''Team Fortress 2'' (''TF2'') is a
multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
first-person shooter
A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game genre, video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a First person (video games), first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through t ...
game developed and published by
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation, also known as Valve Software, is an American video game developer, video game publisher, publisher, and digital distribution company headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. It is the developer of the software distribution pl ...
in 2007. It is the sequel to the 1996 ''Team Fortress''
mod
Mod, MOD or mods may refer to:
Places
* Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band
* M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US
* ...
for ''
Quake'' and its 1999 remake, ''
Team Fortress Classic
''Team Fortress Classic'' is a first-person shooter game developed by Valve Corporation, Valve and published by Sierra Studios. It was originally released in April 1999 for Windows, and is based on ''Team Fortress'', a Mod (video gaming), mod f ...
''. It was released in October 2007 as part of ''
The Orange Box
''The Orange Box'' is a video game compilation containing five games developed and published by Valve. Two of the games included—'' Half-Life 2'' and its first stand-alone expansion, '' Episode One''—had previously been released in 2004 ...
'' for
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
and the
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...
, and was ported to the
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
in December 2007.
It was released as a standalone game for Windows in April 2008, and updated to support
macOS
macOS, previously OS X and originally Mac OS X, is a Unix, Unix-based operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple since 2001. It is the current operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. With ...
in June 2010 and
Linux
Linux ( ) is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an kernel (operating system), operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically package manager, pac ...
in February 2013. It was made
free-to-play
"Free-to-play" ("F2P" or "FtP") video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content for free. The term "free-to-play business model" or simply, "free-to-play model", refers collectively to business models tha ...
in June 2011, and is distributed online through Valve's digital retailer,
Steam
Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
.
Players join one of two teams—RED and BLU—and choose one of nine
character class
In tabletop games and video games, a character class is an occupation, profession, or role assigned to a game character to highlight and differentiate their capabilities and specializations.
In role-playing games (RPGs), character classes ag ...
es to play as in game modes such as
capture the flag and
king of the hill
''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels that initially aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, with four more episodes airing in First-run syndicati ...
. Its development was led by John Cook and
Robin Walker, the developers of the original ''Team Fortress'' mod. ''Team Fortress 2'' was announced in 1998 under the name ''Team Fortress 2: Brotherhood of Arms''. Initially, it had more realistic, militaristic visuals and gameplay, but this changed over the protracted nine years of development. After Valve released no information for six years, ''Team Fortress 2'' regularly featured in ''
Wired News
''Wired'' is a bi-monthly American magazine that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. It is published in both print and online editions by Condé Nast. The magazine has been in publication since its l ...
''
's annual
vaporware
In the computer industry, vaporware (or vapourware) is a product, typically computer Computer hardware, hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is late, never actually manufactured, or officially canceled. Use of the w ...
list. Finally released on Valve's
game engine
A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games which generally includes relevant libraries and support programs such as a level editor. The "engine" terminology is akin to the term " software engine" u ...
,
Source
Source may refer to:
Research
* Historical document
* Historical source
* Source (intelligence) or sub source, typically a confidential provider of non open-source intelligence
* Source (journalism), a person, publication, publishing institute ...
, in 2007, ''Team Fortress 2'' preserved much of the core class-based gameplay of its predecessors while featuring an overhauled, cartoonish visual style influenced by the works of
J. C. Leyendecker,
Dean Cornwell
Dean Cornwell (March 5, 1892 – December 4, 1960) was a left-handed[Norman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...]
, alongside an increased focus on the visual and verbal characterization of its playable classes and what the developers have described as a 1960s
spy film
The spy film, also known as the spy thriller, is a film genre, genre of film that deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way (such as the adaptations of John le Carré) or as a basis for fantasy (such as many Jame ...
aesthetic.
''Team Fortress 2'' has received critical acclaim for its art direction, gameplay, humor, and use of character in a wholly multiplayer game,
and since its release has been referred to as
one of the greatest video games ever created. It is also considered the main forerunner to the now-highly popular
hero shooter
A hero shooter is a subgenre of shooter games which emphasize "hero" characters that have distinctive abilities and/or weapons that are specific to them. This type of gameplay encourages players to choose heroes based on their strengths and the r ...
genre, having laid the groundwork for its formula and pioneered many of its staple features.
It continues to receive official Valve server support as of 2025, in addition to new content being released on a seasonal basis in the form of submissions made through the
Steam Workshop
Steam is a digital distribution service and storefront developed by Valve. It was launched as a software client in September 2003 to provide video game updates automatically for Valve's games and expanded to distributing third-party titles in l ...
. Since becoming free-to-play, its main source of revenue is
microtransactions
Microtransaction (mtx) refers to a business model where users can purchase in-game virtual goods with micropayments. Microtransactions are often used in free-to-play games to provide a revenue source for the developers. While microtransactions ...
for
in-game cosmetics. A "drop system" was also added and refined, allowing free-to-play users to periodically receive in-game equipment and items. Though it has had an unofficial
competitive scene since its release, both support for official competitive play through
ranked matchmaking and an overhauled casual experience were added in July 2016.
From early 2020 to mid-2024,
cheating bots overrunning Valve's official matchmaking servers led to fans holding several online protests, and eventually Valve adding new policies regarding game bans.
Gameplay
In most game modes, two teams, RED and BLU, compete for a combat-based objective.
Players can choose to play as one of nine character classes in these teams, each with its own unique strengths, weaknesses, and weapon sets (further weapons can be obtained as free items). In order to accomplish objectives efficiently, a balance of these classes is required due to how these strengths and weaknesses interact with each other in a team-based environment. Although the abilities of a number of classes changed from earlier ''Team Fortress'' incarnations, the basic elements of each class remained, those being one primary weapon, one secondary weapon, and one melee weapon.
The game was released with six official maps, although over one hundred maps have since been included in subsequent updates, including community-created maps.
When a player chooses a game-mode for the first time, an introductory video is played, showing how to complete its objectives. During matches, the Administrator,
voiced by
Ellen McLain
Ellen McLain (born 1952 or 1953) is an American voice actress. She is best known for providing the voice of GLaDOS, the primary antagonist of the '' Portal'' video game series, the Combine Overwatch AI in '' Half-Life 2'', and the Administrat ...
, announces the teams' current objectives over loudspeakers. The player limit for one match is 16 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and 24 on the Windows edition.
However, in 2008, the Windows edition was updated to include a server variable that allows for up to 32 players.
Furthermore, in 2023, the Windows edition was updated to have unrestricted player counts for up to 100 players in a single server.
''Team Fortress 2'' is the first of Valve's multiplayer games to provide detailed statistics for individual players, such as the total amount of time spent playing as each class, most points obtained, and most objectives completed in a single
life
Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...
. Persistent statistics tell the player how they are performing in relation to these statistics, such as if a player comes close to their record for the damage inflicted in a single round.
''Team Fortress 2'' also features numerous
achievements for carrying out certain tasks, such as achieving a certain number of kills or completing a specific objective. Sets of class-specific achievements have been added in updates, which can award weapons to the player upon completion. This unlockable system has since been expanded into a random drop system, with which players can also obtain items simply by playing the game.
Game modes
Core game modes
''Team Fortress 2'' contains five core game modes.
* Attack/Defend (A/D) is a timed game mode in which the BLU team's goal is to capture RED's control points. The number of control points varies between maps, and the points must be captured by the BLU team, usually in sequence. To capture a control point, a player must stand on it for a certain amount of time, with more players increasing the speed it is being captured at. RED, who cannot capture points, must prevent BLU from capturing all the control points before the time-limit expires. Once a point is captured, the time-limit will be extended by several minutes.
*
Capture the Flag (CTF) is a mode in which RED and BLU must steal the opposing team's flag (an intelligence briefcase) and prevent their own intelligence from being stolen. When the intelligence is dropped by the carrier, it will stay on the ground for 1 minute before returning to its original location if it is not picked up again. A team's intelligence can be carried only by the opposing team. The first team to capture the enemy's intelligence three times wins.
*
Control Points (CP) is a timed game mode where there are several
control points placed around the map, with three (3CP) or five (5CP) control points in total depending on the map. The game will start off with only the middle control point being available for capture, with the other control points split equally among both teams. Once this middle control point is captured, a team can begin capturing the enemy team's points in respective order. The time limit is extended on the capture of a control point by either team. For a team to win, they must capture all the control points within the time limit.
*
King of the Hill
''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels that initially aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, with four more episodes airing in First-run syndicati ...
(KOTH) is a timed game mode that contains a single control point at the middle of the map that can be captured by both RED and BLU. Should the opposing team capture the point from the team that had it before, their timer will stop and the opposing team's timer will begin or resume. The point can be recaptured by each team as many times as is possible. The first team to control the point for 180 seconds (not necessarily continuous) wins.
* Payload (PL) is a timed game mode where BLU must push an explosive cart along a track, while RED must prevent the cart from reaching their base. To push the cart, at least one BLU player must be in range of the cart, with more players increasing the push speed. Maps have multiple 'checkpoints' along the track; each checkpoint reached by the cart awards the BLU team with additional time. If the cart is not pushed by BLU for some time, it will begin to roll back to the last achieved checkpoint. RED players can obstruct the cart from being pushed by being within range of it.
Alternative game modes
There are several alternative game modes in ''Team Fortress 2''. These modes consist of a small number of maps and detach from the core game modes in some way.
* Arena is a special game mode in which players do not
respawn
Spawning in video games refers to the process by which entities, such as player characters, non-player characters, enemies or items, are generated and placed into the game world. Closely related concepts include respawning, which involves reint ...
upon death. A team can win either by eliminating all opposing players, or by claiming a single capture point that opens after a certain time has elapsed. This mode is currently unavailable through matchmaking, but is still accessible through community servers.
