Oct 9, 2023

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:

Scream Fortress XV has arrived!

Featuring 12 new community maps: Perks, Slime, Lava Pit, Mannsylvania, Sandcastle, Spineyard, Corruption, Murky, Atoll, Woods, Sanitarium, and Devastation
Added the Bone-Chilling Bonanza Case
- Contains 25 new community-created cosmetic items that make up the Bone-Chilling Bonanza Collection
- Has a chance to give one of 4 new community-created Halloween-restricted items as a bonus item
- Has a chance to give a taunt Unusualifier as a bonus item
Added 4 new community-contributed taunts to the Mann Co. Store
- Taunt: The Crypt Creeper
- Taunt: Roar O'War
- Taunt: Neck Snap
- Taunt: Borrowed Bones
Added 20 new community-created Unusual effects
- 13 new effects for Unusual hats
- 7 new effects for Unusual taunts
All players who launch the game will receive a Soul Gargoyle if they don't already have one
- Grants access to Merasmissions and Halloween item transmutations
- Tracks Merasmissions completed and souls collected
All Halloween Contracts have been reset, allowing them to be completed again
Added new Contracts for this year's featured community maps
Completing a Halloween Contract will give players a classic Halloween item and the chance for a Bone-Chilling Bonanza Case
Continue last year's event by collecting the souls of dead players for your Soul Gargoyle by killing enemies, doing map objectives, or collecting the Soul Gargoyles that spawn in the maps
All cosmetic and taunt Cases will grant Halloween 2023 Unusual effects instead of their normal Unusual effects during the event. This does not include Crates.
Join Halloween matches by using the Special Events category in Casual
Scream Fortress XV runs through November 7th, 2023

General

Changes to help improve load times
Fixed ghost_pumpkin effect not playing correctly for the Horseless Headless Horsemann
Updated the Horror Shawl's second style to fix a problem with the materials
Fixed missing outro sequence for the Taunt: Surgeon's Squeezebox
Updated pd_farmageddon to fix blood particles for the scarecrows
Updated vsh_distillery and koth_cascade with localization fixes
Updated arena_lumberyard_event and plr_hacksaw_event to fix problems with the materials

Sep 27, 2023

Particle Mayhem 2

Team Fortress 2

(Image credit: LazerSofa, Mr. Light, Feksil, Overlord Lettuce, boba)

The Particle Mayhem contest is BACK this year with a shocking twist: they're going beyond time and space! The best part is... they want YOU to create all sorts of particles, cosmetics, and war paints for the event! The starting prize pool will be 100 keys, with more being contributed as the event progresses!

Do you think you have what it takes to travel throughout history or venture into the vast regions of space? The Particle Mayhem 2 contest runs through December 31st, 2023, at 12am UTC, so get cracking on those creations!

Visit the Particle Mayhem 2 website for more information!

Sep 12, 2023

Operation Galvanized Gauntlet

Team Fortress 2

(Image credit: washy)

The ever-persistent hordes of possibly late and definitely murderous robots have banded together for one sole purpose: delivering high-yield explosives to random locations all across the badlands! Unfortunately for them, murderous robots aren’t allowed to enjoy explosions, so they’ll be blown up for our enjoyment instead!

Operation Galvanized Gauntlet is a charity event created and hosted by Potato.TF. Fight your way through more than two dozen community-created maps and missions to finish off the summer and complete at least 12 missions to receive an in-game medal! Servers are available in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Click here to get started!

Feeling generous? Potato.TF is also hosting a charity fundraiser supporting Direct Relief's efforts to help those affected by Hawaii's wildfires. Donate as little as $5 to receive an in-game medal! Have the link to your steam profile ready and click here for more information.

Destroy those robots while you can! The event will run through October 10th, 2023.

Important Links:

Aug 31, 2023

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:

