A compilation version of all TFT seasons
First of all, it can be seen that Tencent’s Golden Shovel War is a version that can be considered a compilation of the features from all seasons of Teamfight Tactics. Firstly, this game brings a champion and trait system similar to Season 1 in Classic mode with pieces belonging to the Ice Clan, Noble… However, some items are taken from other seasons such as Wooden Bow combined with Giant Belt to create Zz’Rot Portal or the Weapon Cache mechanism from Seasons 4 and 5, with the current Season 5.5 also being included to bring a gold supply as well as some “overpowered” items from Season 1 such as the Reaping Scythe, Silent Dagger…
Not to mention the gameplay styles, another point for Golden Shovel War being a combination is the interface of the matches. Specifically, the champions and traits may be taken from Season 1, but the interface for each round has been optimized toward the modern and aesthetic direction of later TFT versions. Additionally, the Arena and Spirit system is also a combination of many seasons, allowing players to experience Golden Shovel War while enjoying both new and familiar elements from the PC version and TFT on mobile.
Extremely unique game modes
In Golden Shovel War, besides normal and ranked play, there is also Crazy Dice (Hyper Roll) – all the characteristics of the current Season 5 and 5.5, plus many other game modes such as Duo Mode. Here, you can fight alongside your friends every day, but this game mode only appears from 7 PM to midnight daily. Although the duo playtime is quite limited, this is a unique mode that neither the PC nor mobile versions of TFT have updated yet.
Additionally, there is another mode called Puzzle. This mode is rated as quite similar to event play, but it is a distinct game mode that allows players to purchase Spirits and arenas if they answer questions correctly. It can be said that besides the exciting battles on the board, players of Golden Shovel War can experience the game in various ways.
A champion system with unique skins and designs
An interesting point for players of Golden Shovel War is the champion system in Classic mode. Specifically, in this mode, except for Wukong being the new 4-cost champion, the old champions are taken from Season 1 with traits identical to the PC version. However, in terms of design, they have been adjusted to better suit the Chinese market.
And importantly, no bugs yet
With this factor, some players may think that it’s too new and not enough players have experienced it for bugs to appear. This may be true, but one cannot deny that the PC version of TFT has too many bugs that directly or indirectly affect game outcomes and player experiences.
Bugs have been discovered that cause all pieces to have the same items, often being Zeke’s Herald or Zz’Rot’s Portal. Additionally, there was also a visual bug with Nautilus that forced Riot to intervene quickly when players kept getting the wrong items assigned to this champion. Or bugs that have existed since TFT first appeared, such as the display bug of the Abyssal Mask in the item inventory.
Currently, Golden Shovel War has not encountered any issues, and therefore, it is still doing a great job of providing a fresh, exciting gaming experience for players. However, Tencent has only released Golden Shovel War in China, so players in Vietnam and other regions have to put in quite a bit of effort to experience this new game.