* Mannpower is a mode in which players have access to a
grappling hook
A grappling hook or grapnel is a device that typically has multiple hooks (known as ''claws'' or ''flukes'') attached to a rope or cable; it is thrown, dropped, sunk, projected, or fastened directly by hand to where at least one hook may cat ...
and assorted
power-up
In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a Game mechanics, game mechanic. This is in contrast to an Item (game), item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that ca ...
s laid around the map that grant unique abilities. While not bound to any specific mode, all current official Mannpower maps use a variation of Capture the Flag. In Mannpower's variation of Capture the Flag, both teams have an intelligence flag, and the first team to capture the enemy's intelligence ten times wins. The mode is based on the Quake mod 'Threewave CTF' created by former Valve employee David Kirsch.
* Medieval Mode is a mode in which players are restricted to using melee and support weapons, with certain exceptions for medieval-themed projectile weapons. While not bound to any specific mode, the official Medieval Mode maps use variations of Attack/Defend. If Medieval Mode is enabled on a map, select phrases spoken by players in the in-game text chat will be replaced with more thematic variants, such as "hello" being replaced with "well meteth".
* PASS Time is a unique timed game mode inspired by
rugby
Rugby may refer to:
Sport
* Rugby football in many forms:
** Rugby union: 15 players per side
*** American flag rugby
*** Beach rugby
*** Mini rugby
*** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side
*** Rugby tens, 10 players per side
*** Snow rugby
*** Tou ...
, developed by Valve,
Bad Robot Interactive, and
Escalation Studios
Bethesda Game Studios is an American video game developer and a studio of ZeniMax Media based in Rockville, Maryland. It is best known for its action role-playing franchises, including ''The Elder Scrolls'', ''Fallout'', and '' Starfield''. Bet ...
. Three unique goals (the Run-In, Throw-In, and Bonus Goals) are placed on each team's side of the map. A single ball called the JACK will spawn at the center of the map, and players must pick it up and carry it to the opposing team's side. While holding the JACK, players cannot fire their weapons, but passive effects are still applied. Players can score a goal by either carrying the JACK to a Run-In Goal or by throwing the JACK through the Throw-In Goal. Three goals can be scored by throwing the JACK through the Bonus Goal, which is much more difficult to score. To win, a team must either score five
goals, or have the most goals when the timer runs out.
* Payload Race (PLR) is similar to Payload, but both the RED and BLU teams have a cart that they must push, while preventing the opposing team from doing the same. There are multiple checkpoints along the track, and there is no time limit. The team to reach the end of their track first wins a point. The game lasts until one team gets two points.
* Player Destruction is a community-made game mode in which a player's death causes a
pickup to appear. The first team to collect a set number of pickups and deliver them to a drop-off point wins the game. The players on each team with the most pickups are highlighted for everyone to see, and gain a passive healing effect for themselves and any nearby teammates.
* Special Delivery is a mode similar to Capture the Flag, but there is only one neutral briefcase that can be picked up both the RED and BLU teams. Upon a team picking up the briefcase, the opposing team will be unable to pick up the briefcase until it has been dropped for 45 seconds and respawns as a neutral briefcase. A team wins by carrying the briefcase onto a loading platform, which will gradually rise until the platform reaches its peak.
* Territorial Control consists of several control points spread out across a single map. Like Control Points, each point can be captured by either the RED or BLU teams. Unlike Control Points, only two points are accessible at a single time. Upon a team's successful capture of a point, the "stage" ends and the accessible capture points change. When a team only has control of a single control point, they are blocked from capturing the opposing team's control point and the team must wait until the time limit is up and the accessible capture points change. A team wins by capturing all the control points.
* Versus Saxton Hale is a juggernaut game mode that originated as a mod for the Arena mode developed by LizardOfOz, which was then popularized on community servers. It puts one player as Saxton Hale (on BLU) against up to 31 other players (on RED). Saxton Hale is restricted to melee attacks, but he can perform a Brave Jump (double jump), a charge attack that allows him to fly in any direction, a body slam that creates a damaging shockwave upon landing, and a super punch, which deals more damage than a regular punch. Like in Arena, Saxton or RED can win by eliminating the opposing player(s), or by capturing a single control point after enough time elapses.
Other game modes
These modes are not categorized with the other modes, and instead have their own separate sections in the game.
*Halloween Mode is a special mode that is enabled during
Halloween
Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
, and allows the players access to more than 20 Halloween themed maps, Halloween-exclusive cosmetics and challenges. For example, Halloween 2012 included a difficult Mann vs. Machine mission involving destroying more than 800 enemy forces. Owing to popular demand of the Halloween events, Valve later added the Full Moon event, an event that triggers around every
full moon phase throughout the year, which allows players to equip Halloween-exclusive cosmetics. In 2013, Valve introduced an item called Eternaween, and upon use, allows players of a specific server to use Halloween-exclusive cosmetics for 2 hours.
*Mann vs Machine (MvM) is a
cooperative game mode where players must defend their base from waves of
robot
A robot is a machine—especially one Computer program, programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions Automation, automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the robot control, co ...
s modeled after all nine playable classes, and in some maps, slow-moving
tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...
s carrying bombs. Robots and tanks drop a currency referred to as Credits upon their death, which players can use to buy upgrades for themselves or their weapons. The players win upon successfully defending their base from the bomb until the last wave. A paid version of this game mode called "Mann Up" is also available, where players
buy
Buy may refer to a trade, i.e., an exchange of goods and services via bartering or a monetary purchase.
The term may also refer to:
Places
* Buy (inhabited locality), any of several inhabited localities in Russia
* Burlington-Alamance Regional A ...
"Tour Of Duty Tickets" with real money to play a series of missions with the chance to win unique cosmetics, weapons and robot parts that can be used in crafting.
*Offline Practice Mode consists of the player and computer-controlled bots. The number of bots, their difficulty, and the map can all be adjusted to a player's preference, though only a select amount of maps and gamemodes are available to play.
*Training Mode exists to help new players get acquainted with basic controls, and teaches them the basics of four of the nine classes, Soldier, Demoman, Engineer and Spy. It uses wooden dummies and
bots
The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) or alternatively referred to as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are the fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom that, ...
to teach players the basic mechanics of classes and the game.
Competitive play
''Team Fortress 2'' is played
competitively
Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, individ ...
through multiple leagues. While formalized competitive gameplay is very different from normal ''Team Fortress 2'', it offers an environment with a much higher level of teamwork than in public servers. Most teams use
voice chat
Voice chat is telecommunication via voice over IP (VoIP) technologies—especially when those technologies are used as intercoms among players in multiplayer online games. The VoIP functionality can be built into some games, be a system-wide c ...
to communicate, and use a combination of strategy, communication, and mechanical skill to win against other teams. Community-run competitive leagues also tend to feature restrictions such as item bans and class limits. These leagues are often supported by Valve via in-game medals (which are submitted via the Steam Workshop) and announcements on the official blog.
The previous North American league,
ESEA, supported a paid ''Team Fortress 2'' league, with $42,000 in prizes for the top teams in 2017. However, due to the relative lack of players in its TF2 leagues, ESEA announced its intent to shut down the TF2 leagues on April 17, 2019. As of May 2025, the popular leagues include RGL and UGC for North America, ETF2L for Europe, AsiaFortress for East Asia and SEA, and OzFortress for Oceania.
In April 2015, Valve announced that a dedicated competitive mode would be added to ''Team Fortress 2'', utilizing
skill-based matchmaking
Skill-based matchmaking (SBMM), also referred to as matchmaking ranking (MMR), is a form of matchmaking dependent on the relative skill level of the players involved.
History
A common rating system in chess is the Elo rating system, developed by ...
; closed beta testing began in the following year. The competitive mode was added in the "Meet Your Match" update, released on July 7, 2016. Ranked matches are played six-vs-six, with players ranked in thirteen ranks based on win/losses and an assessment of their skills. Ranked matchmaking will balance players based on their ranks and rating. A similar matchmaking approach has been added for casual games for matches of 12-vs-12 players, but uses a hidden value. In order to join competitive matchmaking, players must have associated their Steam account with the Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator, as well as having a ''Team Fortress 2'' "premium account", which is unlocked by either having bought the game before it went free-to-play or by having made an in-game item purchase since.
Formats
''Team Fortress 2'' is played in a variety of different formats, which dictate the maximum size and composition of a team and can drastically change the impact of a single player's gameplay or choice of class. The two most basic formats consist of 12v12 and 6v6 ("Sixes"), the two being used on official Valve servers for casual and competitive modes respectively with no additional limitations. Most competitive leagues host Sixes but include limits on certain classes and weapons to preserve traditional, skill-based playstyles, for example limiting the allowed amount of Medics or Demomen to one on either team or banning certain movement-enhancing weapons from use. Other popular formats include "Highlander", a 9v9 format with a limit of one player per each of the nine classes, as well as a Sixes-inspired 7v7 variant thereof known as "Prolander" to allow for strategically switching classes during a competitive game.
Characters and setting
''Team Fortress 2'' features nine playable classes, which are evenly split and categorized into "Offense", "Defense", and "Support".
Each class has strengths and weaknesses and must work with other classes to be efficient, encouraging strategy and teamwork. Each class has at least three default weapons: a primary weapon, secondary weapon, and melee weapon. Engineers and Spies have two additional slots; for Engineers, their
PDAs, and for Spies, their disguise kit and invisibility watch. An additional character, Saxton Hale, is playable in the "Versus Saxton Hale" game mode.
Offense
* The Scout (Nathan Vetterlein) is an American
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
fan and street runner from
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
, who practiced running to be faster than his seven siblings.
He is a fast, agile character, who is armed by default with a
scattergun, a pistol, and a baseball bat. The Scout can
double jump, and is counted twice when capturing control points and when pushing the Payload cart, doubling their speeds.
* The Soldier (
Rick May
Richard James May (September 21, 1940 – April 5, 2020) was a Canadian-American actor, theatrical performer, director, and teacher. May provided the English-language voice for Peppy Hare and Andross in '' Star Fox 64'', the Soldier in '' Team F ...
