Feb 21, 2013
Left 4 Dead 2 official servers add Helm’s Deep Reborn map to rotation
Left 4 Dead 2
Left 4 Dead 2 Helms Deep Reborn


For Rohan! Valve's Left 4 Dead team writes that Left 4 Dead 2 servers now run Team Chivalry and SeriouS Samurai's LOTR-inspired Survival mode map by default for players who subscribe to the map's Workshop entry. It's a celebratory move for a recent dedicated server fix and the ongoing beta for the Extended Mutation System, but c'mon—do you really need a reason to defend a massive stone fortress against waves of Saruman's mightiest undead?

I haven't run for my life in Left 4 Dead 2 in quite a while, but awaiting rescue from Gandalf while possibly yelling "AND MY CHAINSAW" into my microphone sounds like just the kind of fun to hook me back in.
Feb 20, 2013
Team Fortress 2, CS: Source migrating to SteamPipe delivery – here’s what you need to do
Counter-Strike: Source
Counter-Strike Source


Whenever you download and install a game on Steam, the files rest neatly on your hard drive like a well-pressed stack of laundry for quick access and organization of custom mod files. Some older Source games creak along on an older format from an earlier age in Steam's saga, but in a new FAQ, Valve says it's converting the guts of these games to use the SteamPipe content delivery system for faster load times and an updated file layout.

Counter-Strike: Source, Day of Defeat: Source, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, and Team Fortress 2 will soon traverse over to the steamapps/common section of your Steam folder instead of the older steamapps/ destination. The conversion is automatic: Valve says you'll need enough disk space "for about two full copies of the game" as it changes over.

Modders and mod users have a little bit of extra homework to do to ensure everything works. Custom files will need to be copied manually over to the new directory, and mod authors should start packaging their works as VPK files instead of in a ZIP.

ZIP files still work in a pinch, as Valve describes it:

"For example, if the ZIP contains custom player models that look like (heaven forbid) ponies, and one of the files is materials/models/player/scout/scout_head.vtf, then you might make a dirctory such as tf/addons/i_love_ponies. You should unzip the mod such that the custom scout head texture ends up at tf/addons/i_love_ponies/materials/models/player/scout/scout_head.vtf."

Check out the rest of Valve's FAQ for more detailed info on the changes SteamPipe brings. You can also download and join the ongoing Team Fortress 2 beta to see the updates for yourself.
Feb 20, 2013
We are Helms Deep In It
Left 4 Dead 2 - Chet
<center><img src='http://media.steampowered.com/steam/news/9983/helmsdeep.jpg?t=1361312336'></center>
With today’s update, we fixed an issue with dedicated servers and workshop content. This should resolve some of the consistency issues people are seeing while playing on a dedicated server.

Server operators will need to move workshop content from addons to addons/workshop for it to work correctly – sorry about that.

To celebrate, we are adding Helm’s Deep Reborn to our own official servers. Gone is the long explanation of how to download and install the campaign. Now – just <a href="http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=121068229">visit its workshop page</a> and click subscribe. Next time you open Left 4 Dead 2 it will begin to download. If the campaign gets updated – it updates automatically for you. It’s that easy.

Make sure to choose official servers when you play to join one of our servers. It is a survival only campaign, so it is not playable in other modes and you need to make sure it has finished downloading to play it.

We are also continuing to work on the Extended Mutation System in the <a href="http://steamcommunity.com/groups/L4D2WSVB">L4D2 Beta</a> with an ever widening group of modders pushing gameplay into new and old places. We just released a new example mutation that allows you to play L4D1 style inside of L4D2! We are working with the content creators and adding features before we release this new tool and its many creations onto the world – stay tuned.
Feb 20, 2013
We are Helms Deep In It
Left 4 Dead 2 - Chet
<center></center>
With today’s update, we fixed an issue with dedicated servers and workshop content. This should resolve some of the consistency issues people are seeing while playing on a dedicated server.

Server operators will need to move workshop content from addons to addons/workshop for it to work correctly – sorry about that.

