A week before recording this, Valve Software released a software development kit specifically targeted towards Team Fortress 2 modders. This update gives permission to developers to create their own versions of TF2 and then to release them on Steam. Immediately making them available to a potential audience of millions us gamers. Unsurprisingly this has lit […]
I'm stepping down. In the past year you might have noticed I've been less active in my role as Senior Staff here, and that's because I was preparing to step down "after the next Jam" (which kept getting delayed). I've not been involved in any major moderation decisions or event planning since 2023, with the exceptions being Stack the Deck (which I originally was not going to be involved in) and the 2024 72hr Jam.
I joined the team as a Server Mod in 2017, became Staff in...
We're well into 2025, but it's time for the 2024 72-Hour Jam Showcase! TF2Maps is back again, showing off 64 of the most entertaining, most mind-melting creations made for last year's charity Jam! This time, they received 390 entries, with 350 of those being eligible for medals. In terms of donations, this year placed fourth, in their history, with a grand total of $6,892.66 raised for Gamers Outreach Foundation!
What is January February? Hell if I know, is that something someone made up? You bet your ass it is! Anyways that doesn't matter, time is linear and also, Happy New Year! We asked for your nominations for the featured maps and boy, we sure did get them again this year. No, we did not have someone submit 100 maps again, thankfully, but we still had a lot. Anyway, here's the newly featured maps!
AsiaFortress Liquid.tf is back with its winter Highlander finals!
Catch the action, witness history, and tune in live starting on the 22nd of February @ 9pm SGT / 2pm CET Want to get involved? Their 6s signups are now open! Important Links:
Mod makers, rejoice! We've just released a massive update to the Source SDK, adding all the Team Fortress 2 client and server game code. This update will allow content creators to build completely new games based on TF2. We're also doing a big update to all our multiplayer back-catalogue Source engine titles (TF2, DoD:S, HL2:DM, CS:S, and HLDM:S), adding 64-bit binary support, a scalable HUD/UI, prediction fixes, and a lot of other improvements!
Unlike the Steam Workshop or local content mods, this SDK gives mod makers the ability to change, extend or rewrite TF2, making anything from small tweaks to complete conversions possible.
The SDK is licensed to users on a non-commercial basis, meaning that any mod created using the SDK must be free, and any content in those mods must be free. TF2 mods may be published on the Steam Store, and after publication will appear as new games in the Steam game list.
Players have a lot of investment in their TF2 inventories, and Steam Workshop contributors have created of a lot of that content. The majority of items in the game now are thanks to the hard work of the TF2 community. To respect that, we're asking TF2 mod makers continue to respect that connection, and to not make mods that have the purpose of trying to profit off Workshop contributors' efforts. We're hoping that many mods will continue to allow players access their TF2 inventory, if this makes sense for the mod.
Added radial fog (from Half-Life 2: 20th Anniversary Update)
Added support for Steam Networking
Made the default server name for listen servers include the player's name
Made the game launch in native resolution by default instead of 640x480
Client-side prediction fixes (these fix 'jank'/rollback in certain situations)
Fixed a prediction bug where if the player was moved on the client, their input-based movement for that tick was not taken into account in non-player actions
Improved prediction for walking on props and other entities
Made certain client-side entities only trigger local prediction errors
e.g. If the viewmodel experiences a prediction error, the player will not experience a prediction error
Fixed prediction of viewmodel sway
Fixed a prediction error regarding weapon idle animations
Fixed certain breakable props not gibbing correctly
Fixed an issue where certain variables like position would not be updated correctly to match the server in certain situations
Fixed the player's base velocity (eg. conveyors, moving items etc.) getting subtly out of sync from client/server
Fixed players being able to spam duel cancellation messages for a duel that doesn't exist
Fixed not being able to join community servers via Steam invites or game info
Fixed lighting position discrepancies for cosmetic items, weapons, and viewmodels (community fix from ficool2)
Fixed Equipped label overlapping attribute icons in the loadout menu (community fix from Lindon)
Fixed an issue with props and team colors when taunting with Australium weapons
Fixed the Voices from Below effect not working when taunting with the Highland Hound set equipped
Fixed player voice commands being abruptly ended when the player enters shallow water
Fixed incorrect number on the Geneva Contravention achievement icon
Fixed the Military Style for The Surgeon General to stay properly semi-visible at all angles
Fixed some classes missing the BLU team material for That '70s Chapeau
Fixed the Spanish-Latin America option being displayed as English in the Settings menu
Fixed the MOTD dialog not working for Spanish-Latin America
Updated attribute descriptions for The Scottish Resistance and the Stickybomb Jumper to use 'stickybomb' instead of 'pipebomb'
Updated equip_region settings for The Little Bear, The Heavy-Weight Champ, The Grand Duchess Tutu, and the Combat Slacks to fix unnecessary conflicts
Updated the Spooky Night and Ominous Night Unusual taunt effects to fix a visual bug (Thanks Kiffy!)
