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Valve releases Team Fortress 2 Gold Rush update, new Medic weapons [update]

The Team Fortress 2 Gold Rush update is now available for free download via Steam. The update includes the Gold Rush map with its own gameplay style dubbed Payload. Perhaps more important than the map, this update marks the first set of new achievements and unlockable weapons.

The first class to receive the update is the Medic, who can earn three new weapons -- Blutsauger, Kritzkrieg and Ubersaw -- obtained by earning 12, 24 or all 36 new medic achievements, respectively. All the new achievements, including a complete Medic icon set (PNG files) can be found at the Gold Rush site.

Update:
It's also worth noting that this weekend, May 2 - 4, Steam users can play Team Fortress 2 for free. That includes the Gold Rush update. You can pre-load the game now.

Gallery: Team Fortress 2: Goldrush

Meet the Team Fortress 2 Scout ... again


We absolutely loved the short vignettes put together by Valve to advertise the different classes featured in The Orange Box's online multiplayer offering, Team Fortress 2. The scotch-slurping demoman, the six-string pluckin' engineer -- not only did they get us hyped up for one of our favorite first person shooters of last year, they brightened our otherwise dreary existences. Now, we know that most of you are familiar with the whole crew since the release of Orange Box, but in honor of last week's release of a standalone version of TF2 for the PC, Valve released what we assume will be the last of their advertisements for the game -- introducing the Scout, who apparently has the social graces and equipoise of a Real World cast member. Enjoy!

Team Fortress 2 Goldrush screenshots and video


click to enlarge

Want to see what the latest railroad-covered map to hit Team Fortress 2 looks like? Valve shared four screenshots and a video (embedded after the break) to give y'all a peek of their latest handiwork. We're still anxious to get our hands on the latest gametype – Payload – but this oughta do for now.

Gallery: Team Fortress 2: Goldrush

Continue reading Team Fortress 2 Goldrush screenshots and video

Team Fortress 2 unlockable Medic weapons detailed

Team Fortress 2 took center stage at a Valve-sponsored pizza party in San Francisco last night. Well, to be precise, the team-based shooter's new Goldrush map and unlockable Medic weapons took center stage, and the pizza provided just the right ambiance. ShackNews got their pizza-stained hands on the new offerings, and also had a chance to talk with Valve's Robin Walker about plans for unlockable weapons for the other classes (they should be coming "faster"), difficulty in balancing new weapons (there's a "trade-off"), and plans for other news maps with the Payload gameplay like Goldrush ("you have a moving fortress").

The medic is the first class to get the new weapons – unlock a series of class-based achievements to earn each of the three new toys, including the Blutsaugher ("a new syringe gun" that draws health from enemies), the Critzcrieg (a "new medigun" that switches up the ubercharge), and the Ubersaw (melee attacks charge your medigun). The update should hit sometime in April; still no word on whether any TF2 downloadable content will make it to the consoles.


Read – Valve Reveals Final Team Fortress 2 Medic Weapons
Read – Robin Walker on New TF2 Content, Future Maps, and Awesomeball
Read – Team Fortress 2 Goldrush and Unlockable Weapon Hands-on Impressions

Valve wants to keep it free, with Team Fortress 2 DLC


There's no such thing as a free lunch, but Valve's Doug Lombardi figures you already paid your meal ticket when you purchased Team Fortress 2 on the PS3 or Xbox 360. That's why he wants all future downloadable content for the console versions to be completely free of charge.

Of course, it's not entirely up to him, but Lombardi hopes to get at least some content -- like the upcoming map packs -- over to players at no additional charge. According to him, DLC isn't about earning increased return on games, but rather about "keeping the customer happy." He sees the work as being an investment in future projects, as it builds consumer trust with the Valve label.

No official date has been set for the first TF2 console DLC. Let's just hope that Valve's admirable philosophy wins out in the end.

