TFT Set 5 Reckoning details: champions, Labs, release date

Andrew Amos
TFT Set 5 Reckoning Launch Pengu

TFT Set 5, titled Reckoning, is now here. Get to know the 58 new champions and 27 new traits, the Shadow Items set mechanic, the new Labs game mode and more with our one-stop hub right here.

TFT is just about to hit its second anniversary, and the celebrations are expected to be massive.

TFT Set 5 is coming a bit earlier than that two-year marker, primed to launch on April 28. Here’s what you need to know, from the champions and traits already teased, to the set mechanic and new Labs game mode.

TFT Set 5: champions & traits

TFT Set 5, named Reckoning, has been described as the “most dramatic set yet.” TFT designer TJ ‘GreenTeej’ Bourus really sold it that way at the “TFT in 2021” reveal early in January.

“Corruption is nigh, and the balance between good and evil has tilted. The rising tension could yield great consequence in the convergence, so we’ll need you to restore the balance,” he said.

58 champions and 27 traits have been added in TFT Set 5. Some of them are returning favorites like Vayne with Silver Bolts and the Ranger trait. However, the likes of Dawnbringer and Nightbringer are entirely new.

We’ve got a full breakdown of the champions and traits right here.

Viego in League of Legends
Viego is making his TFT debut in Set 5.

TFT Set 5 mechanic: Shadow Items

The TFT Set 5 mechanic has given players more agency than ever. No longer do you have to RNG a galaxy or a Chosen to win, Shadow Items give you a lot of power to path your way to a first.

The new mechanic allows you to craft items with altered effects with big buffs — with a tradeoff. You can get these Shadow Items off of carousel, or the new Armory which appears a few times a game.

You can find a full list of all the Shadow Items, and exactly how they work, in our guide.

TFT Armory Set 5 Shadow Items
Shadow Items have been added in TFT Set 5, as well as an Armory where you can choose what you need.

New TFT game mode: Labs

Finally, you’ll have more choices than Normal and Ranked queues for TFT. Labs is coming in TFT Set 5 as an experimental new queue with rotating game modes putting a fun spin on the autobattler.

The first Labs launch will be Hyper Roll. The game mode will make games fast — 20 minutes tops — with no need to focus on XP and levelling. You just need to roll as you’ll level up automatically every two combats.

More Labs will be added in the future, and multiple Labs will be active at once. You can find out more about the new game mode here.

Hyper Roll in TFT Labs
Hyper Roll is for the reroll players at heart.

TFT Set 5 release date?

TFT Set 5 is locked in to release on April 28, 2021. The Fates II Pass is set to expire at that time, and it lines up perfectly with the launch of TFT patch 11.9.

If you want to get your hands on it early, you can jump onto the PBE starting April 14, 2021, to test TFT Reckoning.

There’s still some time left to grind Fates, but once TFT patch 11.9 rolls around, the set will be retired for the time being. One can hope it may return in a new game mode ⁠– a future Labs experiment, perhaps? Time will tell.

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About The Author

Hailing from Perth, Andrew was formerly Dexerto's Australian Managing Editor. They love telling stories across all games and esports, but they have a soft spot for League of Legends and Rainbow Six. Oh, and they're also fascinated by the rise of VTubers.