click Connect, and follow the simple steps. Super easy! 

Step 2 - Watch your favorite Twitch Rivals Stream 

Between the start of the event on February 18th, 2020 at 12pm PT, and the end of the event on February 20th, 2020, tune into any of the streamers competing (or the main Twitch Rivals broadcast), while they are live, and cheer them on! Streamers don’t control the frequency or who gets the Twitch Drop, so watching them stream is the best way to unlock the possibility of getting a ticket. If all the requirements are met and a drop is awarded ,it will be attributed to your Riot Account automatically, just be aware that this is not instant. 

Step 3 - Use Your Clash Ticket and Sign up your team! 

Once you have received your Clash Ticket (awarded on February 21st), head on over to the League client, click the Clash tab, and form your team. Clash starts on February 22nd, so use that ticket quickly. The ticket is valid for the launch weekend only.  

Interested in who is on what team? 

Interested in who is on what team? Here are the teams!

Want to go follow them all now? Here are direct links to their channels!"

[Check out the full article for direct links to all players on each teams!] 

Riot Swimbananas also noted:

"Tickets work in any region. Good luck!"

Legends of Runeterra Patch 0.9.0 Notes

Patch 0.9.0, the second Legends of Runeterra patch, is set to go out soon including a slew of card changes, tweaks to experience and Expedition rewards, and dev notes on balance & set 1 and a few cards that are currently on the team's watchlist!


Catch a quick overview of the patch with this Patch 0.9.0 in 60 seconds patch trailer!

Miscellaneous

• Malphite's bio was updated on the Universe!

"For more than two millennia, Shurima dominated the known world—an empire that reigned over countless peoples without challenge, and without threat. 

Until the day Icathia fell. 

From the moment the Void tore its way into the material realm, the armies of Shurima faced an enemy that could not only lay their grand empire low, but one that seemed to grow stronger the more they fought it. The corruption spread rapidly from Icathia’s ruins, boiling over the land and beneath the oceans, before its hideous tendrils reached the southernmost jungles of Ixtal. 

Ne’Zuk of the Ascended Host was an Ixtali elemental mage of colossal power, and almost unrivaled arrogance. He went before the emperor, pledging to create a weapon powerful enough to take the fight to the Void, and eradicate it at the source of its original eruption. 

After months of inhuman labor, Ne’Zuk revealed the Monolith—a floating fortress of living stone, maintained by the greatest elemental mages, and its ramparts manned by his fellow Ixtali god-warriors. The size of a city itself, the Monolith glided titanically toward the wastelands of Icathia, the lightning crackling from its magical inhibitors fusing the sands to glass beneath it. Ne’Zuk and his superweapon arrived at their destination, to face once more the howling infinite darkness of the abyssal realm, and the hordes of Voidborn monstrosities it had created. 

The battle dragged into weeks. It was violence of a scale and intensity never before witnessed in Runeterra. Sorcery enough to raze entire civilizations, or render whole continents into naught but a memory, was unleashed upon the Void. 

The darkness retaliated in kind. Its hideous energies gouged deep wounds into the living stone of the Monolith, whose surfaces became pocked and seared with unnatural malphite—from the Ixtali for “bad stone”—and leaving mineral-like scars. The fortress was pushed to the very limits of its design, struggling to self-repair and reknit its weakened superstructure… but even the incredible magics that held it aloft had a breaking point. 

As Ne’Zuk fought to rally his Ascended brethren for one last, desperate charge, the unthinkable happened. Sagging for an instant, the Monolith crashed down to earth, cleaving through the bedrock of Icathia and opening the Void beneath to the skies. 

Much of the fortress was lost within that gaping maw, vanishing into the silent nothingness beyond. The rest rained down as great ruins, littering a landscape already blackened by the terrible conflict that had been cut so abruptly short. Only a single Ascended survived—Ne’Zuk hauled himself from the wreckage, choking on the ashes of what was meant to be his grandest triumph, now his greatest folly, and fled for his life. 

In defiance of all worldly reason, some disparate fragments of the Monolith endured, still imbued with something like magical life. The far-flung shards struggled to heal, to reform the whole to which they had once belonged. But the Void’s endless hunger leached away at them, rendering them as little more than inert shapes clawing feebly in the dust. 

However, against all that had been lost, a single shard remained. 

Buried deep beneath the surface, forgotten even by those that dwelt in the abyss, it slowly gathered in strength. It lived, until at last it awakened after uncounted centuries, and realized it was alone. 

In all the centuries since that dark day, Malphite, the last shard of the Monolith, has become something of a legend in Runeterra. It has reputedly been sighted everywhere, from Targon to Zaun; heard sometimes as a tectonic roar in the deepest caverns, and sometimes as a quiet voice, humming to itself, that it might still remember the sounds of the world it once knew. 

Despite the enormous span of its existence, the overwhelming drive enkindled by Ne’Zuk’s creation of the Monolith has not wavered. Now, Malphite knows it must soon rise to meet the resurgent darkness it once battled, as the Void awakens to threaten all of Runeterra once more."

• Zed Issue #4 is now available on the Universe! Look for issue five of the comic to release on 3/18/2020!

• Riot August posted a changelist for Wukong headed to the PBE in the 10.5 cycle:

"This Wukong changelist will go out to PBE tomorrow, picking up where
@RiotLutzburg left off.  

Highlights:
YOU CAN CAST R TWICE
W has a dash that goes over walls
The clone mimics your attacks, Q, and R (dealing reduced damage)
Q CD goes down when you or your clone damage things"

• Riot Cactopus noted updates to the League+ App coming soon:

"The League+ team recently rolled out a few fixes to the app—it'll be rolling out slowly over the next few days. Update/install later this week and let us know if it's working!  

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riotgames.mobile.leagueconnect  

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/league/id1077150310"

• The official League of Legends twitter account tweeted a reminder on the upcoming Clash weekend!

"Clash is coming! Start building your team now! Grab 4 friends, forge a winning crew, and play in the first Clash weekend, Feb 22 and 23!"