[Via Game|Life]

Team Fortress 2 for Xbox 360 patched, no class changes

An update for Team Fortress 2 has come to the Xbox Live. Unlike the PC patch from over the weekend, there are no balance changes to the classes themselves. Instead, a number of glitches have been fixed, as well as the inclusion of rumble for weapons and the addition of 10- and 14-player team sizes. No indication of a PlayStation 3 patch, so if you've gotten an update, let us know in the comments below. Full details (via Steam forums) after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Continue reading Team Fortress 2 for Xbox 360 patched, no class changes

Team Fortress 2 PC update balances classes, introduces tournament mode


We've been hearing a lot less about Valve's cel-shaded, humor-tinged multiplayer shooter since the release of another wildly popular FPS of a more serious nature. Thankfully, Valve isn't using their lighter server load as an excuse to let Team Fortress 2 go to the dogs -- they just released a patch upon an unsuspecting populous of TF2 junkies, adding a number of new matchmaking features and tweaking a few minor gameplay quirks.

We've got a complete list of changes after the jump, but here's a few highlights: A Tournament mode has been added, complete with a team creation UI and win/loss tracker. Sorting through custom games is now easier, as server hosts can now add searchable description tags to their rooms. Most importantly, players who tire of being on the receiving end of high explosive weaponry will be pleased to hear that the maximum ammo capacities for the Soldier and Demoman classes have been sharply reduced (much to the chagrin of rocket-jumpers and Scotsmen, no doubt).

Continue reading Team Fortress 2 PC update balances classes, introduces tournament mode

Team Fortress 2 Valentine's Day cards


Whaddyaknow? We weren't the only ones to get floating pink hearts in our eyes thinking of Team Fortress 2 on Valentine's Day. It's not enough that Valve dropped a major update for the shooter on us today, but Alexandria Neonakis has whipped up five incredible Valentine's Day cards for your special someone (and if they'd appreciate a TF2 Valentine, they're a keeper!). We've covered her other amazing Valentine's before, so you've got a nice selection to choose from if shooting cartoons in the face isn't their idea of romantic.

[Thanks, Kunikos]

Major Team Fortress 2 update adds Badlands tomorrow


The romantic Lotharios at Valve have a certain something special planned for you on Valentine's Day, tomorrow. No, not cake you silly goose, this is way more romantic. They want to take you on a trip, to an exotic map called "Badlands." But it won't be just you; they've invited 9 of your friends (pictured above) so you can all spend a wonderful V-Day together, in Team Fortress 2, fragging the night away.

Tomorrow's update isn't simply a new map though. They're also updating the Dustbowl, Granary, and CTF Well maps with various tweaks as well as improvements to the Source Engine and SourceTV, all in what they're saying is the "largest update" since the game's launch last Fall. It's still unknown if the updates (and new map!) will make their way to the console versions, so we've asked Valve to weigh in on it. Give them some time to get back to us, and we'll let you know what they say, deal?

Today in Joystiq: February 4, 2008

We find the Team Fortress 2 Pyro papercraft hilariously ironic, given how flammable we suspect him to be. (Disclaimer: Joystiq advises against the use of flames. There is no respawn in real life.) Check out the highlights for today:

Joystiquery

News
King of Kong underdog to cameo in upcoming film
New games this week: Devil May Cry 4 edition
Gears of War 2 graces GamePro cover
American McGee announces next 'twisted tale' project after Grimm
Operation Wolf, Columns III land on Virtual Console
Xbox 360 'arcade model' hits Japan March 6
Just blow: Smash Bros Brawl disc problems blamed on dust
Halo 3 DLC for spring swaps 'Purple' for 'Moonlight'
Rock Band Weekly: B-52's, Faith No More and KISS
PS3 budget lineup heading to Japan, 'likely' Europe
This Wednesday: Poker Smash batters XBLA, Crystal Quest gets polished
New Buzz! games coming in March
NBA Ballers: Chosen One gets Chuck D, Just Blaze
Sony cuts PSP dev tools cost in half
The Green Mile actor Barry Pepper to voice Prototype lead
PSP's Daxter sells 2 million copies in 2 years
THQ gets new CFO (also: acronym two-for-one sale ongoing)
SingStar '90s makes us feel old
No More Heroes first planned for 360, says Suda51
Folding@home for PS3 goes platinum
THQ gets new CFO (also: acronym two-for-one sale ongoing)
New Call of Duty 4 maps 'on the way'
Criterion explains Burnout Paradise online hard drive requirement
GameTap turning off Myst Online in 60 days

