Though we think we’ve done a good job rewarding community contributors who make cosmetics and weapons, we could definitely do more for TF’s diligent, underappreciated map makers. With that in mind, we’re trying two new approaches to the problem.

Map Stamp Improvements

After taunting in a community map that you’ve contributed to, you now leave behind a trail of large stamps. The more you contribute, the longer the trail!

We’re now also tracking hours played in each map. In the “Maps” section of the in-game Mann Co. Store, you can see how many hours you’ve played each community map and how many times you’ve contributed to it. Plus, occasionally, on check out, you’ll be gently reminded that it might be nice to add a stamp to your cart for a map that you’ve played frequently but haven’t contributed much to. After you’ve seen this reminder once, you can have it show other map stamp suggestions by checking the “Support Community Map Mapers” box near the “check out” button.

Map-Specific Strange Filters

Sold in the store, these new filters let you set your strange weapons to only track events on specific community maps. For instance, if you only care about kills on “Yukon”, you can change the filter on your shotgun to just capture that. When filtering stats for a weapon, you’ll also get a custom rank modifier. So, in the aforementioned “Yukon” example, you’d now have a “Strange Canadian Shotgun”. The goal is to give players who really like specific community maps a way to both track their stats on those maps and broadcast their interest even when they’re playing on other levels.

Note that in both cases, 100% of the revenue (minus net taxes) goes to the contributor, so let’s get out there and support our map makers!

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 "Benign infiltration" to the Mann Vs. Machine mission-cycle file for servers
• Fixed a Dead Ringer Spy exploit in Mann Vs. Machine mode
• Fixed a regression with mini-crit damage calculation
• Fixed a client crash in the Medi Gun charge meter when using a custom HUD
• Fixed Festive Huntsman arrows and Rescue Ranger bolts using incorrect hit boxes
• Fixed Tough Stuff Muffs not using the correct model for the Engineer
• Fixed a clipping problem with the Hunger Force
• Fixed Strange Festive Sandviches leveling up multiple times in a single use
• Fixed a lighting issue in mvm_bigrock
• Updated the backpack icon for the Festive Ambassador

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.

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)

• Updated some Big Picture features
• Additional improvements for client stability

Team Fortress 2

• Australian Christmas has begun!
  • Added community-contributed winter event items
  • Added three new community weapons
    • The Vaccinator
    • The Loose Cannon
    • The Rescue Ranger
  • Added Naughty and Nice winter keys to the Mann Co. Store
• Mann Vs. Machine
  • Added a new tour of duty with unique loot:
    • Operation Mecha Engine, with 3 new advanced skill missions
    • New map mvm_bigrock
    • New Engineer Botkiller items
  • Added new Engineer robot
• Added new Strange Filter items to the Mann Co. Store to support community map makers
• Added new checkout dialogs and taunt-activated effect to raise awareness for Community Map Stamps
• Added +context_action command (defaults to X for controllers). This will use the action slot if your Canteen contains a charge and will taunt otherwise3
• Added +attack3 command (defaults to middle-mouse button)
• Added Adult Swim items to the Mann Co. Store
• Fixed an exploit that allowed players to be permanently invulnerable
• Fixed the Pyro’s airblast not working correctly when facing downhill
• Made Force-A-Nature pushback more consistent
• Updated pl_barnblitz
  • Fixed various map exploits
• Updated sd_doomsday
  • Fixed various map exploits
• Updated the localization files

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.

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.

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 hang on start-up with non-scalable bitmap fonts
• Fixed crash on start-up when joysticks are attached

Team Fortress 2

• Added a prompt to turn on controller mode when using Big Picture
• Increased console font size for the Linux version
• Fixed some problems caused by disabling controller mode
• Fixed missing HUD sounds for Engineer building status panel
• Fixed the Spy version of the tf_zombie entity not using the correct skin
• Fixed international keyboard chat and console input for the Linux version

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.

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

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 client crash related to DirectX8

Team Fortress 2

• Fixed a client crash related to the main menu