5 things to know about Teamfight Tactics patch 9.16

For the first time since the mode launched, Teamfight Tactics is getting a new origin, called Hextech. Along with the Hextech origin, Teamfight Tactics patch 9.16 is also adding four new units to the game and bringing in some pretty big balance changes.

Hextech is bringing four new units with it to help it get started in the game. The units will be Camille, Jayce, Vi, and Jinx and they’ll all fit into some of the game’s most common roles. The Hextech origin itself will place a bomb on an enemy unit that will disable all the items in the tiles surrounding that unit.

This patch also brings a few balance changes for items and champions, including buffs to Infinity Edge and Redemption and nerfs to Karthus. There’s also a new rework for the Demon origin that should help make them a little bit less frustrating to fight against.

For a look at all the changes coming in Teamfight Tactics patch 9.16 you can view the full patch notes. For League of Legends’ Summoner’s Rift notes, you can check out those patch notes.

Riot Games

Hextech is the newest origin

Teamfight Tactics first new origin is here to save you from your enemies’ items. Hextech is a 2/4 bonus that spawns a random bomb at the start of every round. The bomb will start on an enemy unit with items and any enemy hit by that bomb will have their items disabled. Since the requirements for this bonus are fairly low, it should be an easy addition to your team comp if you need to shut down and item-heavy carry on the enemy team.

Four new units come with the Hextech origin

Adding a new origin to TFT also means new units and this patch has four of them:

• Camille: 1-cost Hextech, Blademaster
• Jayce: 2-cost Hextech, Shapeshifter
• Vi: 3-cost Hextech, Brawler
• Jinx: 4-cost Hextech, Gunslinger

These units all fit nicely into some of TFT’s best and most versatile comps, which means that they should be fairly easy to slot in so you can get your Hextech bonus.

Riot Games

Demons got reworked

The Demon buff has proven to be a problem on and off since TFT’s release, so Riot has decided to try to fix the root of the issue by redesigning the origin’s buff. Instead of simply draining mana, Demons now have a chance to steal a small part of their target’s mana instead. This means they can still slow down enemy abilities, but probably not prevent them completely.

Hush now stops enemies from gaining mana

Also on the rework list for this patch is Hush. Previously, Hush silenced its targets, but that was proving more than a little frustrating for players on the receiving end. Riot’s solution was to change the item entirely. Now, Hush has a 33% chance on hit to stop an enemy from gaining mana for four seconds. This should make it a particularly strong item against mage comps, or for front liners who hope might be able to stop the enemy Cho’Gath from using his ability.

Riot Games

Karthus got nerfed ... again

Poor Karthus can’t catch a break. When TFT first came out, he was terribly weak. Once he found his way into the meta he wound up being way too strong. After a nerf last week he’s still a little too strong, so Riot is taking another pass at him and making his ability cost more to cast. Instead of 85, it will now take 125 mana for him to use his ability. Thankfully, he’ll start with 40 mana so it shouldn’t be too hard for him to use his ability the first time, but getting off a second cast will be a lot less likely after this patch.