Rumors & Speculation
Rumor: Resident Evil 4 to blame for no Capcom in Brawl
Will Portal change the game industry?
EA predicts PS3 will outsell Xbox 360 in 2008

Culture & Community
Devil May Cry, a retrospective and review
Ben Heckendorn's Xbox 360 Elite laptop

Today in Joystiq: January 29, 2008

We love those image manipulating wizards at Something Awful. Their latest project is new (and much needed) achievements in Team Fortress 2. Enjoy the four pages of photoshoppery and check out the highlights for today:

Joystiquery
Reminder: Win King of Kong on DVD
Super Spoiler Bros. Brawl: Major leaked roster update, videos & more
Today's most satirical video: Loading.Ready.Run tackles 'Max Effect'

News
Japanese Brawl intro hints at unannounced characters, looks sweet
EA Marvel fighting game no longer in development, partnership dissolved
No plans for 120GB PS3 in UK, says Sony
THQ gets Playboy bunnies going mobile
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue arrives stateside April 17
Undertow team creating Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game's game
Civilization Revolution on hold for Wii
Majesco releases early version of Eco-Creatures as DS download
Turok demo finally comes to North American Xbox Live
Console CryEngine 2 will be shown at GDC; console Crysis still not confirmed
Nintendo hopeful third-party Wii games will sell
Want to see three minutes of Tiberium gameplay?
Animal Crossing and Kirby coming to Japanese Wii in '08
Sony gets Buzz-y dealing with trademark dispute
IGA details Burnout in-game advertisers
Sarah Michelle Gellar really wants to make Alice movie
Codemasters looks to outer space for next MMO with Jumpgate Evolution
MMO film Second Skin gets trailer
New Nyko adapter to unwire Wii wired Nunchuk
Smash Bros. Brawl shortages imminent
Take-Two details 'Hot Coffee' settlement; no receipt necessary
Valve shares SteamWorks toolset with PC development world
New GRAW 2 DLC offers new maps, missions, weapons

Rumors & Speculation
Analyst: Spore 'likely' delayed until later in '08; EA guidance incorrect

Culture & Community
GameStrata statistic site launches, get PWN3D via graphs
Crook hides cash in gutted consoles

Team Fortress 2 updated for PC, 'Well' map goes CTF

Valve Software has updated Team Fortress 2, introducing a new (sort of) official map for the game, a capture the flag variant of Well (currently available as a control point game mode). The update also provides fixes for SourceTV demo recording and various Gravel Pit exploits, among other patchwork.

The updated is currently for PC users only via Steam; we've sent Valve an email asking when it expects the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of TF2 to receive the update. We're still awaiting the upcoming Badlands map remake and the unlockable weapons coming first to the medic class.

[Via Primotech]

Team Fortress 2 to get unlockable weapons, new game mode

The PC Gamer blog has shed some light on the changes Valve has planned for Team Fortress 2. The "large scale modification" is actually quite big -- new weapons unlocked via achievements earned in the game. The arsenal can be swapped out via a new Loadout menu, though we're not sure if that means configuration can be done mid-game, between rounds, or only from the main menu.

As previously stated, the medic will be first to receive the upgrades. The first earned weapons is the Overhealer. Unlocked by earning 35 achievements, the "gun" can permanently raise an ally's health to 200% (the current medic tool temporarily boosts health to 150%). Citing balance concerns, Valve said they may remove the invulnerability-granting Ubercharge from the Overhealer. The second unlockable weapon is also a healing ray (what? No shotgun?), but no details were given except that you have to earn all medic class achievements to unlock it.

