An update has been released for Portal:

- Fixed some fire effects not working in some mods.

Thirteen years ago, we launched Mann vs. Machine, a chilling cautionary tale where an artificial consciousness tried to take all our jobs. You didn't know it back then, but that was actually a literary device called "speculative" fiction, where writers (us) accurately predict the future (the present), but then hide it so as not to cause widespread panic.

In an effort to keep panic levels low, and apropos of nothing, we'd like to tell you a story: Once upon a time, a Mann vs. Machine mode in a video game was getting a much-needed update. And so a brave blog post writer (us again) asked the community to submit Mann vs. Machine maps and missions in time for that update. (For the sake of this panic-reducing speculative fantasy, let's put the fictional deadline at Wednesday, August 27th).

If that was the entire story, you'd already be at a low panic level but vaguely concerned about a looming dystopian future (mission accomplished). But as is traditional in the genre of speculative blog fiction, there's more! The king of the fictional land where this all happened (ancient Greece), decreed on stone tablets that even though the update was dropping right around the ancient Greek candy-harvest festival of Halloween, the maps did not need to all be Halloween-themed (first tablet) and in fact shouldn't be (second tablet).

"Though some of them COULD be," the king carved into a third tablet, held in the stone hands of a statue... of PRIMATE GEORGE WASHINGTON? No! It's just regular George Washington in a dystopian future past where our sculptors are NOT AS GOOD AS IN ANCIENT GREECE! What an ending! (The end.)

Is this tale a simple flight of gripping, well-written fancy? (No.) Or a chilling glimpse into a future that could arrive as soon as, again, Wednesday, August 27th with a second part arriving right before Halloween? (Yes, see paragraph one.)

After three Stages and six Playoff matchups, two teams have advanced to the Grand Finals of the BLAST.tv Austin Major.

Team Vitality, the #1 ranked team in the world, defeated Natus Vincere 2-0 in the Quarters and MOUZ 2-1 in the Semis to punch their ticket to the Grand Finals. This is the organization's second Grand Finals appearance and first since they won the Paris 2023 Major.

On the other side of the Playoff bracket, The MongolZ defeated both FaZe Clan and paiN Gaming 2-0, and now look to become the first Asian team to win a Major Championship.

The Grand Finals begin tomorrow, June 22nd at 12:30 CDT. Don't miss a second!

And as we enter the final day of the BLAST.tv Austin Major, team and player stickers are still available, with 50% of the proceeds going to the players, teams, and participating organizations.

Good luck to both teams!

After three Stages of the BLAST.tv Austin Major, eight teams have survived and advanced to the Playoffs. The Moody Center will host sold out crowds for four days to determine 2025’s first Major Champions.

Stage 3 saw fierce competition, with surprising upsets, come-from-behind victories and too many overtimes to count. There are stories abound in Austin, and every team has forged their own path to this moment. Who will come out on top?

Find out on Thursday, June 19th when the Playoff Stage kicks off between Team Spirit and MOUZ, and don’t forget to make picks for all Playoff Stage matches prior to the start of the first match!

As we reach the Major’s final stage, there's still time to support your favorite teams. Team and player stickers are available, with 50% of the proceeds going to the players, teams, and organizations participating in the BLAST.tv Austin Major.

See you in Austin!

AsiaFortress Liquid.tf is excited to announce its first-ever 6v6 Gibus Cup, which is a competitive TF2 tournament tailored for newcomers in the Asian region. If you're new to competitive TF2 and want to give it a try, this is the perfect place to start!

Signups are for individuals, and you will be put on a team with a dedicated coach.
Participants who play all their games will also receive an in-game medal.

This event is being hosted in loving memory of Moonchild and jR who loved Team Fortress 2 and were long-time members of their community.

Join their Discord for more information and to sign up!

Important Links:

• Twitch
  
• YouTube
  
• Twitter
  
• Discord
  
• Asiafortress

(Image credit: MetalCloud)

After a year break, TFArena is back hosting its first ever non-Arena mode event! This time they'll be running 6v6 with a twist! Many long standing weapons have been unbanned, and a unique version of cp_steel will be introduced!

Teams have until June 12th to sign-up, with the event taking place June 14th-15th. Teams from NA, EU, and SA are all welcome to join regardless of skill level!

You can sign up on the TFArena website or visit their Discord server for more information!

The BLAST.tv Austin Major is fast approaching!

Activate your Austin 2025 Viewer Pass and set your Pick'Ems before the first matches start, and you'll be well on your way to upgrading your Challenge Coin and earning Souvenir Tokens. Speaking of which...


Just like previous Majors, you'll have the opportunity to claim a memento from the match of your choice. But this time, if you choose a playoff match, you'll receive an all new Souvenir Highlight Package.

Available exclusively for playoff stage matches, Souvenir Highlight Packages contain a souvenir weapon with an attached charm that features a video highlight from the playoff map you selected. Your weapon's description will include information about the highlight, and you can view the attached clip in your CS2 inventory, in Steam, or while spectating a teammate in-match.


We're excited for everyone to get their chance to pick up a playoffs-exclusive Souvenir Highlight Package, but they will take some time to put together. So stay tuned—Souvenir Highlight Packages will be redeemable shortly after the Major comes to a close!

An update has been released for Portal:

- Fixed a client crash in particles.
- Improvements to main menu layout across all resolutions.
- Fixed effects to not produce blood spray when getting shot.
- Fixed credits text on PC so ASCII art doesn't get clipped.

An update has been released for Portal

- Fixed fire effects in the ending sequence.
- Fixed a crash in some mods when picking up a Half-Life 2 weapon.
- Fixed a main menu crash in some mods.
- Fixed chapter icon scaling in some menus.

Like a dust storm on the horizon, the BLAST.TV Austin Major is fast approaching. Join us June 3rd as the first stage of the major gets underway!

Featuring more teams than ever before, this Major promises to be the most competitive yet. And you can start supporting your favorite teams today with the Austin 2025 Viewer Pass!


Your activated Austin 2025 Viewer Pass includes a coin that you can upgrade by playing the Pick'Em challenge, along with unlimited team graffiti for the duration of the event so you can show your support everywhere you play. You'll also have the opportunity to earn (and purchase) Souvenir Tokens, redeemable for a memento from the match of your choice.


Along with the Viewer Pass and Pick'Em Challenge, today we're releasing tournament stickers featuring the logos of every participating team and the autograph of every participating player. With a bit of Texas flair, Austin Major stickers can be found in a variety of finishes so you can find the perfect look for your collection.


So mark your calendar, dust off your boots, and join us in Austin for Counter-Strike's biggest Major yet!


But that's not all!

We've partnered with Games Workshop to celebrate the Warhammer Skulls 2025 event by releasing four Warhammer 40,000-themed sticker capsules.

Themed after Warhammer 40,000 decal sheets, you'll find the Warhammer 40,000 Adeptus Astartes, Traitor Astartes, Imperium, and Xenos Sticker Capsules in-game now!