Fixed a client crash related to the dispenser and the recent addition of -unrestricted_maxplayers
Fixed the floor particles for the Pastel Trance Unusual taunt effect sometimes drawing full white
Fixed SourceTV not recording in-game chat for Mann vs. Machine defenders
Added SetStepHeight and SetMaxJumpHeight inputs to the base_boss entity
Updated the Beaten and Bruised cosmetic item
- Fixed a floating triangle when equipping the Ultra Violence style on Sniper
- Reduced the clipping for Soldier and Sniper
Updated Clubsy The Seal to be an assister in Pyrovision
Updated the models/materials for the Brimmed Bootlegger and Prohibition Opposition to fix clipping, skinning, and UV issues
Updated/Added some tournament medals
Updated Taunt: The Head Doctor
- Fixed skinning on lower LODs
- Fixed team coloring for both teams
- Adjusted animation to reduce prop clipping
Updated Taunt: The Road Rager
- Fixed skinning on lower LODs
- Adjusted animation on wheels to better match character movement
Updated pd_selbyen
- Fixed door stuck exploit
- Major optimization improvements (thanks yrrzy!)
  - Added/moved some func_occluders
  - Hinting adjustments
  - Added skyboxes and func_areaportals to separate areas better
  - Added func_areaportalwindows to unload spawn building interiors
  - Turned some small brushes into func_details
  - Adjusted some prop fades
  - Fixed slight misalignment of the yellow center buildings roof structure
  - Better lighting under the docks
  - Minor detailing changes
Updated cp_steel
- Added additional clipping where needed
- Fixed some windows clip and trip spots
- Adjusted Red respawn base times to not go over 10 (could get to 11 and 12)
- Capture point HUD layout now matches its map kin (Gravelpit and Sulfur)
- Updated map menu images to the present day (1970)
- Reduced one-way door speed to stop ejecting players into orbit
- Rebuilt B Red spawn exit to a cleaner style to alleviate spawn trapping and potential camping
- Fixing some props that fade too early
- Moved medium healthpack to the side between D->E to avoid accidental pickups
- Reduced speed of handrail deployment so it doesn't overtake the bridges in the rare case that Blu captures C and D in quick succession
Updated koth_synthetic_event
- Brightened and evened out lighting in play space
- Fixed missing soundscape
- Fixed missing detail sprites
- Minor detail changes
Updated pl_venice
- Added new exit for initial Blu spawn
- Added new balcony outside Attic room above Point B
- Added new balcony inside near Point D
- Moved door on balcony near Point A (Thanks Billo)
- Bridges now have solid side walls
- Raised bridge is now less steep
- Small building next to raised bridge is now taller
- Added cover at Point C
- Slightly adjusted balcony above Point D
- Fixed being able to place turrets above Point D
- Initial Blu spawn doors now close
- Replaced fences at Blu spawn with buoys
- Removed some interior props near Point D
- The payload now sinks
- Moved some health and ammo around
- Updated navmesh
- Lots of minor bug fixes
- Lots of minor other changes
Updated vsh_distillery, vsh_nucleus, vsh_skirmish, and vsh_tinyrock
- Failing to capture the point in 3 minutes after it opens results in Stalemate
- Powerjack, Ali Baba's Wee Booties and Bootlegger on-kill effects now work on-hit
- Hale's abilities now get affected by Vaccinator resistances
- Fixed Ubercharge rate bonus applying only with the Ubersaw
- Fixed self-damage counting towards Airstrike bonus rockets and Frontier Justice revenge crits
- Fixed Natasha and Huo-Long Heater having incorrect damage penalty
- Community servers now can expand the Script even further by creating a new file at scripts/vscripts/vsh_addons/main_pre.nut. While previously added main.nut gets executed last, main_pre.nut gets executed prior to most of the Script.
Updated vsh_skirmish (additional changes)
- Fixed an out of bounds exploit
- Fixed not being able to wall climb certain trees in the main arena

Aug 31, 2023

TF2Maps 72-Hour Jam 2023

Team Fortress 2

(Image credit: 14bit)

The temperature is low, but the spirits are high! The annual 72 Hour Jam is back once more!

This year, the Jam’s charity drive is supporting Gamers Outreach. Anyone who donates $5 or more to the drive is eligible to receive this year’s in-game charity medal. Donate here!

Starting Friday, September 15th, at 5pm UTC, you have 72 hours to make whatever Team Fortress 2 creation you can think of! Whether it be a Map, Model, Artwork, or even another game entirely, anything goes as long as it's Team Fortress 2 related!

Additionally, you are able to earn another medal simply by participating!

For more information, check out the thread on TF2Maps or join the TF2Maps Discord. Be sure to also follow @TF2Maps on Twitter and Twitch for live coverage over the weekend, as well as any future events!

Happy Jamming!

Aug 28, 2023

Insomnia 71

Team Fortress 2

Team Fortress 2 is once again back at Insomnia Gaming Festival, featuring some of the best teams from around the world competing for their chance at a £3000 prize pool! The event takes place from Friday, September 8th, to Sunday, September 10th. EssentialsTF will be streaming three days of content hosted live at the NEC in Birmingham, UK!

Sign-ups for the tournament are here. The action will be streamed both at the event and online from 12pm BST (1pm CEST / 7am EDT) each day by EssentialsTF over at their Twitch page, so you can watch the event in-person or in the comfort of your own home!

For the latest information, be sure to check out LAN.TF and the EssentialsTF Discord.