<a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/mechaupdate/"><img src="http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/mechaupdateislive.jpg" width="100%" border="0"></a>

This is not a test blog post! You are not dreaming! This is actually happening! Go get it! There is nothing more to say! We’re still talking! Amazingly, you’re still reading! This is getting weird! Well, we’re going to end this blog post now! You can keep reading it if you want, we guess, but we’re going to stop writing! Okay, we’re still writing! And you’re still reading. You don’t feel remorse or fear or eye strain and you will never, ever give up until all these words are read! You are the greatest reader of ALL TIME and this is the “300” of reading! Only instead of getting killed by Persians, we’re going to suggest you simply go check out the brand new, incredibly convenient <a href="http://store.teamfortress.com/">Mann Co. Online Store</a>. There’s a bunch of words there that need reading. Plus pictures.

This is not a test blog post! You are not dreaming! This is actually happening! Go get it! There is nothing more to say! We’re still talking! Amazingly, you’re still reading! This is getting weird! Well, we’re going to end this blog post now! You can keep reading it if you want, we guess, but we’re going to stop writing! Okay, we’re still writing! And you’re still reading. You don’t feel remorse or fear or eye strain and you will never, ever give up until all these words are read! You are the greatest reader of ALL TIME and this is the “300” of reading! Only instead of getting killed by Persians, we’re going to suggest you simply go check out the brand new, incredibly convenient Mann Co. Online Store. There’s a bunch of words there that need reading. Plus pictures.

<a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/mechaupdate/"><img src="http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/blog_mechaupdate.jpg" width="100%" border="0"></a>

That's right, December 25th is almost here, and that means the Smissmas season is once again upon us. Now we know some people will be celebrating a different holiday next Tuesday, and for all of <i>you</i>, let us be the first to say: Happy Constitution Day, China! But regardless of what event you're planning to honor, whether it's Quaid-e-Azam's Day, the 1837 Battle of Okeechobee, or <i>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</i> producer Rick Berman's sixty-sixth birthday, rest assured that, on the inside, we're all celebrating the same thing. And that thing is Smissmas. Because it's the best holiday. Need proof? <a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/mechaupdate">Check out all the new stuff we're shipping</a> <strong><i>soon</i></strong> in a joyful, dangerous explosion of Smissmas updating.

That's right, December 25th is almost here, and that means the Smissmas season is once again upon us. Now we know some people will be celebrating a different holiday next Tuesday, and for all of you, let us be the first to say: Happy Constitution Day, China! But regardless of what event you're planning to honor, whether it's Quaid-e-Azam's Day, the 1837 Battle of Okeechobee, or Star Trek: Deep Space Nine producer Rick Berman's sixty-sixth birthday, rest assured that, on the inside, we're all celebrating the same thing. And that thing is Smissmas. Because it's the best holiday. Need proof? Check out all the new stuff we're shipping soon in a joyful, dangerous explosion of Smissmas updating.

<a href="http://video.adultswim.com/presents/valve/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/adultswimnewitems.jpg" width="100%" border="0"></a>

What's this? Adult Swim gear for Team Fortress? It's true! Scout sent away for a Monarch Henchboy costume ages ago and we can’t wait to see him die in it. Our bet is that he’ll get his blood punched out of him by Heavy. Heavy’s been begging for a chance to kill someone in his new Tennessee Top Hat.

Soon you’ll be able to represent your Adult Swim classics with Team Fortress versions of the Monarch’s Henchmen, Dr. Rockzo, Carl, and Brock Samson. We’re thinking now would be a great time to try out the <a href="http://www.sourcefilmmaker.com/"> Source Filmmaker</a> and recreate some of your favorite Adult Swim moments.

Check out <a href="http://video.adultswim.com/presents/valve/">the page</a> that our friends at Adult Swim put together.

What's this? Adult Swim gear for Team Fortress? It's true! Scout sent away for a Monarch Henchboy costume ages ago and we can’t wait to see him die in it. Our bet is that he’ll get his blood punched out of him by Heavy. Heavy’s been begging for a chance to kill someone in his new Tennessee Top Hat.

