Mann vs. Machine's been up and running for over a week now, and we've been hard at work since we launched to make the experience even better. We've upgraded our matchmaking system and given a huge boost to our server count, reducing the average wait for Mann Up Mode down to a minute or less, and Boot Camp to around two minutes. So you should be able to get in to play a lot faster, and get matched up with people a lot closer to you.

Also, guess whose birthday it is? Did you guess Team Fortress or Valve? Well, technically sure, both are sixteen years old today. But more importantly, today is the birthday of high-wattage Hollywood megastar Steve Guttenberg, who is probably 112 years old today, if we had to guess.

<img src="http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/guttenberg_bday.jpg" width="440" height="292" border="0">

In celebration of all of these birthdays, and birthdays in general, Birthday Mode is active in the game! Happy sweet sixteen, everybody! We're not going anywhere! Long term, we mean. Short term we <i>are</i> going somewhere, because Team Fortress is now old enough to drive, so we're gonna go Tokyo Drift over to the cake store.

Mann vs. Machine's been up and running for over a week now, and we've been hard at work since we launched to make the experience even better. We've upgraded our matchmaking system and given a huge boost to our server count, reducing the average wait for Mann Up Mode down to a minute or less, and Boot Camp to around two minutes. So you should be able to get in to play a lot faster, and get matched up with people a lot closer to you.

Also, guess whose birthday it is? Did you guess Team Fortress or Valve? Well, technically sure, both are sixteen years old today. But more importantly, today is the birthday of high-wattage Hollywood megastar Steve Guttenberg, who is probably 112 years old today, if we had to guess.



In celebration of all of these birthdays, and birthdays in general, Birthday Mode is active in the game! Happy sweet sixteen, everybody! We're not going anywhere! Long term, we mean. Short term we are going somewhere, because Team Fortress is now old enough to drive, so we're gonna go Tokyo Drift over to the cake store.

<a href="http://iseries.multiplay.co.uk/i46/tournaments/event/team-fortress-2" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/insomnia_festival.jpg" width="440" height="244" border="0"></a>

<p>The <a href="http://iseries.multiplay.co.uk/">Multiplay Insomnia Gaming Festival</a> in Telford, England is UK's biggest LAN tournament, and unquestionably one of the <a href="http://iseries.multiplay.co.uk/i46/tournaments/event/team-fortress-2">highest profile TF2 competitions in the world</a>. One thing it <i>didn't</i> have until recently, though, was any American representation. E-sports broadcaster <a href="http://www.extelevision.com/">eXTV</a> has been spearheading a fundraiser to get our boys in the fight, and the TF2 community has responded, <a href="http://extv.chipin.com/i46-multiplay-north-american-contingent">donating the money</a> for airfare, PCs, and accommodations to get <a href="http://www.teamfortress.tv/articles/view/43">America's top TF2 players</a> to the 6v6 tournament.

We couldn't be happier to hear this, firstly because it once again proves that TF2's got the most generous community in gaming history, and secondly because <b>U! S! A! U! S! A!</b> Actually, there might be some Canadians on the team. <b>Close! E! Nough! Close! E! Nough!</b>

The Multiplay Insomnia Gaming Festival in Telford, England is UK's biggest LAN tournament, and unquestionably one of the highest profile TF2 competitions in the world. One thing it didn't have until recently, though, was any American representation. E-sports broadcaster eXTV has been spearheading a fundraiser to get our boys in the fight, and the TF2 community has responded, donating the money for airfare, PCs, and accommodations to get America's top TF2 players to the 6v6 tournament.

We couldn't be happier to hear this, firstly because it once again proves that TF2's got the most generous community in gaming history, and secondly because U! S! A! U! S! A! Actually, there might be some Canadians on the team. Close! E! Nough! Close! E! Nough!

<a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/saxxyawards2012/"><img src="http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/saxxy2012.jpg" width="440" height="360" border="0"></a>

If you watched last night’s <a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/full-episodes/ncis3o/gt-tv-valve">GT.TV special about Valve</a>, you already know that we’re holding the second annual Saxxy Awards this fall. What you don’t know is that we’ve decided to make the Saxxy’s a lot more like an illegal underground martial-arts bloodsport. That’s right: This year <i>there are no rules.</i> There are, however, a whole bunch of brutal laws, traditions, commandments and decrees, plus some rules, which we’ve assembled in a handy bullet-pointed list on the <a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/saxxyawards2012/">official Saxxy website</a>. Kumite!