) is an American
jingoistic
Jingoism is nationalism in the form of aggressive and proactive foreign policy, such as a country's advocacy for the use of threats or actual force, as opposed to peaceful relations, in efforts to safeguard what it perceives as its national inter ...
patriot
A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism.
Patriot(s) or The Patriot(s) may also refer to:
Political and military groups United States
* Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American R ...
from the
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...
who portrays himself as a
military-man (despite never having served in the
U.S. Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. U.S. federal law names six armed forces: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and the Coast Guard. Since 1949, all of the armed forces, except th ...
).
The Soldier is armed by default with a
rocket launcher
A rocket launcher is a weapon that launches an unguided, rocket-propelled projectile.
History
The earliest rocket launchers documented in imperial China consisted of arrows modified by the attachment of a rocket motor to the shaft a few i ...
, a shotgun, and a shovel. He is both the second-slowest class in the game and the class with the second-highest health, after the Heavy. The Soldier can use his rocket launcher to "
rocket jump
In shooter games, rocket jumping is the technique of using the knockback of an explosive weapon, most often a rocket launcher, to launch the shooter into the air. The aim of this technique is to reach heights, distances and speed that standard ch ...
" to other locations at the cost of some health.
* The Pyro (Dennis Bateman) is a
pyromania
Pyromania is an impulse-control disorder in which individuals repeatedly fail to resist impulses to deliberately start fires, to relieve some tension or for instant gratification. The term ''pyromania'' comes from the Greek word (''pyr'', 'f ...
c of unknown sex and origin who wears a fire-retardant suit and a voice-muffling gas mask. By default, the Pyro carries a
flamethrower
A flamethrower is a ranged incendiary device designed to project a controllable jet of fire. First deployed by the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century AD, flamethrowers saw use in modern times during World War I, and more widely in World W ...
, a shotgun, and a
fire axe. The Pyro's flamethrower can also produce blasts of
compressed air
Compressed air is air kept under a pressure that is greater than atmospheric pressure. Compressed air in vehicle tires and shock absorbers are commonly used for improved traction and reduced vibration. Compressed air is an important medium for t ...
which repel nearby enemies and projectiles, and extinguish burning teammates. The Pyro is
deluded and believes they are living in a
utopia
A utopia ( ) typically describes an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or near-perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', which describes a fictiona ...
n fantasy world called "Pyroland".
Defense
* The Demoman (Gary Schwartz) is a
Black Scottish one-eyed
alcoholic
Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...
demolitions expert from
Ullapool
Ullapool (; ) is a village and port located in the civil parish of Lochbroom in the county of Ross and Cromarty, Scottish Highlands. It is located around northwest of Inverness. According to the Scottish Government in 2016, the village had a ...
, Scotland.
Armed by default with a
grenade launcher
A grenade launcher is a weapon that fires a specially designed, large caliber projectile, often with an explosive, Smoke screen, smoke, or tear gas, gas warhead. Today, the term generally refers to a class of dedicated firearms firing unitary gre ...
, a "stickybomb" launcher (bombs that are detonated when prompted to by the player, and can stick to most surfaces), and a glass bottle of
scrumpy
Scrumpy is a type of cider originating in the West of England, particularly the West Country. Traditionally, the dialect term "scrumpy" was used to refer to what was otherwise called "rough", a harsh cider made from unselected apples.Leeds, W. '' ...
, the Demoman can use his explosives to provide indirect fire and set traps.
Similar to the Soldier's rocket jump, the Demoman can use his stickybombs to "sticky jump" at the cost of some health.
* The Heavy Weapons Guy, or simply the Heavy (Schwartz), is a large Russian man from the
Dzhugdzhur Mountains
The Dzhugdzhur () or Jugjur, meaning "big bulge" in Evenki, are a mountain range along the western shores of the Sea of Okhotsk, located in Khabarovsk Krai in the far east of Siberia.
The mountains are quite deserted, the one exception bein ...
of the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
who is obsessed with firepower. He is the slowest class, and can both absorb and deal substantial amounts of damage. His default weapons consist of a
minigun
The M134 Minigun is an American 7.62×51mm NATO six-barrel rotary machine gun with a high rate of fire (2,000 to 6,000 rounds per minute). It features a Gatling-style rotating barrel assembly with an external power source, normally an elect ...
that he affectionately refers to as "Sasha", a shotgun, and his fists.
* The Engineer (
Grant Goodeve
Grant Goodeve (born July 6, 1952) is an American actor and television host. He is best known for his role as David Bradford, the eldest son on ABC television's ''Eight Is Enough'' from 1977 to 1981; he sang the theme song for the show, as well. ...
) is an American inventor, engineer, and "good ol' boy" from
Bee Cave, Texas
Bee Cave is a city located in Travis County, Texas, United States. Its population was 9,144 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.
History
Bee Cave was named by early settlers for a large cave of wild bees found near the site. A post ...
.
The Engineer can deploy buildings to support his team: a
sentry gun
A sentry gun is a weapon that automatically aims and fires at targets that are detected by sensors. The earliest functioning military sentry guns were the close-in weapon systems point-defense weapons, such as the Phalanx CIWS, used for detect ...
for defending key points, a health and ammunition dispenser, and a pair of
teleporters (one entrance and one exit).
The Engineer is armed by default with a shotgun, a pistol, and a
wrench
A wrench or spanner is a tool used to provide grip and mechanical advantage in applying torque to turn objects—usually rotary fasteners, such as nuts and bolts—or keep them from turning.
In the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand ...
, which functions as both a melee weapon and to repair and upgrade his buildings. He carries two PDAs; one to erect his buildings and one to remotely destroy them.
Support
* The Medic (
Robin Atkin Downes
Robin Atkin Downes is an English actor. He is known for his work in animation and video games.
Early life
Downes was born in London. He earned an MFA from Temple University in Philadelphia.
Career
Downes has voiced characters in animated f ...
) is a German doctor from
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
with little regard for the
Hippocratic Oath. He is equipped with a "Medi Gun", which can restore health to injured teammates. When healing teammates, the Medi Gun progressively builds an "ÜberCharge" meter, which, when fully charged, can be activated to provide the Medic and his patient with temporary invulnerability. The Medic is also equipped by default with a syringe gun and a
bonesaw
A bone cutter is a surgical instrument used to cut or remove bones. In addition to surgery, they are also used in forensics and dismemberment.
Types of medical bone cutters include:
* unpowered saw, Unpowered – Unpowered bone cutting imple ...
for situations in which he must engage in direct combat.
* The Sniper (
John Patrick Lowrie) is an
ocker
The term "ocker" is used both as a noun and adjective for an Australian who speaks in Strine, a broad Australian accent, and acts in a rough and uncultivated manner. Richard Neville defined the ocker positively as being "about conviviality: co ...
assassin
Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives.
Assassinations are orde ...
born in
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
and raised in the
Australian outback
The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than the bush. While often envisaged as being arid, the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompass ...
,
equipped by default with a
sniper rifle
A sniper rifle is a high-precision, long range shooting, long-range rifle. Requirements include high accuracy, reliability, mobility, concealment, and optics, for anti-personnel weapon, anti-personnel, anti-materiel rifle, anti-materiel and sur ...
to shoot enemies from afar. Depending on how the player aims and fires, he can cause massive damage or instantly kill an opponent via a
headshot. By default, he also carries a
submachine gun
A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine (firearms), magazine-fed automatic firearm, automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, to descri ...
and a
kukri
The kukri () or khukuri (, ) is a type of knife or short sword with a distinct recurve in its blade that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It serves multiple purposes as a melee weapon and also as a regular cutting/chopping tool throughout ...
for close combat.
* The Spy (Bateman) is a French covert operative who carries an
invisibility device disguised as a
wristwatch
A watch is a timepiece carried or worn by a person. It is designed to maintain a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is worn around the wrist, attached by a watch strap or another type of ...
, an electronic sapper to disable and destroy enemy Engineers' buildings, and a device in his
cigarette case
A cigarette case (sometimes called a cigarette tin) is a sturdy container used to store small numbers of cigarettes and prevent them from being crushed. A typical cigarette case is a flat box (commonly made of metal) that opens symmetrically int ...
that allows him to disguise himself as any player on either team. His default weaponry consists of a
revolver
A revolver is a repeating handgun with at least one barrel and a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, ...
and a
butterfly knife
A balisong, also known as a butterfly knife, fan knife or Batangas knife, is a type of folding pocketknife that originated in the Philippines. Its distinct features are two handles counter-rotating around the tang such that, when closed, the b ...
; he is able to use the latter to instantly kill enemies by stabbing them in the back.
He is the only character who does not wear any clothing in his team's bright color or a patch denoting his specialty, instead preferring a
balaclava, business suit, necktie, and gloves in muted team-color hues.
Other
* Saxton Hale (
JB Blanc
Jean-Benoît "JB" Blanc is a French-British actor of film and television who has worked on animations and video games in Los Angeles, coming from a drama education at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in "Jungle Inferno", Matthew Simmons in-game) is an Australian adventurer and businessman who is the
chief executive officer
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization.
CEOs find roles in variou ...
of the fictional Mann Co., a large shipping company which specializes in manufacturing munitions and hats. Saxton is notable for his
hypermasculine
Hypermasculinity is a psychological and sociological term for the exaggeration of male stereotypical behavior, such as an emphasis on physical strength, aggression, and human male sexuality. In the field of clinical psychology, this term has be ...
personality and physique, and his Australia-shaped chest-hair. He is the central character of the "Versus Saxton Hale" game mode, in which he has a large pool of health and superhuman abilities, including immense strength and agility. Saxton can attack only with his fists, but is able to double-jump like the Scout.
Non-playable characters
* The Administrator or the Announcer (
Ellen McLain
Ellen McLain (born 1952 or 1953) is an American voice actress. She is best known for providing the voice of GLaDOS, the primary antagonist of the '' Portal'' video game series, the Combine Overwatch AI in '' Half-Life 2'', and the Administrat ...
) is an unseen announcer who provides timely information about time limits and objectives to players.