Soon you’ll be able to represent your Adult Swim classics with Team Fortress versions of the Monarch’s Henchmen, Dr. Rockzo, Carl, and Brock Samson. We’re thinking now would be a great time to try out the Source Filmmaker and recreate some of your favorite Adult Swim moments.

Check out the page that our friends at Adult Swim put together.

<a href="http://www.steamcommunity.com/market/"><img src="http://media.steampowered.com/apps/tf2/market_blog.jpg"></a>

As part of our ongoing efforts to gradually phase out all Earth money in favor of Team Fortress hats, we're kicking off the TF2-only beta of our new Steam Community Market! The Market should improve trading in every way: People looking for specific items will be able to locate them faster, folks looking to sell items will find the process a lot more efficient, and best of all, we've made it easier for everybody to translate playing TF2 into buying games on Steam.

While the Market is in beta, we're limiting trading, buying and selling to one-time consumable items while we're ironing out the kinks. Also, items you buy will be subject to transaction fees; read more about it in the <a href="https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=6088-UDXM-7214">FAQ</a>.

If you'd like to learn more about the Community Market—or even more importantly, give us the feedback we need to make it better—be sure to visit the <a href="http://steamcommunity.com/groups/community_market">Steam Community Market group</a>.

As part of our ongoing efforts to gradually phase out all Earth money in favor of Team Fortress hats, we're kicking off the TF2-only beta of our new Steam Community Market! The Market should improve trading in every way: People looking for specific items will be able to locate them faster, folks looking to sell items will find the process a lot more efficient, and best of all, we've made it easier for everybody to translate playing TF2 into buying games on Steam.

While the Market is in beta, we're limiting trading, buying and selling to one-time consumable items while we're ironing out the kinks. Also, items you buy will be subject to transaction fees; read more about it in the FAQ.

If you'd like to learn more about the Community Market—or even more importantly, give us the feedback we need to make it better—be sure to visit the Steam Community Market group.

<a href="http://www.gamingheads.com/newsletters/0540569cf39d0ee1ada21d70ca198e780b.html"><img src="http://media.steampowered.com/steam/news/9574/sniperstatue.jpg?t=1355266186" width="100%" border="0"></a>

It probably wouldn't surprise you to learn that a professional assassin like myself tends to be... <i>discrete</i> about things. We keep to the shadows. We <i>avoid</i> the spotlight. We don't host bloody dinner parties, is my point, and we don't make <b>big bloody statues in effigy to our bloody selves.</b>

Well, nobody bothered to tell the folks at Gaming Heads, since they only went ahead and turned me into a <b><a href="http://www.gamingheads.com/newsletters/0540569cf39d0ee1ada21d70ca198e780b.html">fourteen-inch-tall embarrassment to professionals everywhere.</a></b> Two months ago Saxton Hale showed up at my door with a clipboard, a pen, and some girl he claimed was his niece, asking me to pledge five dollars for a charity walk. I wish I'd read the fine print, since Mann Co. now owns my likeness rights until the year 7039.

Anyway, the statue's out now, so if your daughter already has dolls that cry and soil themselves, why not buy her one that kills people for money? Give her a career goal. Because I guarantee you wetting your pants is not a paying job.

<b><i>—Sniper</i></b>

It probably wouldn't surprise you to learn that a professional assassin like myself tends to be... discrete about things. We keep to the shadows. We avoid the spotlight. We don't host bloody dinner parties, is my point, and we don't make big bloody statues in effigy to our bloody selves.

Well, nobody bothered to tell the folks at Gaming Heads, since they only went ahead and turned me into a fourteen-inch-tall embarrassment to professionals everywhere. Two months ago Saxton Hale showed up at my door with a clipboard, a pen, and some girl he claimed was his niece, asking me to pledge five dollars for a charity walk. I wish I'd read the fine print, since Mann Co. now owns my likeness rights until the year 7039.

Anyway, the statue's out now, so if your daughter already has dolls that cry and soil themselves, why not buy her one that kills people for money? Give her a career goal. Because I guarantee you wetting your pants is not a paying job.

—Sniper