The currency of influence: a study of the external impact of Teamfight Tactics' metagame and its effect on player strategy.

Sammanfattning: This research paper presents a study of the Teamfight Tactics (Riot Games, 2019) metagame and its evolution over time. For this research purpose, we have defined metagames as the ways in which games exist within broader social and cultural contexts. By using a mixed-methods approach, we explore players' relationship with the TFT metagame, their strategies used to succeed, and the factors that influence the metagame's evolution, as well as how TFT metamedia impacts players' relationship with the metagame. Our research's theoretical framework is based on the idea of metagame analysis presented in 2017 by Boluk and LeMieux. The main results of our study show that most players consume some kind of TFT-related metamedia, which suggests that metamedia has a big influence on how players approach TFT and formulate their gameplay strategies. Players with varying skill-levels may consume different kinds of metamedia, which raises the possibility that they may be persuaded to adopt distinct approaches to playing the game and thereby contribute to the emergence of the metagame. This implies that the impact of metamedia on the metagame is not ubiquitous for all players and that additional study is required to properly comprehend the connection between the consumption of metamedia, skill level, and the metagame evolution. Due to the focus on TFT and the small sample size of our data collection, our research is restricted. However, our findings may be intriguing to TFT players, game developers, and researchers who are interested in game design, player behavior, and competitive gaming. With a particular focus on highlighting insights of the TFT metagame and its relation with metamedia, this study contributes to the larger discussion on game metagames and their development over time.