Well, it's December again, assuming you adhere to the Gregorian Calendar, there's an etching of frost on the ol' window panes, unless you live somewhere temperate, and the lights are shining brightly on the ol' tree you may or may not have, depending on religious affiliation and stance on deforestation. That can only mean one thing: It's Smissmas, everybody! It's a holiday we invented that we'd love you to celebrate with us.

We're of course shipping the usual Smissmas celebrations, including new festive weapons, new winter-themed community cosmetics, and a great big sale in the Mann Co. Store. And starting this year, we're also giving everyone who plays during the event a Stocking Stuffer full of goodies. Click here for a full list of changes, fixes, and new content.

2013's been a great year for Team Fortress 2, and next year's looking to be even better. We've got some truly big surprises planned for 2014, and since nobody wants them delayed until 2015, we'd better get back to work.

• All Players who play TF2 during the event will receive a Gift-Stuffed Stocking! Stockings contain goodies for good little Mercenaries.
• Added community-contributed winter event items
• Added the Giftapult, which can be used to launch gift items to randomly-chosen online players
• Added Naughty and Nice winter keys to the Mann Co. Store
• Premium Players will receive a Secret Saxton to give to another player
• Item grants from previous events (including the Spirit of Giving and the Winter Holiday noise maker) have been re-enabled for all players, including those who deleted their earlier grants

• Battalion's Backup
  • Added +20 max HP passive for the wearer
• Concheror
  • Added +2 health per second passive for the wearer
• Crit-a-Cola
  • Reduced consumption penalty from +25% extra damage to +10%
• Diamondback
  • Now also gains a critical attack on successful backstab kills
• Flying Guillotine
  • Alt-Attack now also throws the Guillotine when active
• Short Circuit
  • Attack sped up greatly
  • Ammunition cost has been lowered to 5 metal per attack
  • Players and Buildings are only targeted if in range and in front of attacking player
  • Improved visual effects
• Soda Popper
  • Hype no longer grants mini-crits
  • Added Hypemode which grants up to 5 extra air jumps when active
  • Hypemode is triggered by Alt-Attack when hype is full
• The Beggar's Bazooka has been updated to use the same taunt as The Direct Hit
• Professional Killstreak Mantreads, Splendid Screen and The Chargin' Targe now generate proper effects when on a killstreak. These effects do not stack if another killstreak effect weapon is active.

• "Head" and "Misc" slots for player loadouts have been converted to Cosmetic slots. All items that were previously Head- or Misc-slot-specific can now be equipped in any Cosmetic slot.
• Unusual effect positioning can now be adjusted for all Cosmetic-slot items
• Unusual Circling Effects have been given a new origin
• Unusual effects for all Cosmetic-slot items are now visible in the loadout panel and character HUD
• Fixed the Wiki Cap clipping with the Demoman's head

• Fixed being able to inspect Blue-team bots
• Fixed the mission victory screen not always showing the correct information for each player
• Fixed some clipping issues with the stats in the scoreboard

• Fixed an exploit where players could move around while using a taunt to attack enemies
• Fixed an exploit related to the Rocket Jumper and the Soldier's grenade taunt
• Fixed killstreaks attained via healing not being considered for round-end win panel
• Fixed the killstreak hud indicator position in minmode
• Fixed Taunt Kills strange scores not incrementing properly for the Strange Scorch Shot
• Fixed strange scores on cosmetic items sometimes failing to increment
• Fixed gift-wrapped items not showing their interior item to the wrapping player in some conditions
• Fixed Steam Sale items granted from Snow Globe crafting not being listable on the Steam Community Market
• Improved bot navigation in cp_gorge
• Improved bot navigation in pl_upward
• Updated several materials to fix issues caused by mat_picmip
• Updated the backpack to filter to automatically filter for valid items when using a tool

