With Branch Cut done, this marks a milestone for the TFT. The set is pretty much out the door, with only final stabilization checks left. What that means for different people on the team varies.

For the core sets pod, this is when they get to relax a bit. It’s a great time to take some time off and recoup before starting the next project they’ll take on. Good time to take 2-3 weeks off, maybe do any side projects on their mind a bit. After a couple weeks, they’ll kick off the next set (which for the 11 pod will be 14). For them, it’s like getting to ship a game once a year, which can feel pretty good!

For support teams who are involved in a lot of work, it’s still a good time to try to sneak in some time off. The output will have died down a little bit, so good time to relax…but they likely will be helping with a project much sooner than a year away, so they move right on to the next thing. Some will be involved in work as soon as Set 12, so the sooner they get on that, the less hectic it will hopefully be.

For wider non gameplay teams, it’s really just another day on the map. Their projects don’t always tie to specific sets (sometimes they do, such as a key cosmetic release), so they keep on doing what they’re doing. The train doesn’t stop, and their project might be right around the corner to release during a set. (A good example of this is the team that worked on the Galaxies revival.)

And for the live team, this kicks off the busiest times. Between PBE and combating any post launch issues, this is where they’re the busiest. Making sure the game is as awesome as it can be in players hands, and making sure the next 4 months go great. Supporting esports, bug fixing, and any reworking necessary. It’s a busy time!

So yeah, as the TFT team has grown, moments like this kind of stopped being a massive team wide moment, and instead a mark on the calendar that means different things for different people on the team. But what really matters at the end of the day is what it means for players…and it means a bunch of new content to explore and conquer, new ranked ladder to climb, and new stuff to play with! So yeah, it’s a big deal 🙂

Set launches in 6 days on March 20th. We can’t wait for everyone to play it! Until next time, take it easy 🙂