The Return of the Chosen
During the recent TFT Paris Open, Riot Games officially dropped the roadmap for 2026. The biggest news for veteran players is the return of Set 4.5: Festival of Beasts. The revival is scheduled to launch on January 22, 2026, coinciding with the Lunar Revel celebrations for the Year of the Snake. This is not just a simple port of the old set. The developers are integrating modern systems into the classic 2021 experience.
The core of this revival is the Chosen mechanic. In Set 4.5, certain units appear in your shop at 2-stars with bonus stats and a double-count for one of their traits. This system created some of the most memorable high-roll moments in TFT history. Along with the Chosen, the Lucky Lantern system will return. These mid-game drops provide all players with gold, items, or consumables like Loaded Dice and Target Dummies to swing the momentum of a match.
Modern Twists on Classic Chaos
While the roster remains familiar: featuring heavy hitters like Dragonsoul Olaf and Slayer Tryndamere: the gameplay will feel different. This version of Festival of Beasts will include Augments, a feature that did not exist during the original run. Adding Augments to the Chosen system creates a massive amount of variance. Players will have to balance their Augment choices with their Chosen unit to find the most broken combinations possible.
The update also introduces a new Revival Ladder. Just like previous set revivals, players can climb a dedicated rank system to unlock exclusive rewards. The Lunar Revel event pass will launch alongside the set, featuring the new Snek Little Legend and several prestige Chibi skins: including Prestige Porcelain Ezreal and Mythmaker Zoe.
Community Hype and Reroll Fears
The community response on Reddit and Discord is a mix of high-speed hype and tactical concern. Many long-time fans consider Set 4.5 the “gold standard” of fun due to the explosive power of units like Samira and Lee Sin. The “Chosen” mechanic is widely loved for making every game feel unique.
However: not everyone is celebrating. Some high-rank players worry about the balance. The original Set 4.5 was often criticized for being too dependent on “hitting” the right Chosen at level 7 or 8. Critics argue that adding modern Augments might make the game even more chaotic and harder to balance. There is also a small segment of the player base expressing “revival fatigue,” wishing Riot would bring back Set 6 or Set 9 instead. Despite these concerns: the overall sentiment is that a return to the Festival of Beasts is the perfect way to start 2026.
