<s>
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2007	O
multiplayer	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Valve	O
Corporation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
1996	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
mod	O
for	O
Quake	B-Application
and	O
its	O
1999	O
remake	O
,	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
Classic	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
October	O
2007	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Orange	I-Application
Box	I-Application
for	O
Windows	O
and	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
in	O
December	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
as	O
a	O
standalone	O
game	O
for	O
Windows	O
in	O
April	O
2008	O
,	O
and	O
updated	O
to	O
support	O
Mac	B-Operating_System
OS	I-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
in	O
June	O
2010	O
and	O
Linux	B-Application
in	O
February	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
distributed	O
online	O
through	O
Valve	O
's	O
digital	O
retailer	O
Steam	B-Application
,	O
with	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
managing	O
retail	O
and	O
console	O
editions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
join	O
one	O
of	O
two	O
teams	O
—	O
RED	O
or	O
BLU	O
—	O
and	O
choose	O
one	O
of	O
nine	O
character	O
classes	O
to	O
play	O
as	O
,	O
with	O
game	O
modes	O
including	O
capture	B-Application
the	I-Application
flag	I-Application
and	O
king	O
of	O
the	O
hill	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
was	O
led	O
by	O
John	O
Cook	O
and	O
Robin	O
Walker	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
mod	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
in	O
1998	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
:	O
Brotherhood	O
of	O
Arms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
Valve	O
released	O
no	O
information	O
for	O
six	O
years	O
,	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
regularly	O
featured	O
in	O
Wired	O
News	O
annual	O
vaporware	B-Application
list	O
among	O
other	O
entries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Finally	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
Source	B-Application
game	I-Application
engine	I-Application
in	O
2007	O
,	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
would	O
preserve	O
much	O
of	O
the	O
core	O
class-based	O
gameplay	O
of	O
its	O
predecessors	O
while	O
featuring	O
an	O
overhauled	O
,	O
cartoon-like	O
visual	O
style	O
influenced	O
by	O
the	O
works	O
of	O
J	O
.	O
C	O
.	O
Leyendecker	O
,	O
Dean	O
Cornwell	O
,	O
and	O
Norman	O
Rockwell	O
,	O
alongside	O
an	O
increased	O
focus	O
on	O
the	O
visual	O
and	O
verbal	O
characterization	O
of	O
its	O
playable	O
classes	O
and	O
what	O
the	O
developers	O
have	O
described	O
as	O
a	O
1960s	O
spy	O
movie	O
aesthetic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
has	O
received	O
critical	O
acclaim	O
for	O
its	O
art	O
direction	O
,	O
gameplay	O
,	O
humor	O
,	O
and	O
use	O
of	O
character	O
in	O
a	O
wholly	O
multiplayer	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
since	O
its	O
release	O
has	O
been	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
greatest	O
video	O
games	O
ever	O
created	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
continues	O
to	O
receive	O
official	O
Valve	O
server	O
support	O
as	O
of	O
January	O
2023	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
new	O
content	O
being	O
released	O
on	O
a	O
seasonal	O
basis	O
in	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
submissions	O
made	O
through	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
Workshop	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2011	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
became	O
free-to-play	O
,	O
supported	O
by	O
microtransactions	O
for	O
in-game	B-General_Concept
cosmetics	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
early	O
2020	O
,	O
the	O
official	O
Valve	O
servers	O
have	O
seen	O
an	O
influx	O
of	O
bot	B-Protocol
accounts	O
using	O
cheat	O
software	O
,	O
often	O
inhibiting	O
legitimate	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
abilities	O
of	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
classes	O
have	O
changed	O
from	O
earlier	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
incarnations	O
,	O
the	O
basic	O
elements	O
of	O
each	O
class	O
have	O
remained	O
,	O
that	O
being	O
one	O
primary	O
weapon	O
,	O
one	O
secondary	O
weapon	O
,	O
and	O
one	O
melee	O
weapon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
limit	O
for	O
one	O
match	O
is	O
16	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
24	O
on	O
the	O
Windows	O
edition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
the	O
first	O
of	O
Valve	O
's	O
multiplayer	O
games	O
to	O
provide	O
detailed	O
statistics	O
for	O
individual	O
players	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
total	O
amount	O
of	O
time	O
spent	O
playing	O
as	O
each	O
class	O
,	O
most	O
points	O
obtained	O
,	O
and	O
most	O