* Miss Pauling (
Ashly Burch
Ashly Burch (born June 19, 1990) is an American actress, writer, director, and singer. She is known for her roles as Aloy in the ''Horizon (video game series), Horizon'' series, Chloe Price in the ''Life Is Strange (video game), Life Is Strange ...
), the Administrator's assistant.
* The Horseless Headless Horsemann, Monoculus (Schwartz), Merasmus and the Bombinomicon (both
Nolan North
Nolan North (born October 31, 1970) is an American actor best known for his voice acting roles.
After his breakthrough role as Dr. Chris Ramsey on the ABC soap opera '' Port Charles'' in 1997, North moved into voice acting when the show ended ...
), serve as the antagonists of the Game's Annual Halloween Events.
* Zepheniah Mann (North) was the founder and original CEO of Mann Co. After his sons, Redmond and Blutarch, convinced him to buy massive lands in New Mexico, he traveled to the land, suffering and eventually succumbing to several diseases. In his will, he left his company to his aide and tracker, Barnabus Hale, and the worthless lands in New Mexico to his sons, knowing fully well they would not be able to share.
* Redmond and Blutarch Mann are the identical twin sons of Zepheniah and founders of the companies ''Reliable Excavation Demolition'' and ''Builders' League United,'' respectively. From a young age, they both had a strong
sibling rivalry
Sibling rivalry is a type of competition or animosity among siblings, whether blood-related or not.
In childhood, siblings generally spend more time together than they do with parents. Sibling bonds are influenced by factors such as parental ...
, and when their father forced them to share the lands in New Mexico in his will, this led to a conflict between them called the "Gravel War", a stalemate for control that would last over a hundred years (as both brothers used immortality machines with the intention of outliving each other), and it only ended when they were both murdered by their long-lost third brother, Gray Mann.
Setting

Although ''Team Fortress 2'' is designed as an open-ended multiplayer experience without an active storyline, the game and additional material feature a wider narrative centered around Mann Co. The main
PvP gamemodes are set during the "Gravel Wars", a conflict between the rival heirs Redmond and Blutarch Mann for which the nine playable characters were hired as
mercenaries
A mercenary is a private individual who joins an War, armed conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military. Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rath ...
. Gray Mann later emerges as the third competitor, killing his two brothers and forcing Saxton Hale to rehire the mercenaries to protect Mann Co. from Gray's robot army in the Mann vs Machine cooperative horde-shooter mode.
Development
Origins
The original ''Team Fortress'' was developed by the Australian team TF Software, comprising
Robin Walker and John Cook, as a free
mod
Mod, MOD or mods may refer to:
Places
* Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band
* M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US
* ...
for the 1996 PC game ''
Quake''.
In 1998, Walker and Cook were employed by
Valve
A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or Slurry, slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically Pip ...
, which had just released its first game, ''
Half-Life Half-life is a mathematical and scientific description of exponential or gradual decay.
Half-life, half life or halflife may also refer to:
Film
* Half-Life (film), ''Half-Life'' (film), a 2008 independent film by Jennifer Phang
* ''Half Life: ...
.'' Valve began developing ''Team Fortress 2'' as an
expansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, supplement, or simply expansion, is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game, video game, collectible card game or Miniature wargaming, miniature wargame. An expansion may introduce new rules ...
for ''Half-Life'' using Valve's
GoldSrc
GoldSrc (pronounced "Gold Source"), sometimes called the ''Half-Life'' engine, is a proprietary game engine developed by Valve. At its core, GoldSrc is a heavily modified version of id Software's ''Quake'' engine. It made its debut in 1998 with ...
engine, and gave a release date for the end of the year.
In 1999, Valve released ''
Team Fortress Classic
''Team Fortress Classic'' is a first-person shooter game developed by Valve Corporation, Valve and published by Sierra Studios. It was originally released in April 1999 for Windows, and is based on ''Team Fortress'', a Mod (video gaming), mod f ...
,'' a
port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...
of the original ''Team Fortress,'' as a free ''Half-Life'' mod.
''Team Fortress Classic'' was developed using the publicly available ''Half-Life''
software development kit
A software development kit (SDK) is a collection of software development tools in one installable package. They facilitate the creation of applications by having a compiler, debugger and sometimes a software framework. They are normally specific t ...
as an example to the community and industry of its flexibility.
Valve originally planned ''Team Fortress 2'' to have a
modern war aesthetic. It would feature innovations including a command hierarchy with a Commander class, parachute drops over enemy territory, and networked voice communication.
The Commander class played similarly to a
real-time strategy
Real-time strategy (RTS) is a Video game genre, subgenre of strategy video games that does not progress incrementally in turn-based game, turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time." By contrast, in Turn-based strategy, tur ...
game; the player viewed the game from a bird's-eye perspective and issued orders to players and AI-controlled soldiers.
The Commander class was eventually abandoned because players would simply disobey the orders.
''Team Fortress 2'' was first shown at
E3 1999
E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo) was an annual trade event for the video game industry organized and presented by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). It was held principally in Los Angeles from 1995 to 2019, with its fina ...
as ''Team Fortress 2: Brotherhood of Arms'', where Valve showcased new technologies including
parametric animation Parametric animation is an animation technique used in video game graphics that combines two or more separate animations together to form a new composite animation. This new animation is constructed in real-time by the game engine rather than being ...
, which blended animations for smoother, more lifelike movement,
and
Intel
Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and Delaware General Corporation Law, incorporated in Delaware. Intel designs, manufactures, and sells computer compo ...
's multi-resolution mesh technology, which dynamically reduced the detail of distant on-screen elements to improve performance.
The game earned several awards including
Best Online Game and
Best Action Game.
In mid-2000, Valve announced that ''Team Fortress 2'' had been delayed for a second time.
They attributed the delay to development switching to its new in-house engine,
Source
Source may refer to:
Research
* Historical document
* Historical source
* Source (intelligence) or sub source, typically a confidential provider of non open-source intelligence
* Source (journalism), a person, publication, publishing institute ...
. Following the announcement, Valve released no news on the game for six years.
Walker and Cook worked on various other Valve projects; Walker was project lead on ''
Half-Life 2: Episode One'' and Cook worked on Valve's content distribution platform,
Steam
Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
. ''Team Fortress 2'' became a prominent example of
vaporware
In the computer industry, vaporware (or vapourware) is a product, typically computer Computer hardware, hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is late, never actually manufactured, or officially canceled. Use of the w ...
, a long-anticipated game that had seen years of development, and was often mentioned alongside another much-delayed game, ''
Duke Nukem Forever.''
Walker said that Valve built three or four different versions of ''Team Fortress 2'' before settling on their final design.
Shortly before the release of ''
Half-Life 2
''Half-Life 2'' is a 2004 first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It was published for Windows on Valve's digital distribution service, Steam. Like the original ''Half-Life'' (1998), ''Half-Life 2'' is played ent ...
'' in 2004, Valve's marketing director, Doug Lombardi, confirmed that ''Team Fortress 2'' was still in development''.''
Final design and release
Valve reintroduced ''Team Fortress 2'' at the EA Summer Showcase event in the July of 2006.
Departing from the realistic visual design of other Valve games, ''Team Fortress 2'' features a cartoon-like visual style influenced by 20th-century commercial illustrations
and the artwork of
J. C. Leyendecker,
Dean Cornwell
Dean Cornwell (March 5, 1892 – December 4, 1960) was a left-handed[Norman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...]
,
Video summary
(WMV, 75.4 MB) achieved through
Gooch shading
Gooch shading is a non-photorealistic rendering technique for shader, shading objects. It is also known as "cool to warm" shading, and is widely used in technical illustration. History
Gooch shading was developed by Amy Ashurst Gooch, Amy Gooch e ...
. The game debuted with the Source engine's new dynamic lighting, shadowing, and soft particle technologies alongside ''
Half-Life 2: Episode Two''. It was the first game to implement the Source engine's new facial animation features. Valve abandoned the realistic style when it became impossible to reconcile it with the unrealistic gameplay, with opposing armies having constructed elaborate bases directly adjacent to each other.
Valve designed each character, team, and equipped weapon to be visually distinct, even at range; for example, the coloring draws attention to the chest area, bringing focus on the equipped weapon.
The voices for each of the classes were based on imagining what people from the 1960´s would expect the classes to have sounded like, according to the writer
Chet Faliszek
Chet Faliszek (; born 1965) is an American video game writer who has worked for companies like Valve and Bossa Studios, having been involved in the story writing for series such as ''Half-Life'', '' Portal'', and ''Left 4 Dead''.
Career
Falisz ...
.
The map design has an "
evil genius" theme with archetypical spy fortresses, concealed within inconspicuous buildings such as industrial warehouses and farms to give plausibility to their close proximities; these bases are usually separated by a neutrally themed space. The bases hide exaggerated super weapons such as
laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radi ...
cannons,
nuclear warheads
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear expl ...
, and
missile
A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor.
Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this ...
launch facilities, taking the role of objectives. The maps have little visual clutter and stylized, almost impressionistic modeling, to allow enemies to be spotted more easily. The impressionistic design approach also affects
textures, which are based on photos that are filtered and edited by hand, giving them a tactile quality and giving ''Team Fortress 2'' its distinct look. The bases are designed to allow players to know immediately where they are. RED bases use
warm colors
Color theory, or more specifically traditional color theory, is a historical body of knowledge describing the behavior of colors, namely in color mixing, color contrast effects, color harmony, color schemes and color symbolism. Modern color t ...
, natural materials, and angular shapes, while BLU bases use cool colors, industrial materials, and
orthogonal
In mathematics, orthogonality (mathematics), orthogonality is the generalization of the geometric notion of ''perpendicularity''. Although many authors use the two terms ''perpendicular'' and ''orthogonal'' interchangeably, the term ''perpendic ...
shapes.
