What happened to the Hivemind in Teamfight Tactics (TFT)

Did the Teamfight Tactics (TFT) Hivemind anomaly go as soon as it came? It was only a few days ago when videos showcasing the Hivemind’s power were gaining interest. The new anomaly made it possible to copy PvE round enemies and place it on player boards.

Now, it seems like the TFT Hivemind is missing from the Anomaly pool, and players are worried that the fun mechanic it brings may be nerfed or completely disappear.

The Origin of Discussion 

On December 16, 2024, a user named “AsstriZ” on the r/TeamfightTactics subreddit shared a clip of hilariously fun gameplay. It was of a TFT content creator, Tyan TFT’s “discovery” of the Hivemind anomaly’s secret mechanic. The video is also available on YouTube, just uploaded a day after the post was made on Reddit.

The Hivemind anomaly has the effect of copying the first champion killed by the equipping champion into the players’ roster. This will work for every player combat and also gives the equipping champion 25% damage amplification.

But the real interesting thing is that in the video clip, Tyan TFT was able to get a copy of PvE enemies and play them on his board. He first got a copy of a Razorbeak in Stage 4-7, then the PvE boss, Elder Dragon, in Stage . He even got the dragon to be a two-star unit using Lesser Champion Duplicators.

TFT Hivemind: A True Anomaly

While at first, it sounds like a bug in the game, it seems like it indeed is an intended mechanic, as the PvE monsters had an information card similar to the playable champions. It showed the name of the units, their 0g cost, health bars, combat stats, unique abilities, and their optimal board placements.

Even better, (or worse?) TFT Tyan was able to itemize the Elder Dragon to boost its power. It truly functioned like every other playable unit, only with an absurdly higher amount of health and damage. 

In the comments section of the post and everywhere else there is a discussion about the TFT Hivemind, players are debating whether this anomaly is too OP or just fine. Some want adjustments made on the anomaly to balance its power, while others think that it should completely ignore PvE enemies and only copy other playable characters.

What Happened to Hivemind?

After news about the Hivemind anomaly spread, users went to try out rolling for the anomaly during their games. Some even saved lots of gold and only to find nothing in their Anomaly pools. Players thought that TFT had already removed Hivemind or lessened the chances to draw it, but it seems like it’s not the case.

Because most information given about the Hivemind lacked context, many users thought that they could already access the new anomaly in the official TFT game. However, as of now, the Hivemind anomaly and other new ones are only available in Teamfight Tactics’ PBE. 

The Public Beta Environment is a testing ground for the game’s new features, thus, most of the content there will not be accessible on the official servers yet. That also means that developers can still make changes to Hivemind’s mechanics and the stats of the PvE bosses it copies if they decide to retain that feature. 

When Can I Play the Hivemind on TFT?

As of now, there is no news about when these new features and Anomalies might go live. For reference, the addition of 6-cost champions Mel, Warwick and Viktor almost weren’t known in the PBE, or at least leaks of it weren’t that rampant, before it was announced by Riot. 

When they do go live, however, players are worried that it might be “nerfed to the ground” and just be an anomaly that’s not as fun to play. As anomalies in TFT are intended to give a massive boost to players, it seems quite normal for the Hivemind to be this powerful. With differing player feedback, however, we wonder how TFT will make adjustments to it.

Conclusion 

The TFT Hivemind anomaly has shaken the community in just a few days. Its seemingly absurd mechanics have given insights on what different players find enjoyable and challenging or just outrageously overpowering. It can also be a signal for the need of more fun additions to gameplay beyond new game modes.

It’s good news that the Hivemind anomaly is still up in the PBE and will possibly be available on the official game version. Let’s wait and see how it can change the way players navigate in this strategic and ever-evolving game.