What is the Stillwater Hold Portal in Teamfight Tactics (TFT) Set 9?

With the upcoming Set 9 on the horizon, Teamfight Tactics fans are thrilled to explore its new Runeterra portals. However, not all portals are created equal. Though Set 9 is only out on the PBE, there have been active player complaints about one portal in particular: Stillwater Hold.

What are Portals in TFT Set 9?

Each Teamfight Tactics (TFT) set comes with a new gameplay mechanic that inspires the rest of the set and its theme. For Set 7, that was dragons. For Set 8, it was hero augments. In Set 9, the big gimmick is portals. In the beginning of each game, three portals will appear on your screen. The game will randomly choose these three options from 30 locations across 11 Runeterra regions. Step on your preferred portal and that will cast your vote. The location that gets the most votes will add a new rule to the game. For example, Jayce's Workshop in Piltover makes all augments in the game prismatic.

Related: Teamfight Tactics (TFT) How do Portals and Legends Work in Runeterra Reforged?

What does the Stillwater Hold Portal do in TFT?

In Runeterra lore, Stillwater Hold is a prison off the coast of Piltover. There, prisoners are shackled and unable to powers, skill and tricks to break out.

While these 30 locations all offer a wide variety of choices, Stillwater Hold's portal is quite unique. It really takes inspiration from its incarcerated origins. If you and your fellow players end up choosing Stillwater Hold, this game will have no augments. Your entire game will be based on board-building alone.

Why do people dislike the Stillwater Hold Portal?

Since the TFT PBE's gone up, there has been a wave of players complaining and even quitting the game if other players choose Stillwater Hold. They feel like it "ruins" the game by letting people force strong builds without having to work around augments. In a way it simplifies the game, and while some players find that fun, others find it worth a rage-quit. They'd much rather prefer leaning on augments to help shape and evolve their builds, not just money-saving and RNG.

We'll have to wait and see if Riot Games will make any adjustments before Set 9 goes live, or just let the annoyed parties sit this set out.

Up Next: When is the Teamfight Tactics (TFT) Set 9 Release Date?