During the July 2006
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by former Apple Inc., Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry ...
press conference, Valve revealed that ''Team Fortress 2'' would ship as the multiplayer component of ''
The Orange Box
''The Orange Box'' is a video game compilation containing five games developed and published by Valve. Two of the games included—'' Half-Life 2'' and its first stand-alone expansion, '' Episode One''—had previously been released in 2004 ...
''. A conference trailer showcasing all nine of the classes demonstrated for the first time the game's cartoon-like visual style. Valve's president,
Gabe Newell
Gabe Logan Newell (born November 3, 1962), also known by his nickname Gaben, is an American video game developer and businessman. He is the president and co-founder of the video game company Valve Corporation.
Newell was born in Colorado and ...
, said that the team's goal was to create "the best-looking and best-playing class-based multiplayer game".
A
beta release
The software release life cycle is the process of developing, testing, and distributing a software product (e.g., an operating system). It typically consists of several stages, such as pre-alpha, alpha, beta, and release candidate, before the fi ...
of the entire game was made on Steam on September 17, 2007, for customers who had pre-purchased ''The Orange Box'', who had activated their ''Black Box'' coupon, which was included with the ATI HD 2900XT Graphics cards, and for members of Valve's Cyber Café Program.
''Team Fortress 2'' was released on October 10, 2007, both as a standalone product via Steam and at retail stores as part of ''The Orange Box'' compilation pack, priced at each gaming platform's
recommended retail price
The list price, also known as the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), or the recommended retail price (RRP), or the suggested retail price (SRP) of a product is the price at which its manufacturer notionally recommends that a retailer ...
. ''The Orange Box'' also contains ''Half-Life 2'', ''Half-Life 2: Episode One'', ''Half-Life 2: Episode Two'', and ''
Portal
Portal may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Gaming
* ''Portal'' (series), a series of video games developed by Valve
** ''Portal'' (video game), a 2007 video game, the first in the series
** '' Portal 2'', the 2011 sequel
** '' Portal Stori ...
''. Valve offered ''The Orange Box'' at a ten percent discount for those who pre-purchased it via Steam before the October 10 release, as well as the opportunity to participate in the beta test.
Post-release
Since the release of ''Team Fortress 2'', Valve has continually released free updates and
patches through Steam for Windows, macOS, and Linux users; though most patches are used for enhancing the reliability of the software or to make gameplay changes, several patches have been used to introduce new features and gameplay modes, and are often associated with marketing materials such as comics or videos offered on the ''Team Fortress 2'' website; this blog is also used to keep players up to date with the ongoing developments in ''Team Fortress 2''. As of July 2012, each class has been given a dedicated patch that provides new weapons, items, and other gameplay changes; these class patches typically included the release of the class's "Meet the Team" video.
Other major patches have included new gameplay modes including the Payload,
Payload Race,
Training,
Highlander, Medieval, and Mann vs. Machine modes.
Themed patches have also been released, such as a yearly
Halloween
Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
-themed event called "Scream Fortress", where players may obtain unique items available only during a set period around the holiday. Other new features have given players the ability to craft items within the game from other items, trade items with other players, purchase in-game items through funds in Steam, and save and edit replay videos that can be posted to YouTube.
Valve has released tools to allow users to create maps, weapons, and cosmetic items through a contribution site; many of the most popular are added to the game. This approach has subsequently created the basis for the Steam Workshop functionality of the software client. In one case, more than fifty users from the content-creation community worked with Valve to release an official content update in May 2013, with all of the content generated by these players. Valve reported that as of June 2013, over $10 million has been paid back to over 400 persons who have contributed content to the game, including a total of $250,000 for the participants in the May 2013 patch. To help promote community-made features, Valve has released limited-time events, such as the "Gun Mettle" or "Invasion" events in the second half of 2015, also including the "Tough Break" update in December 2015, in which players can spend a small amount of money which is paid back to the community developers for the ability to gain unique items offered while playing on community-made maps during the event. Additionally, purchasable map
stamps
Stamp or Stamps or Stamping may refer to:
Official documents and related impressions
* Postage stamp, used to indicate prepayment of fees for public mail
* Ration stamp, indicating the right to rationed goods
* Revenue stamp, used on documents to ...
were also added, allowing players to directly support the community map creators.
Development of the new content had been confirmed for the Xbox 360, while development for the PlayStation 3 was deemed "uncertain" by Valve.
However, the PlayStation 3 version of ''Team Fortress 2'' received an update which repaired some of the issues found within the game, ranging from graphical issues to online connectivity problems; this update was included in a patch that also repaired issues found in the other games within ''The Orange Box''. The updates released on PC and planned for later release on Xbox 360 include new official maps and game modes, as well as tweaks to classes and new weapons that can be unlocked through the game's achievement system. The developers attempted to negotiate with Xbox 360 developer
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
to keep the Xbox 360 releases of these updates free, but Microsoft refused and Valve announced that they would release bundles of several updates together to justify the price. Because of the cost of patching during the
seventh generation of video game consoles
The seventh generation of home video game consoles began on November 22, 2005, with the release of Microsoft's Xbox 360 home console. This was followed by the release of Sony's PlayStation 3 on November 17, 2006, and Nintendo's Wii on November ...
, Valve has been unable to provide additional patches to the Xbox 360 version since 2009, effectively cancelling development of the console versions. On March 29, 2023, the servers for the PlayStation 3 version of ''Team Fortress 2'' went offline.
On June 10, 2010, ''Team Fortress 2'' was released for
macOS
macOS, previously OS X and originally Mac OS X, is a Unix, Unix-based operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple since 2001. It is the current operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. With ...
, shortly after the release of Steam for macOS.
The release was teased by way of an image similar to early
iPod advertising
Apple used a variety of advertising campaigns to promote its iPod portable digital media player. The campaigns include television commercials, print ads, posters in public places, and wrap advertising campaigns. These advertising techniques ar ...
, showing a dark silhouette of the Heavy on a bright green background, his "Sandvich" highlighted in his hand. Virtual
earbuds, which can be worn when playing on either macOS or Windows once acquired, were given to players playing the game on macOS before June 14,
though the giveaway period was later extended to August 16.
On November 6, 2012, Valve announced the release of ''Team Fortress 2'' for
Linux
Linux ( ) is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an kernel (operating system), operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically package manager, pac ...
as part of a restricted beta launch of Steam on the platform.
This initial release of Steam and ''Team Fortress 2'' was targeted at
Ubuntu
Ubuntu ( ) is a Linux distribution based on Debian and composed primarily of free and open-source software. Developed by the British company Canonical (company), Canonical and a community of contributors under a Meritocracy, meritocratic gover ...
with support for other distributions planned for the future. Later, on December 20, 2012, Valve opened up access to the beta, including ''Team Fortress 2'', to all Steam users without the need to wait for an invitation.
On February 14, 2013, Valve announced the full release of ''Team Fortress 2'' for Linux. From then to March 1, anyone who played the game on
Linux
Linux ( ) is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an kernel (operating system), operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically package manager, pac ...
would receive a free
Tux penguin, which can be equipped in-game.
''Team Fortress 2'' was announced in March 2013 to be the first game to officially support the
Oculus Rift
Oculus Rift is a discontinued line of virtual reality headsets, virtual reality headsets developed and manufactured by Oculus VR, a virtual reality company founded by Palmer Luckey that is widely credited with reviving the virtual reality indust ...
, a consumer-grade
virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video gam ...
headset. A patch was made to the client to include a "VR Mode" that can be used with the headset on any public server.
In April 2020,
source code
In computing, source code, or simply code or source, is a plain text computer program written in a programming language. A programmer writes the human readable source code to control the behavior of a computer.
Since a computer, at base, only ...
for versions ''Team Fortress 2'' and ''Counter-Strike: Global Offensive'' from 2018 was leaked online. This created fears that malicious users would use the code to make
remote code execution
In computer security, arbitrary code execution (ACE) is an attacker's ability to run any commands or code of the attacker's choice on a target machine or in a target process. An arbitrary code execution vulnerability is a security flaw in softwar ...
software and attack servers or players' computers. Several fan projects halted development until the impact of the leak could be determined. Valve confirmed the legitimacy of the code leaks, but stated they do not believe it affects servers and clients running the latest official builds of either game.
On May 1, 2020, shortly following the death of the voice actor of the Soldier,
Rick May
Richard James May (September 21, 1940 – April 5, 2020) was a Canadian-American actor, theatrical performer, director, and teacher. May provided the English-language voice for Peppy Hare and Andross in '' Star Fox 64'', the Soldier in '' Team F ...
, Valve released an update to ''Team Fortress 2'', adding a tribute to his voicework as the Soldier in the form of a new main menu theme (a rendition of
Taps), as well as statues of the Soldier saluting, added to most of the official in-game maps. These statues all featured a commemorative plaque dedicated to May and lasted through the end of the month.
One of these statues, appearing on the map "cp_granary", the setting of the "Meet the Soldier" short video, was made permanent in an August 21 update.
On February 9, 2023, a blog post was made on the official ''Team Fortress 2'' website, saying that a new "update-sized" update was coming to the game (the last major update had taken place in October 2017). The post included a call to
Steam Workshop
Steam is a digital distribution service and storefront developed by Valve. It was launched as a software client in September 2003 to provide video game updates automatically for Valve's games and expanded to distributing third-party titles in l ...
creators to submit content which had a chance to be selected for inclusion, with a submission deadline of May 1.
The announcement was met with an overwhelmingly positive reception, causing Valve to temper expectations by amending the blog post to read "holiday-sized update".
Valve released the update on July 12, 2023, which included 14 community created maps that notably included a variant of the popular 'Versus Saxton Hale' gamemode. The update ascended ''Team Fortress 2'' to 253,997 concurrent players, its highest ever player count to date.
On April 18, 2024, after testing on Windows and Linux, Valve released an update to ''Team Fortress 2'', adding
64-bit
In computer architecture, 64-bit integers, memory addresses, or other data units are those that are 64 bits wide. Also, 64-bit central processing units (CPU) and arithmetic logic units (ALU) are those that are based on processor registers, a ...
support to the game,
increasing the frame rate by an average of 22 percent, although it was falsely detected as malware by some
anti-virus software
Antivirus software (abbreviated to AV software), also known as anti-malware, is a computer program used to prevent, detect, and remove malware.