• Added new promo items
• Updated the localization files

• Added Crate #75, Crate #76, and Crate #77 to the drop list
• Removed Crate #57, Crate #59 and Crate #71 from the drop list
• Added new Strange parts that can be applied to Strange cosmetic items
• Fixed a client crash related to the Mann vs. Machine mission victory panel
• Fixed players being able to level-up some Strange items when playing on servers with only bots
• Fixed some cases where Halloween spell effects on items would not appear when they were supposed to
• Fixed robot Engineer head not looking correct for the Botkiller Sniper Rifle Mk.II
• Fixed killstreak notices being stuck on the screen when the map is changing levels
• Fixed Team Shine killstreak sheen effect not displaying properly for the Blue team
• Updated several backpack images to fix issues caused by mat_picmip
• Updated Killstreak Kits to work on Festive and Botkiller variants of target weapons
• Updated pl_upward
  • Fixed players getting stuck in the initial Red spawn room after control point 2 is capped
  • Improved bot navigation
• Updated cp_gorge
  • Improved bot navigation
• Updated Mann vs. Machine
  • Fixed players who join in the middle of a mission not receiving the Upgrade Refund credit if it has been earned by the team
  • Fixed Romevision hats conflicting with gatebot hats in Mannhattan
  • Fixed an exploit that allowed purchasing upgrades for weapons other than what they were intended for
  • Updated mvm_rottenburg
    • Fixed a bug where the bomb could get stuck out of reach in the corner near the cap
    • Fixed a bug where bots could be instantly killed by being pushed into the tank tunnel once opened
    • Fixed a bug where money could get stuck in the tank barricade when it was rebuilt, preventing collection
  • Updated mvm_mannhattan
    • Rebalanced Empire Escalation
    • Fixed credits not always being collected when they fall into the grinder
    • Fixed a bug that allowed the gates to be captured out of order
    • Fixed a lighting bug related to lower graphics settings that cause the map to be too dark

We've been busy these last few months, trying to settle a longstanding debate as to what "bimonthly" actually means. Some members of the team are convinced it means "once every two months." Others maintain even trying to define it would ruin the enchanting mystery of reading. Anyway, three months later we're no closer to an answer. However, we are close to releasing the second issue of Team Fortress Comics, this time as a tri-monthly publication. How close? It's here.

When we last left our gripping ongoing tale, Saxton Hale had lost Mann Co. to the scheming Gray Mann and disappeared to parts unknown. The TF2 mercs, now out of jobs, had scattered to the winds until six months later, when Miss Pauling started reassembling the team under orders from an in-hiding Administrator. With Demo, Soldier and Pyro on board, our team heads to Teufort to rescue Spy and Scout from the hangman's noose. Find out what happens next in Part Two, titled "Unhappy Returns".

• Fixed missing backpack material for the Australium Force-a-Nature
• Fixed the Killstreak counts for the Mantreads, Chargin' Targe, and Splendid Screen
• Fixed the Killstreak sheen effect not working on the Mantreads
• Fixed the Ping column in the Scoreboard getting clipped in 4:3 resolutions
• Fixed the Mann vs. Machine return-to-lobby timer not updating properly after a mission has been completed
• Updated the Killstreak Fabricator's description to include the sheen and the Killstreaker effect for its output

You voted. We counted the votes. More accurately, we watched while a computer programmed to count votes counted all the votes. Then, just when we were thinking it had been a while, and maybe the computer was broken, bam. It spit out a card with the 2013 Saxxy nominees punched into it. Then it spit out confetti. Then it self-destructed from all the pageantry. Then you know what, there were about thirty-seven more things that happened, but we're looking at them now and most of them involve us trying to fix the vote-counting computer, so let's skip to the part where the nominees are live, at sourcefilmmaker.com, for your viewing pleasure!

We've also posted a list of this year's Honorable Mentions, so give them a look too! Or, if you don't feel like reading, why not wait for the honorable mentioning robot to come to your town and read them to you as part of his cross-country Honor Mentioning tour? Nevermind, he just broke trying to open the door.

• Fixed a client crash caused by using custom HUD files
• Fixed a server crash related to damaging the tank with the new Medic shield
• Fixed Strange Australium weapons not properly tracking kills
• Fixed bots trying to attack an old sentry location after the gun has been picked up by the Engineer
• Fixed a bug that would cause robot "gate hat" items to be craftable. Gate hats that were crafted while the bug was active have self-destructed and become limited-quantity Glitched Circuit Boards as a commemorative token.
• Fixed the Adjust Unusual slider not working for some hats, including the Dr's Dapper Topper
• Fixed the Health Regen MvM upgrade string mistakenly displaying %
• Fixing the Killstreak HUD not showing up for Tier 0 Killstreak weapons
• Fixed Killstreak Mediguns not getting killstreak credit for assists
• Fixed using the wrong color in the HUD deathnotice for Killstreak weapons