To celebrate, we are adding Helm’s Deep Reborn to our own official servers. Gone is the long explanation of how to download and install the campaign. Now – just visit its workshop page and click subscribe. Next time you open Left 4 Dead 2 it will begin to download. If the campaign gets updated – it updates automatically for you. It’s that easy.

Make sure to choose official servers when you play to join one of our servers. It is a survival only campaign, so it is not playable in other modes and you need to make sure it has finished downloading to play it.

We are also continuing to work on the Extended Mutation System in the L4D2 Beta with an ever widening group of modders pushing gameplay into new and old places. We just released a new example mutation that allows you to play L4D1 style inside of L4D2! We are working with the content creators and adding features before we release this new tool and its many creations onto the world – stay tuned.
Feb 20, 2013
We are Helms Deep In It
Left 4 Dead
With today s update, we fixed an issue with dedicated servers and workshop content. This should resolve some of the consistency issues people are seeing while playing on a dedicated server.

Server operators will need to move workshop content from addons to addons/workshop for it to work correctly sorry about that.

To celebrate, we are adding Helm s Deep Reborn to our own official servers. Gone is the long explanation of how to download and install the campaign. Now just visit its workshop page and click subscribe. Next time you open Left 4 Dead 2 it will begin to download. If the campaign gets updated it updates automatically for you. It s that easy.

Feb 19, 2013
Left 4 Dead 2 - Update
Left 4 Dead 2 - Valve
- Added support for dedicated servers to load addons from the "workshop" subdirectory. Fixes consistency errors when playing workshop campaigns on dedicated servers.

NOTE TO SERVER OPERATORS: To host workshop campaigns on your dedicated server, they should now be placed in the same location as on the client (/left4dead2/addons/workshop/…) Campaigns not downloaded from the workshop can still go in the "addons" directory.
Feb 18, 2013
Team Fortress 2 Update Released
Team Fortress 2
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:
  • Added new promo items
    • The Brütal Bouffant
    • The Shred Alert
  • Fixed UGC Season 8 medals not using the correct colors
  • Updated the material for the Buck Turner All-Stars
Feb 18, 2013
Team Fortress 2 Update Released
Team Fortress 2 - Valve
An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

  • Added new promo items
    • The Brütal Bouffant
    • The Shred Alert
  • Fixed UGC Season 8 medals not using the correct colors
  • Updated the material for the Buck Turner All-Stars
Feb 15, 2013
Team Fortress 2, Day of Defeat: Source and Half-Life 2: Deathmatch Updates Released
Day of Defeat: Source - Valve
Updates to Team Fortress 2, Day of Defeat: Source and Half-Life 2: Deathmatch have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include:


Source Engine Changes (TF2, DoD:S, HL2:DM)
  • Fixed a material system client crash for the Linux version

Team Fortress 2
  • Added a new promo item
  • Fixed not seeing Medigun particle beams while healing players in DirectX 8
  • Fixed the Blue team Stickybomb Launcher using the Scottish Resistance material when dropped into the world
  • Fixed the Black Rose and the Botkiller Wrench using the Red team arms skin while on the Blue team
  • Updated the Faerie Solitaire Pin so it can be crafted, traded and gift-wrapped
Feb 15, 2013
Team Fortress 2, Day of Defeat: Source and Half-Life 2: Deathmatch Updates Released
Team Fortress 2
Updates to Team Fortress 2, Day of Defeat: Source and Half-Life 2: Deathmatch have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include:
Source Engine Changes (TF2, DoD:S, HL2:DM)
  • Fixed a material system client crash for the Linux version
Team Fortress 2
  • Added a new promo item
  • Fixed not seeing Medigun particle beams while healing players in DirectX 8
  • Fixed the Blue team Stickybomb Launcher using the Scottish Resistance material when dropped into the world
  • Fixed the Black Rose and the Botkiller Wrench using the Red team arms skin while on the Blue team
  • Updated the Faerie Solitaire Pin so it can be crafted, traded and gift-wrapped
...