Antivirus software was originally developed to detect and remove computer viruses, hence the name ...
.
On June 17, 2024, Valve dropped macOS support for ''Team Fortress 2'', among other legacy Valve titles that were previously supporting it, along with removing the Apple icon from the website's download button. The macOS port of ''Team Fortress 2'' was not natively playable on any version beyond
macOS Mojave
macOS Mojave ( ; version 10.14) is the fifteenth major release of macOS, Apple Inc.'s desktop operating system for Macintosh computers. Mojave was announced at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 4, 2018, and was released to the ...
, which Apple released in 2018 and supported until 2021. The lack of ongoing macOS support is largely attributable to Apple's use of its proprietary
Metal
A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
graphics drivers, which are not officially compatible with the widely available
Vulkan
Vulkan is a cross-platform API and open standard for 3D graphics and computing. It was intended to address the shortcomings of OpenGL, and allow developers more control over the GPU. It is designed to support a wide variety of GPUs, CPUs and o ...
API that ''Team Fortress 2'' can now run on.
On October 25, 2024, an update was released that fixed a bug where the BLU Team Scout was wearing brown pants (identical to the RED Scout's pants) rather than the intended blue pants matching the BLU Team's color scheme. The update received notable attention due to the perceived absurdity of fixing such a bug 17 years into the game's lifespan. It was reverted a day later, citing that it led to inconsistencies with existing cosmetic items that were based on the broken color scheme.
The ''Team Fortress 2'' client and server source code was added to Valve's public
software development kit
A software development kit (SDK) is a collection of software development tools in one installable package. They facilitate the creation of applications by having a compiler, debugger and sometimes a software framework. They are normally specific t ...
(SDK) for the Source engine in February 2025, with the intent to allow creators to modify the game as much as they want and publish these via Steam, only requiring that such changes be released for free.
Free-to-play
On June 23, 2011, Valve announced that ''Team Fortress 2'' would become
free-to-play
"Free-to-play" ("F2P" or "FtP") video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content for free. The term "free-to-play business model" or simply, "free-to-play model", refers collectively to business models tha ...
. Unique equipment including weapons and outfits would be available as
microtransactions
Microtransaction (mtx) refers to a business model where users can purchase in-game virtual goods with micropayments. Microtransactions are often used in free-to-play games to provide a revenue source for the developers. While microtransactions ...
through the in-game store, tied through Steam.
Walker stated that Valve would continue to provide new features and items free.
Walker stated that Valve had learned that the more players ''Team Fortress 2'' had, the more value it had for each player.
The move came a week after Valve introduced several third-party free-to-play games to Steam and stated they were working on a new free-to-play game. Within nine months of becoming free to play, Valve reported that revenue from ''Team Fortress 2'' had increased by a factor of twelve.
Bot accounts and online protests
In early 2020, ''Team Fortress 2'' saw a drastic increase in
bot accounts entering Valve's casual matchmaking servers. Though bot accounts had been an issue in ''Team Fortress 2'' for some time prior to this, multiple sources began to report a spike in activity for these bot accounts. The activities of these bots have included forcibly crashing servers, spamming obscenities and
copypastas in text chats or audio in the voice chats of matches, assuming other players' usernames to confuse players attempting to kick them from the server, and the usage of
aimbot
On online games, cheating subverts the rules or mechanics of the games to gain an unfair advantage over other players, generally with the use of third-party software. What constitutes cheating is dependent on the game in question, its rules, ...
cheating software.
Additionally, some bots were programmed after a ''TF2'' source code leak which Valve had confirmed in April 2020.
On June 16, 2020, Valve responded to this by restricting accounts that have not paid for Mann Co. Store items or purchased Team Fortress 2 prior to the game becoming free-to-play from the use of both voice and text chat in game.
On June 24, all players were restricted from changing their Steam username while connected to any Valve matchmaking server or any server with display name updates disabled. The change was implemented to prevent bots from changing their display name to impersonate legitimate players, which allowed the bots to avoid being kicked due to the confusion caused by their duplicate name. On voting, changes were also introduced to prevent bots from spamming this functionality in an attempt to prevent bots from kicking real players.
On June 22, 2021, additional changes were implemented to discourage bot activity. The
YouTuber
A YouTuber is a content creator and social media influencer who uploads or creates videos on the online video-sharing website YouTube, typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in the English language in 2006 ...
"Toofty" posted a video which provided input from several of those responsible for the bots; their reasons for hosting the bots ranged from grievances against Valve to simply taking pleasure in the disruption.
These issues remained ongoing as of May 2022, prompting the YouTuber "SquimJim" to uploaded a video to his YouTube page encouraging his viewers to express any displeasure to Valve and news outlets by sending emails.
After receiving over a hundred news tips, the ''
IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' writer Rebekah Valentine wrote of her experience with trying to play the game. She remarked that the game was "literally unplayable" on official Valve servers, forcing many players to join unofficial community servers instead. She also said that some bots would "...spam chat with homophobic or racist remarks, outside links, or just plain rude or obnoxious messages".
In response to these issues, Robin Atkin Downes, the voice actor for the Medic, also reached out to his contacts at Valve for a response, and encouraged fans to continue making their voices heard in a "peaceful, passionate manner".
On May 26, 2022, members of the game's community held a "
peaceful protest
Nonviolent resistance, or nonviolent action, sometimes called civil resistance, is the practice of achieving goals such as social change through symbolic protests, civil disobedience, economic or political noncooperation, satyagraha, constructiv ...
" on
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
using the
hashtag
A hashtag is a metadata tag operator that is prefaced by the hash symbol, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services–especially Twitter and Tumblr–as a form of user-generated tagging that enable ...
'#savetf2', with the goal of receiving a response from Valve. Valve responded, saying, "TF2 community, we hear you! We love this game and know you do, too. We see how large this issue has become and are working to improve things."
Across June and July 2022, Valve released a number of patches to help players deal with the bot issue, such as altering the game's vote-kicking system so that each team may engage a vote kick regardless whether the opposing team is doing so.
Valve took down the servers for five minutes in August 2022, during which a number of bans were issued via
Valve Anti-Cheat
Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) is an anti-cheat tool developed by Valve as a component of the Steam platform, first released with ''Counter-Strike'' in 2002.
When the software detects a cheat on a player's system, it will ban them in the future, possib ...
to players that were known to be running these bots.
Bots slowly began to resurface thereafter, and in January 2024, the '#savetf2' hashtag re-emerged on social media as the issue neared the severity it was a couple years prior, as well as to highlight a lack of promised fixes to other parts of the game.
Another online protest was held on June 3, 2024, this time with the "#FixTF2" hashtag and an online petition intended to be sent to Valve directly that has amassed over 300,000 signatures. The day after, the game received
waves of negative reviews on its Steam store page as part of a campaign by users for Valve to take action against the bots.
Downes also returned to support the new protest. On June 28, multiple outlets reported that another wave of bans to bot accounts and their hosts had been issued. The following day, Valve updated their support page for the game to mention that game bans would not be reverted.
Tie-in materials
Beginning in May 2007, to promote the game, Valve began a ten-video advertisement series referred to as "Meet the Team". Constructed using
Source Filmmaker
Source Filmmaker (often abbreviated as SFM) is a free 3D computer graphics software tool published by Valve for creating animated films, which uses the Source game engine. Source Filmmaker has been used to create many community-based animated ...
and using more detailed character models, the series consists of short videos introducing each class (as they appear on RED) and displaying their personalities and abilities. The videos are usually interspersed with simulated gameplay footage. The format of the videos varies greatly; the first installment, "Meet the Heavy", depicts him being interviewed,
while "Meet the Soldier" shows the Soldier giving a misinformed lecture on
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu (; zh, t=孫子, s=孙子, first= t, p=Sūnzǐ) may have been a Chinese General, military general, strategist, philosopher, and writer who lived during the Eastern Zhou period (771–256 BC). Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the au ...
to a row of severed BLU heads as if they were raw
recruits. He claims Sun Tzu "invented"
fighting
Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict between multiple combatants with the intent to harm the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is resorted to either as a method of ...
, then further confuses this claim with the story of
Noah
Noah (; , also Noach) appears as the last of the Antediluvian Patriarchs (Bible), patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5–9), the Quran and Baháʼí literature, ...
and
his Ark.
The videos were generally released through Valve's official
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
channels, though in one notable exception, the "Meet the Spy" video was
leaked onto YouTube several days before its intended release, due to a glitch with
iPhone
The iPhone is a line of smartphones developed and marketed by Apple that run iOS, the company's own mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then–Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, at ...
Youtube users that caused them to be able to view private videos.
Early "Meet the Team" videos were based on the audition scripts used for the voice actors for each of the classes; "Meet the Heavy" is nearly word-for-word a copy of the Heavy's audition script. Later videos, such as "Meet the Sniper", contain more original material.
The videos have been used by Valve to help improve the technology for the game, specifically improving the facial animations, as well as a source of new gameplay elements, such as the Heavy's "Sandvich" or the Sniper's "Jarate".
The final video in the Meet the Team series, "Meet the Pyro", was released on June 27, 2012. Gabe Newell has stated that Valve used the "Meet the Team" series as a means of exploring the possibilities of making feature film movies themselves. He believes that only game developers themselves have the ability to bring the interesting parts of a game to a film, and suggested that this would be the only manner through which a ''Half-Life''-based movie would be made. A fifteen-minute short, "Expiration Date", was released on June 17, 2014. The shorts were made using
Source Filmmaker
Source Filmmaker (often abbreviated as SFM) is a free 3D computer graphics software tool published by Valve for creating animated films, which uses the Source game engine. Source Filmmaker has been used to create many community-based animated ...
, which was officially released and has been in open beta as of July 11, 2012.
