Team Fortress 2
News, coverage and analysis tracking Team Fortress 2 across the outlets.
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Steam Tests Achievement Sets for Separate Base-Game and DLC Progress
Valve is testing a new beta feature on Steam called Achievement Sets, which allows developers to group achievements into separate collections for base games and DLC. This system will also allow for archived achievements and a revised tracking page, with 17 games already supporting the feature.
Steam's Achievement Sets beta aims to stop new content breaking your completion status
Valve is beta testing Steam Achievement Sets, a new feature designed to prevent new content from breaking players' completion status. Developers can group achievements into sets, ensuring that progress is preserved even when new achievements are added later. This update also includes an improved achievements page with new filtering and comparison options.
'Little Tim is so obsessed with Gabe': Former Valve writer baffled by Epic CEO Tim Sweeney's attempts to…
Former Valve writer Chet Faliszek criticizes Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney's recent announcement for the Epic Games Store, particularly Sweeney's perceived obsession with Gabe Newell and his yachts. Faliszek argues that Epic's approach to its launcher, including its focus on 'vibe coding' and comparisons to Steam, is baffling and alienates players seeking community and agency.
Valve roll out Steam Achievement Sets in beta, splitting up games’ perpetually growing trophy masses into DLC and season buckets
Valve has introduced Steam Achievement Sets in beta, allowing developers to group achievements into DLC, seasonal, or other categories. This feature aims to help players manage their completion progress more effectively, especially in games with ongoing content updates, and also includes an overhauled achievements page with improved filtering and comparison options.
Valve has just upgraded Steam Achievements, and you can try it out now
Valve has updated Steam Achievements with a new system called Achievement Sets, designed to better reflect the lifespan of modern games and allow for segmentation of achievements by game mode or DLC. The update also introduces time-limited Seasonal Achievements and ensures that archived achievements do not negatively impact a player's overall completion status. These changes are now available for testing in the Steam client beta.
Steam achievements are getting a huge overhaul, with separate sets for DLC and season passes, and an easy way to compare…
Valve has introduced a significant overhaul to Steam's achievement system in a beta update. Developers can now create separate achievement sets for base games, DLC, and seasonal events, preventing DLC completion from negatively impacting a player's overall 100% achievement status. The update also includes improved comparison features with friends.
Valve just brought back the TF2 glory days with its new Deadlock hero
Valve has released a new hero, Deadman Danny, for its game Deadlock, which has seen a surge in player count. Danny, described as a blend of characters from Team Fortress 2 and Overwatch, introduces mechanics like rocket jumping and a jetpack, enhancing mobility and combat options. This update is seen as a thematic victory for Valve, bringing back the glory days of Team Fortress 2.
Deadlock Appears to Be a Big Hit from Valve
Valve's in-development MOBA, Deadlock, has achieved a new concurrent player record of 262,145 during its invite-only playtest, surpassing Team Fortress 2's peak. This surge coincided with the addition of a new character, Solomon, who features chess-based abilities. Despite its early access and invite-only status, Deadlock is demonstrating significant player engagement.
CapForts - Free Online Browser Game
CapForts is a free online browser game that offers instant gameplay without downloads. It is a team-based multiplayer shooter inspired by classic arena games like Team Fortress 2, featuring various classes with unique weapons and playstyles. The article also briefly mentions other browser games such as Samurai Clash, CoinClicker, House Painter, and Minigolf.
Deadlock surpasses Team Fortress 2's all-time concurrent player count peak as it adds a chess wizard
Valve's new MOBA, Deadlock, has surpassed Team Fortress 2's all-time concurrent player peak with 262,145 simultaneous players during its invite-only test. The game's recent addition of a new hero, Solomon the chess mage, is credited with contributing to this surge. The article also touches on the challenges of breaking into the MOBA genre and Valve's approach to game development.
Valve's Gambit: Deadlock's chess-playing new hero is its riskiest yet, and it's working
Valve's new hero shooter MOBA, Deadlock, is seeing significant player engagement on Steam, even in its invite-only beta phase, surpassing Team Fortress 2's peak player count. The game's latest character, Solomon, a chess hustler, introduces complex mechanics that allow players to manipulate their team and battlefield using chess pieces, offering a unique and ambitious gameplay experience.
Evening Reading - October 5, 2026
This edition of Shacknews Evening Reading covers a variety of gaming news, including DLC for Warhammer 3, a review of Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and community-driven content in World of Warcraft. It also touches on potential TV and movie adaptations for ARC Raiders and The Finals, and the use of AI in game development by Capcom.
Evening Reading - October 2, 2026
This Friday reading covers a variety of gaming news including updates on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Fortnite, Minecraft, and Monster Hunter Wilds. It also touches on the cancellation of PUBG's Black Budget, Deadlock's Rat King, and Team Fortress 2's Scream Fortress event. Additionally, there are mentions of game deals, a review of Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and updates for World of Warcraft and Marvel Snap.
Team Fortress 2 wastes no time kicking off Scream Fortress 18
Team Fortress 2 has launched its annual Scream Fortress Halloween event on October 1, earlier than usual. This year's event features five new community-made Halloween maps, with all previous Halloween maps also playable. The event will run until November 7.
Valve's patch note supremacy
Valve's approach to patch notes, particularly for Deadlock and historically for Team Fortress 2, is praised for its creative and engaging presentation, styled like tourism brochures or comic books. This contrasts with the more functional patch notes of games like Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2, and highlights Valve's past innovation in storytelling and post-launch support for live service games.
William Pugh, co-designer of The Stanley Parable, has over 1,600 hours in Dota 2: 'It's not a game made of love. It's a game fuelled by hate and a desire to conquer'
William Pugh, co-designer of The Stanley Parable, discusses his extensive PC gaming habits, including over 1,600 hours in Dota 2, which he describes as a game fueled by hate rather than love. He also expresses strong positive sentiment towards Team Fortress 2 and the recently released Big Walk, while noting his current enjoyment of the upcoming hero shooter Deadlock.
The timeless power of Shiv
Evan, a dedicated First-Person Shooter enthusiast since 2008, now oversees editorial operations for PC Gamer worldwide. His extensive experience includes publishing reviews and news, and his most-played titles include Hunt: Showdown, Team Fortress 2, and Counter-Strike, stemming from a lifelong fondness for the genre initiated by Quake 2.
How about that StarCraft trailer, eh
Evan Lahti, a long-time FPS enthusiast and editorial lead at PC Gamer, reflects on the StarCraft trailer. He shares his personal history with FPS games, listing his most played titles and recalling his first multiplayer FPS experience with Quake 2.
Battlefield Baby
Evan, a dedicated First-Person Shooter enthusiast and editorial leader at PC Gamer since 2008, oversees global editorial operations. His extensive experience includes publishing reviews and news, with a personal history of playing titles like Hunt: Showdown, Team Fortress 2, and Quake 2.
Valve devs "can't believe we get away" with such small updates for Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike,…
Former Valve writer Chet Faliszek expressed surprise at how little content updates were needed for games like Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike 2 to satisfy players. He noted that even within Valve, teams were often amazed by the positive reception to minor updates compared to the substantial content delivered by other Valve projects.
