Valve releases 'Team Fortress 2 SDK,' enabling creators to 'build completely new games based on TF2'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
It took almost 20 years, but Team Fortress 2, the team-based FPS that changed a great many lives when it debuted in 2007, now has an SDK that Valve says will enable creators "to build completely new games based on TF2."
The Team Fortress 2 SDK is actually a "massive update" to the Source SDK that adds all of the client and server game code, which opens the doors to pretty much anything. "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," Valve wrote.
A non-commercial license granted to users means mods made with the SDK can be published on Steam, but must be free, as must all content included in any mods. Acknowledging that the majority of inventory items in Team Fortress 2 are now made by the TF2 community, Valve also encouraged mod makers to avoid making mods "that have the purpose of trying to profit off Workshop contributors' efforts."
This is a big deal for TF2 fans, who can now do pretty much whatever they want with the game. I can't help wondering if the release of the SDK update was driven in part by persistent demand from those fans that Valve do something to "save TF2," which had become overrun by bots, rendering the game virtually unplayable. Valve has taken some action to right the ship, but it's possible that this SDK update is a way of telling players that it's time to start taking care of their own business. Then again, it took Valve eight years to come across with a new Team Fortress 2 comic, so maybe this is just how it goes—Valve Time, and all that.
If you're not interested in making mods and just want to play the game, there's good news for you in today's announcement too: Valve said it's "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!" Team Fortress 2 also got a beefy new update today—the full patch notes on that are below.
Added missing files for Taunt: The Travel Agent
Added No Hat styles for the Cozy Cover-Up
Added VScript support for HIDEHUD_MATCH_STATUS flag to hide the Match Status panel
Added a borderless window option to video settings
Added bicubic lightmaps (from Half-Life 2: 20th Anniversary Update)
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 errorFixed 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
2025 games: This year's upcoming releasesBest PC games: Our all-time favoritesFree PC games: Freebie festBest FPS games: Finest gunplayBest RPGs: Grand adventuresBest co-op games: Better together
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Switch 2 teardown shows that Nintendo hasn't learned a single lesson from the OG Switch when it comes to repairing it
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Time changes many things, not least expectations and what is and isn't acceptable. This is especially true of Nintendo's original Switch handheld console, which teardown specialists iFixit gave an 80% repairability score in 2017, but then halved the rating last week to reflect the standards of 2025. Now it's torn open the new Switch 2, and after struggling with mountains of glue and soldered items, given a repair score of just 30%. Ouch. There are multiple reasons for the Switch 2's low score and the readjusted rating for the OG Switch, but essentially, it all comes down to the fact that a significant number of parts are strongly glued in place and for the parts that are modular (i.e. mounted on their own circuit board), Nintendo officially provides no replacements. There isn't even a parts listing for the first Switch, despite being around for eight years. Glue is certainly cheaper to use instead of mounting brackets and metal screws, but the Switch 2 is hardly a budget-priced offering. And as the Steam Deck amply demonstrates, it's perfectly possible to go with a modular design for the components that are most likely to wear and fail in time, and still hit a desired price point. Nintendo hasn't fitted the Switch 2 with Hall effect thumbsticks, so they will wear and eventually drift, but as iFixit notes in its teardown video, the new Joy-Cons are harder to disassemble. Even if they're more resilient and take much longer to fail than the original ones, the fact that it's going to be harder to repair them is disappointing. It's not all bad news, though: The cooling fan is easy to pop out (at least once you've actually gotten inside the handheld) and if you're nifty enough with a soldering iron, replacing some of the ports and the game card reader shouldn't be too difficult. However, the main battery is glued so heavily to the chassis that there's a good chance you'll break something if you try to replace it yourself. Obviously, what Nintendo is expecting you to do is send it back to them for repairs, or just buy a new one. The cynical part of my brain suspects that the various parts will last just long enough for an OLED version of the Switch 2 to appear on the market, at which point Nintendo will just push gamers to buy that instead. Repairability is more than just about scores and garnering good grace with reviewers. It's about reducing waste and sustainability—something that the