TF2 Summer Update Drops... While Players Send Valve a Strongly Worded Letter (Again)
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
TF2's summer update is here with new maps and hats, but some players are more focused on getting Valve to change the matchmaking system back to the old, less sweaty days. It's a classic case of gamers vs. the corporation, and I'm here for the drama.
Right, so Team Fortress 2, the game that somehow manages to be both a classic and a bloody meme, just got a summer update. Courtesy of Rock Paper Shotgun, we know this bad boy's packed with community-made goodies, bug fixes, and the usual TF2-flavoured chaos. But hold onto your hats, mates, because a group of players have decided to write Valve another open letter. Seems like someone's not happy with the current state of matchmaking, eh?
First up, the update itself. Valve's chucked in 10 new community-created maps with names like Citadel, Aquarius, and... Mannhole? (Someone get HR on the phone!). There's also a whole heap of new community-made items and unusual effects, because who doesn't love a sparkly hat or a taunt that makes you look like a complete tool? Plus, four new taunts - I'm picturing the Heavy doing the "Bear Hug" and it's both terrifying and hilarious. Classic TF2.
Valve’s even squashed a few bugs, which is always a plus. Apparently, they've tweaked some outdated in-game tips and even fixed the Heavy's "bullets bodygroup for cosmetics" (whatever that means!). Oh, and they made sure "the Texas Half-Pants [are] fully using rimlight." Fair dinkum, someone was *really* paying attention to detail there. Honestly, it's great to see Valve still tinkering with a game that's older than some of the people playing it. Makes you feel old, doesn't it?
Now, about that letter. A group calling themselves BringBackQuickplay and a YouTuber called Megascatterbomb (sounds like a rejected superhero name, if you ask me) have penned a missive to Valve, demanding a return to the good ol' days of pre-2016 matchmaking. Their big beef is with skill-based matchmaking. They reckon it should be more about community servers and letting players switch teams whenever they fancy. Basically, they want more freedom and less sweaty try-harding.
Apparently, this letter is based on a survey of about 3.5k players. Look, 3.5k is a decent number, but it's hardly the *entire* TF2 community. Still, it shows that a significant chunk of players are feeling nostalgic for the old ways. And this isn't even the first time TF2 players have taken up the quill and parchment (or, you know, opened up a word processor) to write to Gabe Newell. Earlier this year, another group wrote to Valve about giving non-premium players back their comms privileges. Valve took away their ability to text and voice chat as part of an effort to combat bots, something Team Fortress players came together under the #SaveTF2 moniker to call for action on. Basically, the game with the spy that goes boink hasn't been short on campaign groups over the past half decade.
Will this latest letter actually change anything? Who knows! Valve's a mysterious beast. But you've gotta give these players credit for trying. They're passionate about their game, even if they express it by sending strongly worded letters to corporate overlords. It may just end up gathering some internet points on Reddit... but stranger things have happened, right?
Tags: Team Fortress 2, Valve, Matchmaking, Community, Updates
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun