Riot Games is changing the design of Teamfight Tactics Artifact items, according to game design director Stephen “Mortdog” Mortimer in a Twitter post on April 2, creating “wild possibilities” during games.
Items in TFT are essential to gameplay and were adjusted during Set 9.5 by splitting them into three categories: Core, Support, and Artifact. Set 10 completed the changes to Core and Support, providing flexibility when equipping a TFT champion. Patch 14.9 will bring about more changes, but this time to Artifact items, increasing the possibilities of high-roll style gameplay by designing them “to be much more unique and open up some wild possibilities,” according to Mortdog.
The TFT Set 11 Artifact system changes are led by set game designer Riot Wittrock, who has helped create four new Artifacts players can expect to drop through Patch 14.9 on May 1.
| New TFT Artifact | Artifact ability |
| Corrupt Vampiric Scepter | “This holder cannot cast their ability or gain mana. Attacks deal an additional 50 percent attack damage as physical damage and heal the holder for the damage dealt.” |
| Fishbones | “Doubles the holder’s attack range, and causes each of their attacks to target a random enemy.” |
| Innervating Locket | “The holder gains two percent of their total mana whenever they’re hit by an attack. Each cast restores 20 percent of the holder’s maximum health over three seconds.” |
| Mittens | “Shrinks the holder, granting them increased movement speed and 20 percent damage reduction.” |
Each of the four new TFT Artifacts is unique and was purposely designed “to be very different from Core items,” according to Mortdog. Fishbones, for example, can turn a melee carry into a very dangerous short-range champion that can wipe out backline and frontline units at the same time. The Mittens Artifact is likely adorable while still providing value through damage reduction. And you can expect Corrupt Vampiric Scepter to become a highly sought-after Artifact.
Changes to the TFT Artifact system will begin in Patch 14.9 on May 1, including the four new Artifacts revealed on May 2.
