Team Fortress 2 'top secret' project in the works for 2012

Valve is continuing to update Team Fortress 2, promising "something brand new for 2012" that "isn't a hat" and "isn't a map."

17

In spite of having released in 2007, Valve is continuing to update Team Fortress 2, its cartoony team-based multiplayer shooter. Last year, the developer announced a surprising change to a F2P model--but what's next?

The developer isn't saying much, simply promising "something brand new for 2012" that "isn't a hat" and "isn't a map."

The Team Fortress 2 blog jokes that "the TF2 team is working on some ungodly hat-map hybrid that you can wear on your head while you run around in it." So, an Inception-themed expansion pack, right? We kid, of course.

Whatever this game-changing update will be, Valve promises it will be "really cool." To check out all the updates Team Fortress 2 has received since launch, click here.

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    February 3, 2012 7:30 AM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Team Fortress 2 'top secret' project in the works for 2012.

    Valve is continuing to update Team Fortress 2, promising "something brand new for 2012" that "isn't a hat" and "isn't a map."

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 7:37 AM

      it's a belt

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 7:46 AM

      Why is so much news posted a day late? I mean it says Feb 2nd right on the TF2 blog. We talked about it here in the chatty, yesterday. It's a weird habit, Shack writers. :(

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 8:21 AM

      Hopefully they remove the hats, random drops, and just go back to the way the game was when it first released. You know, when it was actually fun. Then I would play it again.

      • reply
        February 3, 2012 9:41 AM

        The game is still super fun. I think you're just overwhelmed with the new weapons. I can load my soldier up with the vanilla weapons and still hit the top of scoreboards on decent pubs

        • reply
          February 3, 2012 11:19 AM

          I didn't mine the new weapons, what I hate is the random drops and hats. I just want to play and unlock weapons through achievements instead of randomly being rewarded for no reason.

          • reply
            February 3, 2012 11:38 AM

            right but that led to a ton of achievement farming. There would be two people off in some random corner of the map doing crap. That led to the admins trying to police it.

            Not only that but it really closes the door on new users that want to grab the new stuff.

            • reply
              February 3, 2012 11:50 AM

              They could change it to "Get x amount of kills with this class" or something, doesn't necessarily have to be an achievement. Even if the new users don't have the weapons the would still be balanced, every other game has unlocks that you have to work for and their not unfair.

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 8:40 AM

      Maybe it's a half life 3 mod.

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 8:44 AM

      I'll say it again: SALUTES! stealing from the very best!

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 8:46 AM

      Ascots for Everybody!!!

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 8:48 AM

      The only thing that could bring me back at this point is a new gametype.

      • reply
        February 3, 2012 11:03 AM

        Play computer games much? There's no such thing anymore. Not in the mainstream.

      • reply
        February 3, 2012 11:11 AM

        You're not missed pub trash

        • reply
          February 3, 2012 11:29 AM

          lol, of course not. More than a few free to players will be there to take my spot.

          4 years was a good run for TF2 and me, but the game is incredibly boring after all that time (what game isn't?). New maps aren't doing it, neither are new weapons and honestly now that I think about, even a new game mode wouldn't do it. I'm glad people still find fun in TF2 because it is a great game, I've just played it out. Probably put more time into it than any MP game in the last decade, including BF42 so it's not surprising.

          • reply
            February 3, 2012 11:36 AM

            The problem is there isn't enough [good] maps. A new gametype is going to do much in the long run unless it's something really creative. Payload for the most part sucks with less than a handful of maps that are fine to play. If anything theres a lack of good CP and CTF maps. There are some amazing community-made ones and Valve keeps taking their sweet fucking time trying to get them in as official maps. I wish they'd put as much effort as they do with those stupid cosmetics into the map community.

            But it takes longer to make a map than to make a goofy hat with a retarded particle effect.

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 9:19 AM

      New class. That'd be crazy.

      • reply
        February 3, 2012 10:04 AM

        Robin said they were toying with the idea but said they might consider it until after all class updates were out.

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 9:21 AM

      CAPES. it needs to be capes.

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 9:42 AM

      Portal guns and jewelry.

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 9:44 AM

      CRY SOME MOAARRRRR....

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 10:00 AM

      GRN and YLO teams? Wasn't that a thing in the original code or am I misremembering?

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 10:03 AM

      I loved that Eurogamer basically re-reviewed TF2 around November of last year and giving it a very high score. I'd like to see that for updated titles like this from other publications. But I guess the lack of them is due to the rarity. Especially with that kind of dedicated longevity Valve puts into things like TF2.

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 10:05 AM

      V.I.P.

      • reply
        February 3, 2012 10:14 AM

        stop. you're giving me the shakes.

      • reply
        February 3, 2012 11:50 AM

        This would bring me back, but probably not for long :(

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 11:22 AM

      Meet the pyro?

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 11:23 AM

      Jetpacks! They need to compete with that other f2p shooter, TA.

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 12:02 PM

      Hope it's a way to change the game from cartoony to badass like the original screenshots showed :(

      • reply
        February 3, 2012 12:19 PM

        I assume from this terrible, terrible suggestion you haven't read the breakdown on TF2's visual design that they did for a presentation about when the game came out?

        http://valvesoftware.com/company/publications.html Go to 2007, first one: "Illustrative Rendering in Team Fortress 2." The slides will probably be the simplest breakdown of the superlative style they used, and why it's far superior to the muddy military aesthetic from the original TF2 concept.

        • reply
          February 4, 2012 10:50 AM

          It's a fine game. Its departure from traditional team fortress style is only half welcome, though.

      • reply
        February 3, 2012 1:59 PM

        You mean the derpy army sim stuff? No.

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 12:23 PM

      Stretchy pants!

    • reply
      February 3, 2012 1:35 PM

      I think it is the final videos in the "meet the ____" series. If you look on the blog they say coming in 2012 they show a picture of the Pyro torching a city and if you follow the link it takes you to the meet the character videos.

      The blog also talked about some 2012 disasters or hinting at some Mayan tie in.

      • reply
        February 3, 2012 2:02 PM

        Actually those are two separate things. There is the top secret thing and then they also confirm meet the pyro.

        "A Secret TF2 Project!"
        "The Last "Meet the Team" Short"

    • reply
      February 5, 2012 3:38 AM

      Shoes.

    • reply
      February 6, 2012 6:06 PM

      Team Fortress 2: Special Hats Edition

    • reply
      March 29, 2012 4:47 PM

      Maybe they're adding a Portal gun

Hello, Meet Lola