Comics
In more recent major updates to the game, Valve has presented teaser images and online comic books that expand the fictional continuity and characters of ''Team Fortress 2'', as part of the expansion of the "cross-media property", according to Newell.
In August 2009, Valve brought aboard American comic writer
Michael Avon Oeming
Michael Avon Oeming is an American comic book creator, both as an artist and writer.
Career
Oeming is a fan of ancient mythology, having written or drawn several projects centering on the Norse gods. He frequently collaborates with long-time f ...
to teach Valve "about what it means to have a character and do character development in a comic format, how you do storytelling".
"Loose Canon", a comic associated with the Engineer Update, establishes the history of RED versus BLU as a result of the last will and testament of Zepheniah Mann in 1890, forcing his two bickering sons Blutarch and Redmond to vie for control of Zepheniah's lands between them; both have engineered ways of maintaining their mortality to the present, waiting to outlast the other while employing separate forces to try to wrest control of the land. This and other comics also establish other background characters such as Saxton Hale, the CEO of Mann Co., the company that provides the weapons for the two sides and was bequeathed to one of Hale's ancestors by Zepheniah, and the Administrator, the game's announcer, that watches over, encourages the RED/BLU conflict, and keeps each side from winning. The collected comics were published by
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
in ''Valve Presents: The Sacrifice and Other Steam-Powered Stories'', a volume along with other comics created by Valve for ''
Portal 2
''Portal 2'' is a 2011 puzzle-platform game developed by Valve for Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The digital PC versions are distributed online by Valve's Steam service, while all retail editions are distributed by Elect ...
'' and ''
Left 4 Dead
''Left 4 Dead'' is a 2008 first-person shooter game developed by Valve South and published by Valve. It was originally released for Windows and Xbox 360 in November 2008 and for Mac OS X in October 2010, and is the first title in the '' Left 4 ...
'', and released in November 2011. Cumulative details in updates both in-game and on Valve's sites from 2010 through 2012 were part of a larger
alternate reality game
An alternate reality game (ARG) is an interactive networked narrative that uses the real world as a platform and employs transmedia storytelling to deliver a story that may be altered by players' ideas or actions.
The form is defined by int ...
preceding the reveal of the Mann vs. Machine mode, which was revealed as a co-op mode on August 15, 2012.
An additional series of seven comic stories around the characters of ''Team Fortress 2'' were published sporadically by Valve from 2013 through 2024, simply titled ''
Team Fortress''.
Marketing and microtransactions
Valve had provided other promotions to draw players into the game. Valve held weekends of free play for ''Team Fortress 2'' before the game was made free-to-play.
Through various updates, hats and accessories can be worn by any of the classes, giving players an ability to customize the look of their character, and extremely rare hats named "Unusuals" have particle effects attached to it and are only obtainable through opening "
crates" or trading with other players. Cosmetic items can also be obtained through the Steam Community Market, which Valve released in 2013. New weapons were added in updates to allow the player to choose a loadout and play style that best suits them.
Hats and weapons can be gained as a random drop, through the crafting/trading systems, or via
cross-promotion Cross-promotion is a form of marketing promotion where customers of one product or service are targeted with promotion of a related product. A typical example is cross-media marketing of a brand; for example, Oprah Winfrey's promotion on her telev ...
: Limited-edition hats and weapons have been awarded for pre-ordering or gaining
Achievements in other content from Steam, both from Valve (such as ''
Left 4 Dead 2
''Left 4 Dead 2'' is a 2009 first-person shooter video game developed and published by Valve. The sequel to '' Left 4 Dead'' (2008) and the second game in the '' Left 4 Dead'' series, it was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in November ...
''
and ''
Alien Swarm
''Alien Swarm'' is a multiplayer top-down shooter video game developed by Valve. It is a remake of a mod for ''Unreal Tournament 2004'', and it was developed by the original team, who were hired by Valve during the course of the development pr ...
''
) or other third-party games such as ''
Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse'', ''
Worms Reloaded'', ''
Killing Floor'',
or ''
Poker Night at the Inventory'' (which features the Heavy class as a character). According to Robin Walker, Valve introduced these additional hats as an indirect means for players to show status within the game or their affiliation with another game series simply by visual appearance.
The Pyro, Heavy, and Spy all function as a single playable character in the PC release of ''
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
is a kart racing game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega. It was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U in November 2012; for PlayStation Vita in December 2012; for Windows in January 2013; for Nintendo 3DS in February ...
''. The Pyro, Medic, Engineer, and Heavy appear as playable characters in ''
Dungeon of the Endless''. The Pyro was added as a playable character to Killing Floor in 2010,
along with appearing as a henchman in the 2021 game ''
Evil Genius 2''.
The game's first television commercial premiered during the first episode of the fifth season of ''
The Venture Bros.
''The Venture Bros.'' is an American adult animated action comedy television series created by Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer for Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. Following a pilot episode on February 16, 2003, the s ...
'' in June 2013, featuring in-game accessories that were created with the help of
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (stylized as dult swim
Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representativ ...
and s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...
.
Valve has licensed intellectual property from ''Team Fortress 2'' to many different game development and pop culture companies. Valve has collaborated with
NECA an
threezeroto produce action figures of the nine classes. Valve has also licensed ''Team Fortress 2''
's classes to
Funko
Funko Inc. is an American company that manufactures Brand licensing, licensed and limited popular culture, pop culture collectibles, known for its licensed Polyvinyl chloride, vinyl figurines and bobbleheads. In addition, the company produces li ...
, who released POP! vinyls of the Heavy, Medic and Scout in 2017. In 2014, Valve licensed the classes for use in the FaceRig program. ''Team Fortress 2'' classes have also featured in ''Evil Genius 2'' and ''
Fall Guys
''Fall Guys'' (formerly known as ''Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout'' is a free-to-play Platform game, platform battle royale game developed by Mediatonic and originally published by Devolver Digital for the PlayStation 4 and Windows. It was acqu ...
''.
Items and economy
In ''Team Fortress 2'', players can trade with others for items such as weapons and cosmetics. This functionality was added in the 2010 Mann-Conomy Update, alongside being able to purchase items through an in-game store with real money. Operating largely through informal
gray market
A grey market or dark market (sometimes confused with the similar term " parallel market") is the trade of a commodity through distribution channels that are not authorised by the original manufacturer or trademark proprietor. Grey market prod ...
s before the introduction of the official
Steam Community Market, trading items made players susceptible to fraud.
''Team Fortress 2'' features an in-built item valuing system known as an item quality, assigned to a given instance of an item through a variety of different means and ranging from "Normal" items used as the stock weapons of each class, to "Unique" items used as the base obtainable items from the item drop or achievement systems, to far rarer qualities such as "Strange", "Unusual" or "Decorated" which feature special cosmetic effects that can immensely increase the market value of a given item; Strange items keep track of kills or other objectives achieved while equipped in-game while Unusual items feature item-specific particle effects, with both Strange and Unusual items being obtainable through rare crafting items or randomly obtained in place of the far more common Unique items. Decorated items are instead redeemed from rare items known as "war paints", awarding the player a weapon retextured with a pseudo-random cosmetic skin. Other qualities include "Vintage", awarded to older items to compensate for changes in obtainability, and "Collector's", created through combining 200 Unique instances of a single item.
Cosmetics and war paints are typically released through seasonal "cases" that award a random item from an associated collection unique to the given season of a specific year. Such items are additionally assigned a "grade" from "Civilian" to "Mercenary" to track their relative rarity within a collection.
The ''Mann versus Machine'' mode introduced unique live service rewards, including
killstreak
A winning streak, also known as a win streak or hot streak, is an uninterrupted sequence of success in games or competitions, commonly measured by at least three wins that are uninterrupted by losses or ties. In sports, it can be applied to tea ...
-tracking attachment "kits" for weapons, and "Botkiller" and "Australium" variants of existing weapons that act as Strange weapons by default.

On
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...
of 2012, a particular item was added called "Something Special for Someone Special", a $100
wedding ring
A wedding ring or wedding band is a finger ring that indicates that its wearer is married. It is usually forged from metal, traditionally gold or another precious metal. Rings were used in ancient Rome during marriage.
In western culture, a ...
that can be gifted to other players. Upon receiving and accepting the ring, a message is broadcast to everyone currently in-game, noting the player and recipient's names as well as the name used on the ring. This item has been described by various news outlets as "humorous". The item's ability to display text globally has been used to share messages, troll, or protest.
Third-party websites such as the
crowd-sourced
Crowdsourcing involves a large group of dispersed participants contributing or producing goods or services—including ideas, votes, micro-tasks, and finances—for payment or as volunteers. Contemporary crowdsourcing often involves digit ...
''backpack
.tf'' have been created to aid users in trading, as well as track the value of in-game items. Crate keys, crafting-metal, and in-game items such as an Earbuds cosmetic (also referred to as "buds") are all used as currency due to their value. Keys are a preferred currency as of 2025, with a fixed Steam price of US$2.18 each, though some
inflation
In economics, inflation is an increase in the average price of goods and services in terms of money. This increase is measured using a price index, typically a consumer price index (CPI). When the general price level rises, each unit of curre ...
has nonetheless driven the market value down to around $1.80.
[Stanton, Rich]
"Team Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with 'the absolute best hat you can get' going for around $40K"
''PC Gamer'', 10 January 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
The economy of ''Team Fortress 2'' has received significant attention from economists, journalists, and users due to its relative sophistication and the value of many of its in-game items. It has often been the subject of study. It operates on a system of
supply and demand
In microeconomics, supply and demand is an economic model of price determination in a Market (economics), market. It postulates that, Ceteris_paribus#Applications, holding all else equal, the unit price for a particular Good (economics), good ...
,
barter
In trade, barter (derived from ''bareter'') is a system of exchange (economics), exchange in which participants in a financial transaction, transaction directly exchange good (economics), goods or service (economics), services for other goods ...
, and
scarcity value, akin to many real-world economies such as
that of the United States. In 2011, it was reported that the economy of ''Team Fortress 2'' was worth over US$50 million.
