Riot Games is hosting the largest-ever offline Teamfight Tactics (TFT) event in South Korea to celebrate the upcoming release of its new set, "Sylvan Secrets." By combining hands-on gaming experiences with esports tournaments, influencer appearances, and live artist performances, the publisher aims to expand the TFT intellectual property (IP) into physical spaces.
The "TFT Wild Fan Fest" runs from August 7 to 17 at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido, before moving to The Hyundai Pangyo for a month-long exhibition. This marks the first time a single gaming IP has taken over "Sounds Forest," the flagship open-space venue on the fifth floor of The Hyundai Seoul. Pre-reservations for the event sold out within ten minutes of opening.
Visitors can preview upcoming TFT content and explore an exhibition space on the sixth floor dedicated to Riftbound, Riot Games' physical trading card game (TCG). On August 8, the "TFT Korea Invitational" will feature top domestic and international players, including Korea's Park Chan-seo ('Seoil') and Kim Joo-han ('Stello of Bora'), alongside international stars such as two-time Tactician's Crown champion 'Title' from Japan and 'YBY1' from Vietnam.
First introduced in 2019 as a game mode within the League of Legends client, TFT expanded to mobile platforms in 2020 and reached over 300 million players worldwide in early 2026, with mobile users accounting for more than half of the active player base. The game's popularity in Korea has grown steadily, following successful releases such as Set 13 "Into the Arcane" in 2024 and Set 15 "K.O. Coliseum" last year, which drew 15,000 visitors to a 10-day pop-up event in Seongsu-dong.
Marking its seventh anniversary this year, TFT is undergoing a major technical overhaul. Aligned with the launch of Set 18 "Sylvan Secrets," Riot Games announced a transition to Unreal Engine and the introduction of a standalone PC client scheduled for release on October 9.
Riot Games also continues to expand TFT's esports ecosystem through its open "Couch to Crown" structure, allowing casual players to qualify for the global Tactician's Crown tournament. TFT has been selected as an official event at the Esports World Cup for three consecutive years and was designated as an official esports discipline by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in May. Later this year, Riot Games will host the TFT Vegas Open in Las Vegas, featuring 1,024 competitors alongside community-focused side events.
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