FAQ TFT Unreal Migration

Starting August 12th with the release of set 18, TFT will be moving engines from Hextech, our shared engine with League of Legends, to Unreal. We just dropped a video covering the broader changes and how it impacts players and TFT in the future, so for here, I’ll give the quickest TL;DW of that video followed by some additional details surrounding the migration.

First up a quick TL;DW of our video:

• TFT is moving from Hextech to Unreal with the release of set 18; this isn’t a TFT 2 or anything like that, it’ll still feel like the same game, with the same team behind it, that’s learned an all new engine. Four patches into set 18, we will follow up with the launch of a TFT specific client. 
• We’ve moved to Unreal not for the immediate gains it provides to development, but instead for the long term innovation we can utilize for TFT in the far future. In fact, set 18 should feel similar to past TFT sets. 
• Set 18 will have a larger first download, and Mobile players will have the TFT app automatically replaced with the updated version that uses Unreal.
• We’ve spent the last few sets retraining our team on Unreal as we prepare to move to an engine that can allow us to build dedicated TFT tools/tech, free us up from clashing with League’s updates, and unlock TFT’s potential as a forever game. All these boons shouldn’t really be noticeable just yet, but we’re excited to get into a huge backlog of ideas and innovations with our Unreal future. 

With that TL;DW out of the way, let’s get a bit more into the details with a quick FAQ! 

• Will I need to make a new account?

Nope! Your Riot account will be used to login to TFT the same way as before!

• What are the details with PBE?

Set 18 will have a four week PBE period starting July 14th. We’ve got an extended PBE window because we expect there to be more bugs/issues to resolve with our very first set in Unreal. So try it out and help us by reporting any bugs you come across!

• Will I still have my preferred settings?

Preferred Settings will be reset as we migrate from one engine to the other. This means anything you’ve changed in your settings, or favorited in your cosmetics Loadout will be reset to base.  

• When is the dedicated client coming?

While the game is moving to Unreal with the launch of set 18, our PC client will remain in Hextech until a dedicated client comes out a few weeks after our launch—four patches later on October 9th to be specific. The new client will also have an extended PBE period.

• How will this impact balance and bugs?

In all honesty, we do expect there to be more bugs with our initial foray into Unreal. For this reason we’ve got an extended PBE period both for the set and the TFT dedicated client. Switching engines shouldn’t impact game balance, but with more bugs, this could have a factor, so make sure to give PBE a try, report bugs, and let us know your thoughts! 

• What’s the deal with file size and future patches in Unreal?

Our initial patch for set 18 will be much larger, but as we swap to regular updates expect these to be on par with our traditional patch size. 

• What’s going to happen with my cosmetics?

Your cosmetics will be ported over to your Loadout in our new engine. Be sure to check out your new look in our updated lobby too!

• How does this impact my RP or other currencies?

Your RP will still be shared across League and TFT so you can use it to get that new skin for your main, or that new Chibi with ease. Like your RP, all our TFT specific currencies will carry over with our update.

• Will I still be able to play my Little Legends in ARAM? How about the future of Little Legends in ARAM?

You’ll still be able to equip our existing Little Legends as ARAM companions prior to our swap to Unreal, and we plan on supporting new Little Legends across both ARAM and TFT for a while, but long-term, as we explore more Unreal options with our Tactician roster, we will be discontinuing support for ARAM companionship for these new Little Legends. 

• When and where can I find the new spec changes for TFT post-engine migration? 

We’re keeping our minimum specifications fairly similar on Mobile, with the exception of iOS 2GB & Android 2/3 GB devices, which make up a pretty small portion of global devices with TFT installed. As for PC, our minimum specifications are Windows 10 (Version 19041+), DirectX11 (Feature Level 4.3), and Shader Model 5.