electronics industry struggles with a lot. It's also about longevity, as a device that can be easily repaired can be sold many times, allowing for many more people to access the hardware. For me, though, a highly repairable device is a sign that the manufacturer actually cares. Be it the consumer or the environment, putting repair into the heart of one's design shows that you're aware of the concerns of people and the impact your product has on the world. And as Valve has shown with the Steam Deck, you can do all of this and still make the device profitable. But for as long as the billions of dollars keep rolling in, Nintendo is never going to change its stance. Best handheld gaming PC: What's the best travel buddy?Steam Deck OLED review: Our verdict on Valve's Steam Deck accessories: Get decked out.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mixtape sent a sherpa up a mountain to get the rights to use a song, and Grand Theft Auto has "nothing on our toilet paper tech"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Mixtape is a coming of age story that's a literal mixtape of music, gameplay and art styles. It focuses on three friends spending their last night together, with a perfect mixtape of music to accompany their final adventure as friends. It's also, according to creative lead Johnny Galvatron, got GTA beating toilet paper tech and getting the rights to use one song involved sending someone up a mountain. Wishlist Mixtape on Steam now Mixtape is odd to explain initially but instantly makes sense when you see it in action. "The music is a mixtape and so is the gameplay," says Galvatron. "There's everything from skateboarding to pulling slushies; there's an amazing level where your toilet paper a house. I just have to say, our toilet paper tech is second to none. The way you can toilet paper that house? I'm extremely proud of that. Grand Theft Auto? Nothing on our toilet paper tech." Even without the soundtrack it's an interesting clash of genres with a distinctive art style. But it is all about the music. "On their last night together [three friends] listen to this perfectly curated mixtape, containing music from DEVO, Roxy Music, Lush, The Smashing Pumpkins, Iggy Pop, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, The Cure and many more," he explains. "Through the gameplay, through the music, you relive their finest hours." Getting a soundtrack with such a high pedigree wasn't easy either. "One of the things I enjoyed the most was collating the soundtrack and then getting the wheels in motion for how to get that music," admits Galvatron. "I'm not saying it was The Cure, but we were trying to get a song and one of the people that owned the copyright was up a mountain and we had to send a sherpa to go and find this guy so we could get the rights." (Founding member of The Cure, Lol Tolhurst, we're looking at you.) Mixtape is looking like a cinematic, arty take on the familiar whimsy of growing up, with Galvatron name-checking films like Dazed and Confused, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and even Wayne's World. It's coming '2025' to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X. If you're looking for more excellent games from today's Future Games Show, have a look at our official Steam page.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
SpaceX launches Starlink satellites to orbit on 70th Falcon 9 flight of the year (photos)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The year isn't even half over yet, and SpaceX already has 70 orbital missions in the books. A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 26 of SpaceX's Starlink broadband satellites lifted off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Sunday (June 8) at 10:20 a.m. EDT (1420 GMT; 7:20 a.m. local California time). It was SpaceX's 70th Falcon 9 launch of 2025. Fifty-two of those flights have been devoted to building out the Starlink megaconstellation in low Earth orbit (LEO), the biggest satellite network ever assembled. About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage landed on SpaceX's Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean. It was the seventh launch and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description. The rocket's upper stage continued carrying the 26 Starlink satellites to LEO, deploying them as planned about an hour after liftoff. The newly launched spacecraft will now maneuver their way to join the megaconstellation, which consists of nearly 7,700 operational satellites (and counting). Related stories: — SpaceX: Facts about Elon Musk's private spaceflight company — Starlink satellites: Facts, tracking and impact on astronomy — SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 28 Starlink satellites to orbit on record-breaking 28th flight (video) SpaceX has certainly been busy so far in 2025, but it's still 100 launches away from its goal: Company representatives have said they aim to fly 170 orbital missions this year. The 70-launch tally does not include the three missions of SpaceX's Starlink megarocket that have taken place in 2025. Those suborbital test flights lifted off in January, March and late May.