A new game mode will be introduced with the map Goldrush, the second map due out (alongside the Badlands remake). In Goldrush, the blue team must escort a mining cart through tunnels. The cart moves faster with more blue team members nearby, but stops completely if a red player gets near. According to previous statements from Valve, the maps and medic updates are due out within the next two months.

[Image credit; thanks, Fortyseven]

The Joystiq Weekend: January 19 - 21, 2008

The above picture from DeviantArt user DrakeLake just begs to be used as a desktop background. Even better, it begs for an adorable Team Fortress 2 mod. Check out the highlights for the weekend:

Joystiquery
CES 2008: A covert intel briefing on The Agency
Metareview - In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
PS Fanboy Week in Review: 1/14 - 1/20
Today's 9-to-5 video: Portal: A day in the Life of a Turret
Weekly Webcomic Wrapup just got told

News
NASA may enter game publishing realm with space exploration MMO
N+ greenlighted for Xbox Live Arcade, includes multiplayer
New Penny Arcade Adventures gameplay footage features hobo warfar
Street Fighter IV to be playable at Japanese Amusement Expo Feb. 15
SNK revisits well, returns with 16-game compilation for PS2, PSP
DS RPG Rondo of Swords coming stateside in April
MTV's Stephen Totilo sits down with Lost: Via Domus
Lineage II clan rivalry ends in real life murder
Play PC games on your PS3 with StreamMyGame
Nintendo accidentally confirms Lucario, Ness, Jigglypuff for Brawl
New games this week: Burnout Paradise edition
Super Street Fighter II, Adventures of Lolo 2 on Virtual Console today
Rock Band Weekly: An Oasis of music
EA to release free, online-only 'Battlefield Heroes'
Lost Planet to be found on PS3 Feb. 26
Hellgate: London balances, Stonehenge coming today
Age of Conan pushed back until May 20
Get your Patapon on for $20
This Wednesday: Just Undertow (but this time it's free)
Guitar Hero franchise passes the $1B mark
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters set for March PS2 release

Rumors & Speculation
Rumor: Anoymous Microsoft source reveals truth about the Red Ring of Death
Rumor: Factor 5 working on a Kid Icarus game for Wii
Rumor: Super Smash Bros. arriving on VC with Brawl
Rumor: Frontlines canceled on PS3 (also, PC multiplayer beta is open)

Culture & Community
Super Mario Fusion makes Mushroom Kingdom Hearts a reality
Bully causes Brit-troversy a year late and a pound short
See the Top 12 covers of Portal's 'Still Alive'
Romero: GameCock is dumb, GameCock: No U R!, Us: Whose bitch are we?
E3's Game Critics Awards do the Game of the Year thing
Microsoft announces Xbox Live Arcade Awards
This Weighted Companion Cube casemod will never threaten to stab you
Register and ye shall REZ-eive (a free game)
Chain Chomp knit beanie won't tear your head off
Keighley takes on Fox News' seXbox seXposé
Gordon Freeman crank calls Coast to Coast AM

Team Fortress 2 to get 'Badlands' map remake, medic tweaks

New changes are coming to Team Fortress 2. Speaking to Shack News, Valve's Robin Walker reconfirmed that two new maps will be coming in the next two months for the PC version, including a remake of the TF Classic map Badlands. Walker couldn't confirm if those maps would arrive on the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 versions of the game.

Walker also said that modifications to the medic class are coming soon, possibly before the maps. Although unspecified, Walker said, "It's a large scale modification to the core of the game. It'll debut in a limited fashion through the Medic first, but it'll be affecting all classes eventually." Our guess? They're taking away the Medic's ability to heal - boy, would that change the game! But seriously, they'll probably just put a floating sign over medics that reads "shoot me first."

[Image from BioWare's Halloween]

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