Updated koth_overcast_final to improve optimization
Updated ctf_applejack
Added block bullets to some stores
Unblocked a window at mid, allowing Snipers to shot across the middle hut
Removed the missing texture in BLU spawn
Gave a chicken a friend, because friendship is magic
Updated cp_fortezza
New radio model for spawn rooms
Changed sentry shack ammo pack on last to a medium
Adjusted health pickups throughout the map
Changed kill volume on cap A double doors to be more consistent with visuals
Improved bot support (Thanks Star Bright)
Detail pass
Updated pl_patagonia
[Stage 1]
Fixed some RED bots stuck forever trying to make an impossible jump on the stairs outside spawn
Fixed the cart not capping the first point on extremely rare occasions
[Stage 2]
Improved optimization
Fixed a nodraw floor near the first BLU spawn train bridge waterfall
Fixed 3D skybox looking pitch black for players using mat_hdr_level 2
[Stage 3]
Improved optimization
Fixed wrap assassin baubles colliding with a solid func_brush bounding box outside BLU spawn
Removed the platform above the open choke of the last point
Added an additional path to the window overlooking the open choke of the last point
Fixed RED bots getting stuck on a solid fence outside the RED spawn
Fixed 3D skybox looking pitch black for players using mat_hdr_level 2
Did you know the construction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa was one hundred and ninety nine years late? Literally everyone alive when construction started was dead by the time it finished. So unless you're having this read to you from the bad side of a Ouija board, you made it out the other end of issue seven's historically-speaking-pretty-short seven year delay alive. Which isn't too bad.
And, honestly, we can think of another, much more popular project we're involved with that you're STILL waiting on: The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, which began construction in 1886 and still isn't done, and which the Spanish government hired us to write a delay-themed blog post about after seeing an early draft of the blog post you're reading right now.
Fixed Baby Face's Blaster's loss of boost not applying correctly (thanks Whurr and MilkMaster72)
Fixed the voice lines refusing to play sometimes
Updated pl_patagonia
Stage 1
Fixed the cart going under the elevator in extremely rare occasions (Thanks Shocked)
Fixed sometimes hearing outside soundscapes inside blue spawn
Fixed being able to build in a very high rooftop after point A
Fixed being able to build in blue spawn
Cart elevator is no longer the glitchiest thing in the universe
Fixed cart not rolling back after completing the elevator descent sequence
Now, if the cart is rolling into the elevator in overtime, the round timer will be set to 5 seconds left, to avoid unfair loses for blue. Timer will resume once the cart reaches the bottom (Thanks I. C. Wiener).
Stage 2
Removed rollback from the train container ramp in last point (Thanks b4nny)
Gave blue more high ground for last point
Added an additional dropdown for blue for last point
Fixed being able to be teleported into red spawn as blue after capping point A
Removed long hill rollback before point C
Fixed bots getting stuck on the closed train doors after cap B
Fixed being able to leave stickies inside blue last spawn
Fixed being able to get stuck in the point C shortcut door for red. If you get trapped, it will kill you.
Fixed a pop-in issue relating to areaportals below point B
Fixed being able to enter the last blue spawn as red
Birdie (Thanks Explocivo808)
Stage 3
Added a fenced section for the long wood cover wall in last point (Thanks b4nny)
Mirrored the window sniper spot in last point choke
Fixed being able to build behind a displacement rock wall in last point
Removed troll teleport spot in last point ending ramp
All Stages
Slightly lowered sun brightness and slightly raised skylight brightness
Improved skybox transitions
The cart no longer tries to defy the law of physics