• Operation Two Cities
  • Two new maps: mvm_mannhattan and mvm_rottenburg
  • New advanced tour featuring four missions
  • Two extra Boot Camp-only missions
• Added 14 new achievements
• Tour of Duty badge levels are no longer limited to 200
• Players can earn a "Refund Upgrades" credit by collecting money during waves
  • The amount required is listed in the scoreboard, and varies per-mission
  • Any money collected whether winning or losing will count toward earning a credit
  • To redeem, visit an Upgrades station and click the "Refund Upgrades" button
  • Any money spent on buy-backs and Canteen charges will not be refunded
• Detailed player performance stats added to the scoreboard
  • Damage and Tank. Total damage done to Gray Mann's forces.
  • Healing. Direct healing done to other players.
  • Support. A composite value that reflects anything a player has done to help their team:
    • Examples: reset a bomb, stun or slow an enemy, provide increased damage, block damage with invulnerability or shield, and lots more.
  • Money. The amount each player has collected.
• Players can inspect upgrades on teammates via the "Inspect" key ("I" by default)
• Fixed the Romevision tank not animating
• Medic
  • Revive (no upgrade required)
    • Teammates leave behind a revive marker when they die
    • Target the marker with your medigun to revive them
  • Projectile Shield Upgrade
    • Build Energy by healing teammates, reviving and preventing damage via Invuln berCharge.
    • Press ATTACK3 to activate when Energy meter is full (mouse3 by default)
    • While active:
      • Blocks all enemy projectiles
      • Damages enemies on touch
  • Mad Milk Syringes Upgrade
    • Syringe Gun needles apply Mad Milk (heal-on-hit for teammates) on contact
  • Healing Mastery Upgrade (previously two separate upgrades)
    • +25% heal rate per point
    • +25% revive rate per point
    • +25% self-regen rate per point
  • Overheal Expert Upgrade (previously two separate upgrades)
    • +25% more overheal per point
    • +50% duration per point
  • Canteen Specialist Upgrade
    • Shares canteen charge effects with heal target
    • +1 second charge duration per point
    • -10 canteen charge price per point
• Soldier
  • Rocket Specialist Upgrade
    • +15% rocket speed per point
    • On direct hits
      • Stuns target (duration increases per point)
      • +15% increased blast radius per point
      • No range-based falloff damage
• Heavy
  • Attack Projectiles Upgrade
    • Now has two levels
      • Level one is less effective than before
      • Level two is more effective than level one used to be
    • Price reduced from 600 to 400 per point
  • Rage Pushback upgrade activation moved to ATTACK3 (mouse3 by default)

• Added a new community map cp_snakewater_final1
  • Added new map stamp and strange filter to the Mann Co. Store
• Added new achievements for Snakewater, Process, and Standin
• Older event crates no longer expire on login, but have been updated to indicate they can no longer be opened
• about:blank should now be a legal URL and won't get blocked for MOTD
• Fixed bots using the Phlogistinator being able to airblast enemies
• Fixed the stock Shotgun not appearing in the backpack with "Show stock items" option turned on
• Fixed a problem causing map stamp leaderboards to not update under certain circumstances
• Weapons
  • Baby Face s Blaster
    • Speed penalty changed to -10% (From -35%)
    • Boost is now only partially lost on air jumps instead of all jumps
    • Reduced Clip Size to 4
    • Removed 40% more accurate attribute
    • Removed Damage Penalty attribute
    • Speed at max boost is same as before (520)
  • Amputator
    • Added -20% damage penalty
    • Added +3 health per second when Weapon is Active bonus
  • Crusader s Crossbow
    • Updated damage over distance: bolts now do a maximum of 75 damage (+variance) at max distance
  • Liberty Launcher
    • Added 25% reduced self damage from rocket jumps
  • Eyelander
    • Moved the eye glow position to Demoman s eye patch. Changed the color to Cursed green.
• VR Mode
  • Now supports resolutions other than 1280x800
  • Now supports cloning the main display (instead of using the Rift as an extended display)
  • Sharpness of the output has been significantly improved
  • Head-and-neck model has been fixed to remove unnecessary translation