Valve Unleashes Team Fortress 2 Code: Modders Celebrate

Valve has just unveiled a groundbreaking update to the Source SDK, integrating the complete Team Fortress 2 client and server game code. This monumental update empowers players to craft entirely new games from the ground up using the source code. Unlike modifications through the Steam Workshop or local content mods, this update provides modders with unprecedented freedom to alter, expand, and even completely reimagine Team Fortress 2 in virtually any way they can envision.

However, there's a catch: creations made with this update cannot be sold. Any mods or spin-off content must be released for free on a non-commercial basis. Despite this restriction, Valve allows these creations to be published on the Steam Store, where they will appear as new games in the Steam game list.

Valve emphasized the importance of the TF2 community's contributions in a blog post, stating, "Players have a lot of investment in their TF2 inventories, and Steam Workshop contributors have created a lot of that content. The majority of items in the game now are thanks to the hard work of the TF2 community. To respect that, we're asking TF2 mod makers continue to respect that connection, and to not make mods that have the purpose of trying to profit off Workshop contributors' efforts. We're hoping that many mods will continue to allow players access their TF2 inventory, if this makes sense for the mod."

In addition to the Source SDK update, Valve announced a comprehensive update to all its multiplayer back-catalog Source engine titles. This update includes 64-bit binary support, scalable HUD/UI, prediction fixes, and numerous other enhancements, benefiting not only Team Fortress 2 but also Day of Defeat: Source, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, Counter-Strike: Source, and Half-Life: Deathmatch: Source.

This news comes on the heels of the release of the seventh and final update to the Team Fortress 2 comic series in December, after a seven-year wait. These comics have been a treasure trove for fans, offering new insights into beloved characters and stories, and they underscore Valve's ongoing commitment to one of its most enduring franchises.