If you watched last night’s GT.TV special about Valve, you already know that we’re holding the second annual Saxxy Awards this fall. What you don’t know is that we’ve decided to make the Saxxy’s a lot more like an illegal underground martial-arts bloodsport. That’s right: This year there are no rules. There are, however, a whole bunch of brutal laws, traditions, commandments and decrees, plus some rules, which we’ve assembled in a handy bullet-pointed list on the official Saxxy website. Kumite!

<a href="http://steamcommunity.com/app/440"><img src="http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/tf2_gamehub.jpg" width="440" height="337" border="0"></a>

Interesting math fact: If you added up every Steam Screenshot, every YouTube clip linked from a Steam account, and every Workshop item you guys have created together, you'd have over <b>89,000,000 pieces of community-generated content.</b> Wow, is that a big number. And since we take the time to print out every TF2 screenshot, transfer every TF2 video to DVD, and lovingly whittle every TF2 item you design out of soap, the TF2 offices are getting a little cluttered. A load-bearing picture stack in the screenshot district toppled over last week, and the fire department suggested we create some sort of central online hub for this stuff before somebody died.

Introducing the <a href="http://steamcommunity.com/app/440">TF2 Game Hub,</a> a central repository of community-created and official content, as rated by you, the Steam users—game-centric discussions, workshop items, screenshots, videos, news. It's all here, under a single virtual roof.

And this is just the first step. We plan to have a hub for every game on Steam—<a href="http://www.steamcommunity.com/communitycontent">click here</a> to find out more about the new Steam Community. We're sending out an invite-only beta for the Community today, but the TF2 hub's outside the beta and visible to everyone, so feel welcome to drop by and check out some of the new features.

Interesting math fact: If you added up every Steam Screenshot, every YouTube clip linked from a Steam account, and every Workshop item you guys have created together, you'd have over 89,000,000 pieces of community-generated content. Wow, is that a big number. And since we take the time to print out every TF2 screenshot, transfer every TF2 video to DVD, and lovingly whittle every TF2 item you design out of soap, the TF2 offices are getting a little cluttered. A load-bearing picture stack in the screenshot district toppled over last week, and the fire department suggested we create some sort of central online hub for this stuff before somebody died.

Introducing the TF2 Game Hub, a central repository of community-created and official content, as rated by you, the Steam users—game-centric discussions, workshop items, screenshots, videos, news. It's all here, under a single virtual roof.

And this is just the first step. We plan to have a hub for every game on Steam—click here to find out more about the new Steam Community. We're sending out an invite-only beta for the Community today, but the TF2 hub's outside the beta and visible to everyone, so feel welcome to drop by and check out some of the new features.

<a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/mvm/"><img src="http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/mvm_mannup_day3_blog.jpg" width="440" height="330" border="0"></a>

All right, men! This is it! Gray Mann's robot army is HERE! The Mann vs. Machine war has begun!

The robots are at our doorstep, men, and trust me – they are not going to be asking for a cup of sugar. No! These monsters are going to <i>break down</i> our doors, <i>take</i> our sugar, and sprinkle it on our <i>graves!</i>

While you sassy little sweet peas are chewing on that, strap on your book-goggles and prepare to learn about <a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/mvm/faq/">Mann Up Mode!</a> And <a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/mvm/bounty/">loot and achievements!</a> And a <a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/mvm/decoy/">new map</a> designed by ME! <i>Hup hup hup!</i> Eyes left! Eyes right! Eyes left! Eyes right! Now you are READING, puddin' cups!

All right, men! This is it! Gray Mann's robot army is HERE! The Mann vs. Machine war has begun!

The robots are at our doorstep, men, and trust me – they are not going to be asking for a cup of sugar. No! These monsters are going to break down our doors, take our sugar, and sprinkle it on our graves!

While you sassy little sweet peas are chewing on that, strap on your book-goggles and prepare to learn about Mann Up Mode! And loot and achievements! And a new map designed by ME! Hup hup hup! Eyes left! Eyes right! Eyes left! Eyes right! Now you are READING, puddin' cups!