For general feedback about the game.
Steam SupportVisit the support site for any issues you may be having with the game or Steam.
Here at Valve, we've always been consistently blown away by the creativity and generosity of the TF2 community -- through art contests, map making, item creating, or any one of the hundreds of other ways that you manage to impress us every day.
Today, we'd like to offer a chance to help out at a time when that help matters most. To support the relief efforts currently underway in Japan, we're introducing three limited edition hats and two special noisemakers to the Mann Co. store. The "Humanitarian's Hachimaki" ($7.99), the "Benefactor's Kanmuri" ($19.99) and the most prestigious "Magnanimous Monarch" ($99.99) will be available from now through April 6. All proceeds (net of applicable taxes) will go directly towards the Japanese disaster relief fund that the American Red Cross has set up. The hats can be equipped by all classes; however, they cannot be traded or used for crafting.
After April 6, none of these items will be available in any form. We encourage you to spend as much as you are comfortable with contributing to this good cause. While your Mann Co. store purchases cannot be written off as tax deductions, those who would prefer to donate directly to the American Red Cross fund can do so at their website.
Thanks.
Cower, peasants! Flee, terrified ronin! Crap in your ancient Japanese bamboo underpants, feudal warlords! For something approaches unlike anything you have ever seen! The Shogun Pack -- a collaboration between Team Fortress 2, the TF community, and Total War: Shogun 2 -- descends upon you like a rising sun! (But in reverse.)
That's right, Japan fans! Unlike other updates, The Shogun Pack represents a three-way partnership of feudal clans to depose a crooked emperor (the emperor being played in this case by "a lack of updates" for this metaphor to work). The awe-inspiring result? Eight all-new, Shogun-themed items for your head-wearing and/or neck-cleaving pleasure. And, in keeping with the three-way theme, you've got three ways to get your hands on them:
Pick any one of the three to get your items! Heck, pick ALL three! (Don't actually do this. -Legal Dept.) Whatever your choice, be sure to check out The Shogun Pack!
We've been listening to our community's famished cries for content, and damn it, we decided to do something about it. Unfortunately, the button that bans everybody in the community at once doesn't seem to be working (every time we press it we just get sparks and the smell of burnt fur). So we went with our tried-and-true Plan B: an all-new map pack, featuring some community favorites including a new map from the guy behind cp_mountainlab, the winner of TF2Maps.net's Art Pass Contest.
Don't forget you can always purchase Map Stamps in the Mann-Co store to show support for your favorite community maps, all proceeds (minus any taxes) go directly to the hardworking map creators.
As if we could keep this from you. We tried to but then quickly realized we're not very good at keeping secrets. Case in point, this whole sing along episode. On with the community updates:
Any time we have a tie-in promotion with another game, we'll send the TF mercs a package with all the new items in it (except Heavy, who lives in some remote log mansion in the Dzhugdzhur Mountains. We just mail it to the nearest Siberian town, and they dogsled it up to him eventually). This gives them a chance to get acquainted with the new weaponry, so they're not surprised when they show up back to work.
But when we sent out our latest promotion--Rift, the upcoming MMO from Trion Worlds--we were puzzled when Scout sent it back, unopened. We gave him a call.
"Hey, man," we said. "We were wondering why you hadn't opened--"
"Are you frickin' kidding me? Another tie-in. My apartment's still filled up with crap from all the last ones."
[Sounds of rummaging.]
"Like this. Ear buds. What the hell am I supposed to do with ear buds? Play Sarah McLachlan at a guy until he gets so sad he dies? Look, alright, I'll open it, but I am done with this crap. Brown hat anna bat, that's my new motto. Simple, clean, eas--oh my GOD what is this beautiful thing?"
"It's called the Sun-on-a-Stick," we said.
"Holy crap, this is so friggin'..." [Sounds of swinging.]
"Did this come from hell? It did, didn't it? Awww, man. It's like what the Devil uses when he plugs up his toilet or somethin'."
[Sounds of burning flesh and screams.]
So that was that. We're hoping Steam customers who pre-order Rift by March 1st will have a similar reaction. You'll get two exclusive melee weapons in Team Fortress 2, the Sharpened Volcano Fragment and the Sun-on-a-Stick. Additionally, we're adding a permanent Team Fortress 2 achievement that grants players a redeemable code for an equally exclusive (and terrifying) headpiece in Rift, the Well Spun Hat.
Team Fortress 2 players will automatically receive the melee weapons beginning today. Players who want to snag a Well Spun Hat need to complete the new Riftwalker achievement. After applying the code on their Trion account page, Rift players will receive the Well Spun Hat in their in-game mailbox, beginning with the game's head-start period on February 24th.
The Sharpened Volcano Fragment and the Sun-on-a-Stick will be obtainable through crafting after the Rift pre-order period ends.
Here's a link to the hi-res version of the Scout/Pyro image.
