Teams Mode is one of the five currently available game modes.
In this mode there are three teams: blue, green and red. Whichever team a cell is assigned to depends on which team has the least mass. This way the team gets more players to catch up with the dominant team.
The objective is to work together with the assigned team to dominate the map by defeating the other two teams.
A cell cannot eat its teammates in this mode, nor can go through them.
Skins are not available in this game mode to prevent color confusion. However, slight shade variations of each team color exist for variety.
Strategy
The strategy in team mode depends a lot on how good your team is doing.
- If you're in the dominating team (with more than 75% of the mass), there will be very little opposition to eat. That can be quite frustrating, so we see many players splitting a lot to catch small cells. Be very careful to this, as this is exactly the kind of mistake the cells from the minority teams are waiting for to grow their mass. From time to time, a big cell (1K+) from the minority teams will emerge (often after eating an over-splitted cells from the majority team). Many big cells from the dominating team will chase it. Unfortunately, very few cells will be able to split-kill a 1K+ cells. So a common technique to eat a 1K+ cell, is to overlap the cell, and wait for your teammates to feed you until you can absorb it. In several instances, one team has completely wiped out the other teams, controlling 99-100% of the mass. This happens only at the end of a map (closing map, when no more new cells are accepted).
- Most people think that playing in the dominating team is easier than playing in the minority teams. Actually it's not. Keeping a map dominated for a long time (1 or 2 hours) is very difficult. Because some cells from the majority team get bored, leave dead cells on the map (easy food for the opponents), or make mistakes (split too much), there's always a breakthrough happening (a cell from the minority team getting big). Also after a while dominating, the team spirit (helping each others, rewarding those who helped you) is going away little by little. To the contrary, the team spirit in the dominated teams tends to grow little by little. The cells start to know each other after a while, and a sort of friendship emerges between them. They collaborate more and more until they can make a come back.
- If you're in the minority team(s), things are quite different. Always keep an eye on over-splitted cells from the majority team. This is your best chance to get a fair mass (1K+, this is usually called a "breakthrough"). If you're small, try to grow your mass, but most importantly, help the few of your teammates who managed to get big (1K+). They're chased by many cells from the dominating team, and they won't survive very long without your help. The most efficient thing you can do to help a teammate, is to send a virus to explode its chasers. Be ready to sacrifice yourself for the team (if you're small, that's not a big deal). If you're big (1K+) in a dominated team, you'll be chased as soon as they see you. Most of the time, they'll get you. But try to survive as long as possible. While they are busy with you, your teammates can grow their mass more peacefully, and you'll benefit from this when you restart. When all cells are on you, ready to overlap you, a way to survive (longer or even escape sometimes) is to stay between 2 cells of the dominant team, avoiding the viruses and the cells that can split-kill you. Also, if you find a forest of viruses, remember where it is, and come back to it in case you're chased, before you're surrounded. The big cells from the majority team won't follow you in a virus forest, that's too risky for them. Also, don't hesitate to throw a virus if one of them get too close.
- If you're big and find another big teammate, try to stick together, or at least remember in which direction your teammate has gone in case you're in trouble. Having a strong teammate on your side will discourage the cells from the majority team to overlap you (because they might lose the battle if your teammate feeds you). You might be the best Agar.io player in the world, but you won't achieve a turnaround on your own. You'll manage to get big at one point, maybe 3K+ or more, but that won't be enough for a turnaround. Find the teammates you can trust, those who helped you to make kills, and REWARD them (by sending some of your mass). The team spirit and good teammates is usually what allows for a successful turnaround.
- Cross-teaming: Many players think that cross-teaming with a cell from the other minority team is the best way to break the domination. It's not. Most of the time you'll be hated and chased by all cells around (including by your own teammates sometimes), and defeated. Note that the anti-teaming penalty also applies on team mode, and you might trigger it if you cross-team. But most importantly, cross-teaming will always end in your cross-teaming partner eating your true teammates. This is not what you want. Nevertheless, in some situations, when you're clearly doomed, surrounded by many cells from the majority team, giving away all your mass to a cell from the other minority team, is your best move. When a team has 75% of the mass, having a strong cell keeping them busy, is good for ALL minority teams. That allows all cells from minority teams to grow their mass more peacefully.
- Once a team has the majority of mass under their control, it's difficult to make a comeback, but not impossible. Reversing the situation is usually called a "turnaround". You'll need luck, perseverance, and a good team, but it's far from impossible. It happens all the time and everyday. And once again, you don't need cross-teaming to achieve this. Actually, making a turnaround is often easier than keeping the domination for a long time (1 or 2 hours) after the turnaround is done. Turnarounds always happen, to your benefit or against you.
- What about the cell from the other minority team, should I eat them or not? While you're small, don't hesitate to eat them, this has very few consequences, and it's a way to grow your mass faster until you can make a breakthrough. When you're big, think twice before eating a big cells from the other minority team. This cells can keep the majority team busy and give you more freedom to grow your mass. Always prefer to eat cells from the dominating team, but in some situations, if you see a big cells from the other minority team in a very bad situation (split or exploded and/or surrounded), it's better to eat it before it's eaten by the dominating team. When the majority team has less than 60% of the global mass, things are different, you might start to eat all cells whether they are from the minority or majority team.