TFT Set 10 remixes classic features and new ideas in perfect harmony

TFT Set 10 Remix Rumble has finally been revealed, and it's taking the game into a new musical direction. I'm pleased to say I had the chance to playtest it during a preview for the game, and it might just be my favourite set so far.

I'm not the best player, but I was surprised to find that I held my own against some of the game's most highly-ranked players and content creators during the preview. It felt pretty special to dive into a set completely blind with players who were testing all the new stuff for the first time, figuring out what worked and what didn't.

I had plenty of time to dive into all the new Champions, traits and features this set has to offer, so here are my first impressions of TFT's new set Remix Rumble.

Audio Evolution

This new set is a massive musical mash-up. Traits are based on music genres, ranging from Disco and Hyperpop to Emo and Jazz. I'm a huge fan of all kinds of music, so this set was a real treat to dive into, and I was happy to see the developers and composers leaning so heavily into this new theme.

As you build your board with musical traits the melody, chords or drums will change to fit your team composition. This feature might go completely unnoticed if you’re used to playing with music off like I typically do, but I ended up listening to the mix of styles in every single game I played. 

If you grab Country units you’ll hear the twang of guitars worked into the beat, as if you’ve just set foot in a dusty old saloon with a gun resting at your hip. Disco units add a retro groove, while Jhin’s strings add a sense of grandiosity when you finally find him in the later stages. Some units like the K/DA girl group add recognisable motifs from their most iconic tunes.

The singers of each band belt out a note when they use their abilities, making their presence clear amid the chaos of TFT’s combat. As a Pentakill fan, it was cool to recognise the lead singer’s vocals shortly before Karthus wiped out my board. The blend of noises can be chaotic, but it sounds amazing amid whatever carnage is happening on your board.

Chosen Ones

A returning feature, slightly revamped, is Headliners. Previously known as “Chosen”, this mechanic allows players to buy an upgraded version of a unit that provides an extra number towards one of its traits. When you’ve bought one you don’t need to commit to it though, as you’ll get a new Headliner in your shop every 4 rolls.

Set 4, the one the Chosen mechanic debuted, is a favourite among longtime TFT fans. It was bound to be revisited in some capacity eventually, and a musical set is the perfect set thematically for such a mechanic. The idea that you’re picking a unit to headline your “festival” each game is a nice way to make the gameplay feel more immersive. 

Being able to find new Headliners in the shop makes using one early less of a commitment. This is a great change that makes the game feel much more free than the previous Chosen mechanic. You might have a really solid one already, but you can find an even better Headliner without having to sell and hope something good shows up.

TFT sets always nail the theme, but this time the team is really leaning into it in all aspects, and that’s one of the most exciting things I’ve seen from my time playing. But more importantly, the team is showing they’ve learned from past sets by keeping what works and removing what doesn’t.

The Legends mechanic is gone, which will be a relief to anyone concerned that the imbalance caused by the feature will continue into Set 10. Legends allowed players to tailor their augments to a certain extent, and combined with the portals from Runeterra Reforged things got a bit out of hand. I enjoyed being able to secure certain augments more consistently, but it was clearly too much for the game’s balance to handle.

Portals remain, but since Legends are completely absent from Set 10 they'll be a little less impactful overall. And replacing Legends with a classic mechanic from one of TFT’s best sets will undoubtedly restore some faith among players, as some feel the feature creep is becoming too much for the game.

Unity

Whenever a new set comes out I’m always looking out for creative new unit designs. Set 7 (Dragonlands) isn’t often touted as one of TFT’s best sets, but it’s my personal favourite thanks to the huge number of fun and interesting units. I have fond memories of playing machine-gun Ryze, or building around powerful dragons. 

The 5-cost units this time are some of the most interesting yet. Jhin is a legendary maestro who summons what are essentially musical turrets to shoot from the bench as he composes a deadly song. This unit is visually striking and immediately memorable. Illaoi has her own unique trait that allows you to place tentacles around your board. These tentacles go to town on anyone in the area - I saw an Illaoi 3-star in one of my preview games and it was pure madness.

Yorick introduces a new form of backline access in a creative way - he summons ghouls behind enemy lines. He can be a nightmare to deal with, and so is Lucian - a jazz musician dual-wielding guns who dances around the board shooting everything in sight. Then there’s the mixmaster Sona, who you can customise to fit certain roles. She’s the ideal splash unit - someone you can slot into your board without worrying about traits to provide the healing, attack speed or damage you need at that moment.

Overall this crop of legendary units seems like one of the most fun and diverse yet. They’re all unique and fill roles that you might need on different teams, and many of them are viable even if you’re not building into their traits.

4-costs are very important in Set 10 too, so it’s imperative that they have good designs. There’s an excellent mix of units with different roles here, ranging from Caitlyn’s rapid-fire sniping to Blitzcrank’s frontline power. Poppy is one of the most eccentric units in the set - she slams her hammer into enemies, and if she gets a kill she keeps on slamming. It’s reminiscent of Darius dunking with his ultimate over and over, only Poppy looks even more hilarious when you get that big streak.

In one of my games, I took the Inconsistency augment, which rewards you for not having a winning streak, then accidentally went on the biggest win streak in my whole preview. That’s all thanks to Olaf, who fills one of my favourite niches of 1-cost units that can carry you through most of the game if you play to their strengths. He's an absolute beast who I expect many players will gravitate towards in the early stages.

There are far too many units to cover in detail here, but the main takeaway is that they’re an excellent crop of fun designs and I think players will be pleased with what the team has done here.

Crescendo

Overall, I was extremely impressed with how Remix Rumble turned out. The team is relying on the mechanics they know players enjoy, but with a fresh twist that matches the set's theme perfectly. It doesn't feel like they're retreading familiar ground despite these features showing up before, as the blend of mechanics makes for an entirely unique and fun experience. It's a greatest-hits compilation of players' favourite TFT features.

I can't wait to play more and dive into some of the team comps I didn't get to explore during my preview games, and I'll be eager to see how players react to all the new and returning stuff in this set. The team has some work left to do to ensure balancing doesn't get out of control like previous sets. If they can stick the landing this set has the potential to be the best TFT set of all time.

For more TFT check out our homepage. Or take a look at the full list of all new Champions and traits coming in TFT Set 10.