On July 6, 2018, Valve released a patch that prevents opening crates in
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
and the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
due to local laws
making loot boxes illegal.
In what became known as "The Crate Depression" (a pun on "
The Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank an ...
"), a bug contained in the update released on July 25, 2019 caused certain older series of Crates to always produce Unusual-grade cosmetic items, compared to the nominal 1% chance. The flood of the items damaged the in-game economy as the market prices of the Unusual items dropped precipitously in value. The bug was fixed the next day, and Valve prohibited the exchange of Unusual-grade items obtained via the bug. Valve would later decide that the first Unusual-grade item any player received from the bug would be made tradable while any subsequent items were only usable by the player who received them. A similar glitch briefly affected killstreak kits by allowing them to be attached to any item, including cosmetics. The glitched items did not have killstreak functionality and the error was resolved after a single night, but the affected items were not reverted and retained full tradability, making them exceptionally valuable due to their rarity.
[
Cosmetic items can frequently sell for thousands of dollars each, depending on base rarity and additional effects. Notably expensive hats include the "Hat of Undeniable Wealth and Respect", of which only around 750 were created in a community event, and the "Team Captain" hat with a "Burning Flames" unusual effect which has proven a staple of higher-end transactions. A record for the single largest trade in the game's history was set in 2025, appraised at upwards of $43,200 for an instance of the "Crone's Dome" witch hat. The item combined a "Spellbound" unusual effect with a pair of extremely limited "spell" item modifiers and a glitched killstreak kit, greatly inflating its value through both raw rarity and the thematically consistent cosmetic effects.][
]
Reception and legacy
''Team Fortress 2'' received widespread critical acclaim, with overall scores of 92/100 "universal acclaim" on Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
. Many reviewers praised the cartoon-styled graphics, and the resulting light-hearted gameplay, and the use of distinct personalities and appearances for the classes impressed a number of critics, with ''PC Gamer UK
''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games mag ...
'' stating that "until now multiplayer games just haven't had it". Similarly, the game modes were received well, ''GamePro
''GamePro'' was an American multiplatform video game magazine media company that published online and print content covering the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software. The magazine featured content on various video ...
'' described the settings as focusing "on just simple fun", while several reviewers praised Valve for the map "Hydro" and its attempts to create a game mode with variety in each map. Additional praise was bestowed on the game's level design, game balance and teamwork promotion. ''Team Fortress 2'' has received several awards individually for its multiplayer gameplay and its graphical style, as well as having received a number of "game of the year" awards as part of ''The Orange Box
''The Orange Box'' is a video game compilation containing five games developed and published by Valve. Two of the games included—'' Half-Life 2'' and its first stand-alone expansion, '' Episode One''—had previously been released in 2004 ...
''.
Although ''Team Fortress 2'' was well received, its removal of class-specific grenades, a feature of previous ''Team Fortress'' incarnations, was controversial amongst reviewers. IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
expressed some disappointment over this, while conversely, ''PC Gamer UK'' approved, stating "grenades have been removed entirely—thank God". Some further criticism came over a variety of issues, such as the lack of extra content such as bots
The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) or alternatively referred to as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are the fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom that, ...
(although Valve has since added bots in an update), problems of players finding their way around maps due to the lack of a minimap, and some criticism of the Medic class being too passive and repetitive in its nature. The Medic class has since been re-tooled by Valve, giving it new unlockable weapons and abilities.
''Team Fortress 2'' was nominated in the categories of " Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction" and " Outstanding Achievement in Animation" at the 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards
The ''11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards'' was the 11th edition of the Interactive Achievement Awards, an annual awards event that honored the best games in the video game industry during 2007. The awards were arranged by the Academy of ...
; as part of ''The Orange Box
''The Orange Box'' is a video game compilation containing five games developed and published by Valve. Two of the games included—'' Half-Life 2'' and its first stand-alone expansion, '' Episode One''—had previously been released in 2004 ...
'' compilation, it was awarded with "Computer Game of the Year" (shared with '' Half-Life 2: Episode Two'' and ''Portal
Portal may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Gaming
* ''Portal'' (series), a series of video games developed by Valve
** ''Portal'' (video game), a 2007 video game, the first in the series
** '' Portal 2'', the 2011 sequel
** '' Portal Stori ...
'').
With the "Gold Rush Update" in April 2008, Valve had started to add fundamentals of character customization through unlockable weapons for each class, which continued in subsequent updates, most notably the "Sniper vs. Spy Update" in April 2009, which introduced unlockable cosmetic items into the game. Further updates expanded the number of weapons and cosmetics available, but also introduced monetization options, eventually allowing it to go free-to-play. To this end, ''Team Fortress 2'' is considered one of the first games to offer games as a service
In the video game industry, a live service game (also referred to as games as a service, abbrevated to GaaS) represents providing video games or game content on a continuing revenue model, similar to software as a service. Live service games are ...
, a feature which would become more prevalent in the 2010s.
Fandom
After release, the game gained a strong following on YouTube, which proved instrumental in rallying support for combatting the bot crisis. The wide availability of the in-game assets has led to a wide range of ''Team Fortress'' fan works across Source Filmmaker, Garry's Mod
''Garry's Mod'', commonly clipped as ''GMod'', is a 2006 sandbox game developed by Facepunch Studios and published by Valve. The base game mode of ''Garry's Mod'' has no set objectives and provides the player with a world in which to fre ...
, and Blender
A blender (sometimes called a mixer (from Latin ''mixus, the PPP of miscere eng. to Mix)'' or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary ...
. Such work typically made use of sentence mixing to voice characters, though some would come to include original voice acting as well. The Saxxy Awards featured many ''Team Fortress''-related works, and the community has also received attention for internet phenomena like the "Gmod-infused pisstake" ''Heavy is Dead''. Praise has been directed towards The Winglet, a Source animator on Youtube responsible for the crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Music
Albums
* ''Cross Over'' (album), a 1987 album by Dan Peek, or the title song
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'', an album by Intrigue
* ''Crossover'', an album by ...
''TF2 vs Overwatch
''Overwatch'' (abbreviated as OW) is a multimedia franchise centered on a series of multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) video games developed by Blizzard Entertainment. ''Overwatch (video game), Overwatch'' was released in 2016 with a success ...
'' and the action comedy
The action comedy is a film genre that applies to action films where humor plays a much more central role. While early films feature stuntwork and humor, academic Cynthia King wrote that the genre only came into its own as a mainstay of the America ...
series ''The Fedora Chronicles'', in particular the latter's 20-minute third installment "Live and Let Spy". The 2023 fan-film ''Emesis Blue
''Emesis Blue'' is a 2023 Australian animated independent film, independent psychological horror fan film based on the multiplayer first-person shooter game ''Team Fortress 2''. The film was produced entirely in Source Filmmaker, by the fan group ...
'' received acclaim as a feature-length work of mainstream psychological horror
Psychological horror is a genre, subgenre of horror fiction, horror and psychological fiction with a particular focus on mental, emotional, and Mental state, psychological states to frighten, disturb, or unsettle its audience. The subgenre freque ...
.[Bumpus, Kayvon]
"Mercs and Mortality: ''Emesis Blue'', a Fan-Made ''Team Fortress 2'' Horror Flick"
''Bright Lights Film Journal
''Bright Lights Film Journal'' is an online popular-academic film magazine, based in Oakland, California, United States. It is edited and published by Gary Morris.
Originally a print publication established in 1974, it was discontinued in 1980 t ...
'', 16 April 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.[Garner, Robin]
"''Emesis Blue'' is a horror movie for ''TF2'' fans"
''The Standard'', 5 April 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
Fans of ''Team Fortress Classic
''Team Fortress Classic'' is a first-person shooter game developed by Valve Corporation, Valve and published by Sierra Studios. It was originally released in April 1999 for Windows, and is based on ''Team Fortress'', a Mod (video gaming), mod f ...
'' have made a total conversion mod of ''Team Fortress 2'' titled '' Team Fortress 2 Classic'', which seeks to marry gameplay elements and concepts from both entries alongside scrapped ideas from the sequel's development cycle and several entirely original additions.
In 2020, some content creators in the ''Team Fortress 2'' community began using 15.ai
15.ai is a free non-commercial web application and research project that uses artificial intelligence to generate text-to-speech voices of fictional characters from popular media. Created by a Pseudonym, pseudonymous artificial intelligence res ...
, an artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...
text-to-speech tool that could replicate the voices of the characters. The technology lead to viral content like ''Spy Is a Furry'', ''The RED Bread Bank'', and remakes of other animations like ''Heavy is Dead''. The tool's ability to generate speech with emotional inflections saw widespread use in TF2 fan content creation
Content creation or content creative is the act of producing and sharing information or media content for specific audiences, particularly in digital contexts. According to '' Dictionary.com'', content refers to "something that is to be expresse ...
.
See also
* 2Fort
2Fort, also known by its file name ctf_2fort, is a Multiplayer video game, multiplayer Level (video gaming), map playable in the first-person shooter games ''Quake Team Fortress'', ''Team Fortress Classic'', ''Team Fortress 2'', and in the mult ...
* The Orange Box
''The Orange Box'' is a video game compilation containing five games developed and published by Valve. Two of the games included—'' Half-Life 2'' and its first stand-alone expansion, '' Episode One''—had previously been released in 2004 ...
Notes
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
External links
*
Official Wiki
{{Authority control
Team Fortress
2007 video games
Fictional nonets
First-person shooter multiplayer online games
First-person shooters
Free-to-play video games
Hero shooters
Linux games
MacOS games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Multiplayer online games
PlayStation 3 games
Source (game engine) games
Valve Corporation games
Video game sequels
Video games about robots
Video games adapted into comics
Video games developed in the United States
Video games scored by Mike Morasky
Video games set in New Mexico
Video games set in the 1960s
Video games set in the 1970s
Video games using Havok
Video games with commentaries
Video games with Steam Workshop support
Virtual reality games
Windows games
Xbox 360 games