In a nutshell: Valve has announced a pending update for Team Fortress 2, the popular team-based multiplayer first-person shooter originally released in 2007 for Windows and Xbox. The long-awaited update focuses on the game's Mann vs. Machine PvE mode and will include new community-created content. It's set to roll out before Halloween.
Valve is inviting the community to submit Mann vs. Machine maps and missions by August 27 for potential inclusion in the update. The company clarified that, despite the expected Halloween release window, submissions do not need to be Halloween-themed (though some will likely pay homage to the spooky season).
Valve has not explicitly confirmed whether it will release its own map, but it's likely that players will see at least some content created directly by the developer. As with other seasonal events, the Halloween update may also include themed cosmetics and additional content.
In its press release, Valve jokingly claimed that the game's writers were "visionaries" who predicted AI taking over human jobs – years in advance – and cleverly hid that warning in plain sight to avoid causing widespread panic.
Originally released as part of a major update in 2012, Mann vs. Machine is a co-op mode that tasks players with working together to fight off waves of robots. When a bot is destroyed, it drops cash that players can collect to purchase class upgrades. According to the Team Fortress 2 Wiki, the mode currently features 29 missions across five operations.
The upcoming release will be Team Fortress 2's first major update since 2017, when Valve rolled out Jungle Inferno. That four-day event in mid-October introduced five new weapons, five community-made maps, one Valve-developed map (Mercenary Park), seven new taunts, and 49 cosmetics.
The update also revamped the contract system by introducing the "ConTracker," allowing players to monitor their contract progress. Additional major changes included class rebalancing for the Pyro, Engineer, and Heavy, as well as the debut of War Paints, which replaced traditional weapon skins.
Beyond Team Fortress 2, Valve is currently developing a new 6v6 hero shooter called Deadlock. The game blends third-person shooter mechanics with MOBA-style gameplay, including strategic lanes and unique hero abilities. Although still in early development, Deadlock is already available to select players via an Alpha playtest and has generated considerable buzz over the past year.
Team Fortress 2 is getting another major update with a little help from the community
