Now-deleted TFT job post hints that it could be moving to Unreal Engine

League Next is on the way, with the evolution of League of Legends set to bring generational upgrades to its Hextech Engine. However, since Riot Games let the cat out of the bag back in December, my big question has been: 'what about Teamfight Tactics?' Well, Riot may have indicated what the auto-chess game's future holds in a now-deleted job ad, and it looks like it's being shifted to Unreal Engine.

Riot's recent listing for a TFT Director of User Experience (UX) Design is all very par for course. However, nestled away in the responsibilities section, eagle-eyed fans spotted the following passage: "Partner with design, product, and art leadership to identify the best future directions for the user experience, especially as we transition into the Unreal Engine."

Shortly after the ad surfaced online, Riot pulled the page. Whether this is because the studio's accidentally given away the game, has already filled the position and forgotten to nix it, or realized that it had made a typo with the whole UE thing remains to be seen. Regardless, a potential move to Unreal Engine is surprising. Both desktop and mobile versions of TFT currently use the Hextech Engine, so a dramatic departure there would perhaps indicate we're in for a standalone version - finally.

As to why Unreal Engine would be used over Unity, which Wild Rift is built on, I can imagine it simply comes down to cross-platform comfort. Valorant proper, as well as its mobile version, are both on Epic's engine, so it tracks that Riot would want to copy-paste the process with TFT. TFT's current mobile client is, in my opinion, pretty poor, so I'm hoping the switch-up, if it indeed materializes, will make it a more enjoyable experience.

Presumably, then, this new iteration of TFT will arrive sometime next year, when Riot launches League Next. The 2026 TFT roadmap does stipulate that we're still due some sort of tech upgrade this summer, though it's unclear if it's linked. It could very well serve as a guinea pig for some of the Hextech Engine changes, before shifting onto Unreal Engine, but that is of course all speculation. For now, then, we'll have to wait and see what hand Riot chooses to play, whenever it decides to reveal its cards.