objectives	O
completed	O
in	O
a	O
single	O
life	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
also	O
features	O
numerous	O
achievements	O
for	O
carrying	O
out	O
certain	O
tasks	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
achieving	O
a	O
certain	O
number	O
of	O
kills	O
or	O
completing	O
a	O
round	O
within	O
a	O
certain	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
contains	O
five	O
core	O
game	O
modes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Capture	B-Application
the	I-Application
Flag	I-Application
(	O
CtF	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
mode	O
which	O
revolves	O
around	O
the	O
BLU	O
and	O
RED	O
teams	O
attempting	O
to	O
steal	O
and	O
capture	O
the	O
opposing	O
team	O
's	O
flag	O
,	O
represented	O
in-game	O
as	O
an	O
intelligence	O
briefcase	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
several	O
alternative	O
game	O
modes	O
in	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mannpower	O
is	O
a	O
mode	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
have	O
access	O
to	O
a	O
grappling	B-Application
hook	I-Application
and	O
assorted	O
power-ups	O
laid	O
around	O
the	O
map	O
that	O
grant	O
unique	O
abilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
not	O
bound	O
to	O
any	O
specific	O
mode	O
,	O
all	O
current	O
official	O
Mannpower	O
maps	O
use	O
a	O
variation	O
of	O
Capture	B-Application
the	I-Application
Flag	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Mannpower	O
's	O
variation	O
of	O
Capture	B-Application
the	I-Application
Flag	I-Application
,	O
both	O
teams	O
have	O
an	O
intelligence	O
flag	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
first	O
team	O
to	O
capture	O
the	O
enemy	O
's	O
intelligence	O
ten	O
times	O
wins	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mode	O
is	O
heavily	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
Quake	B-Application
mod	O
,	O
Threewave	O
CTF	O
,	O
a	O
mod	O
created	O
by	O
former	O
Valve	O
employee	O
David	O
Kirsch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PASS	O
Time	O
is	O
a	O
unique	O
timed	O
game	O
mode	O
inspired	O
by	O
rugby	O
,	O
developed	O
by	O
Valve	O
,	O
Bad	O
Robot	B-Algorithm
Interactive	O
,	O
and	O
Escalation	O
Studios	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Special	O
Delivery	O
is	O
a	O
mode	O
similar	O
to	O
Capture	B-Application
the	I-Application
Flag	I-Application
,	O
but	O
there	O
is	O
only	O
one	O
neutral	O
briefcase	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
picked	O
up	O
both	O
the	O
RED	O
and	O
BLU	O
teams	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halloween	B-Application
Mode	O
is	O
a	O
special	O
mode	O
that	O
is	O
enabled	O
during	O
the	O
Halloween	B-Application
season	O
,	O
and	O
allows	O
the	O
players	O
access	O
to	O
more	O
than	O
20	O
maps	O
,	O
Halloween-exclusive	O
cosmetics	O
,	O
and	O
challenges	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
Halloween	B-Application
2012	O
included	O
a	O
difficult	O
Mann	O
vs.	O
Machine	O
mission	O
involving	O
destroying	O
more	O
than	O
800	O
enemy	O
forces	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Owing	O
to	O
popular	O
demand	O
of	O
the	O
Halloween	B-Application
events	O
,	O
Valve	O
later	O
added	O
the	O
Full	O
Moon	O
event	O
,	O
an	O
event	O
that	O
triggers	O
around	O
every	O
full	O
moon	O
phase	O
throughout	O
the	O
year	O
,	O
which	O
allows	O
players	O
to	O
equip	O
Halloween-exclusive	O
cosmetics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2013	O
,	O
Valve	O
introduced	O
an	O
item	O
called	O
Eternaween	O
,	O
and	O
upon	O
use	O
,	O
allows	O
players	O
of	O
a	O
specific	O
server	O
to	O
use	O
Halloween-exclusive	O
cosmetics	O
for	O
2	O
hours	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mann	O
vs	O
Machine	O
,	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
MvM	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
cooperative	O
game	O
mode	O
where	O
players	O
must	O
defend	O
their	O
base	O
from	O
waves	O
of	O
robots	B-Algorithm
modeled	O
after	O
all	O
nine	O
playable	O
classes	O
,	O
and	O
slow-moving	O
tanks	O
carrying	O
bombs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robots	B-Algorithm
and	O
tanks	O
drop	O
a	O
currency	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
Credits	O
upon	O
their	O
death	O
,	O
which	O
players	O
can	O
use	O
to	O
buy	O
upgrades	O
for	O
themselves	O
or	O
their	O
weapons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Offline	O
Practice	O
Mode	O
is	O
just	O
like	O
any	O
other	O
multiplayer	O
match	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
only	O
consists	O
of	O
the	O
player	O
and	O
bots	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
number	O
of	O
bots	B-Protocol
,	O
their	O
difficulty	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
map	O
can	O
all	O
be	O
adjusted	O
to	O
a	O
player	O
's	O
preference	O
,	O
though	O
only	O
a	O
select	O
amount	O
of	O
maps	O
are	O
available	O
to	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
uses	O
wooden	O
dummies	O
and	O
bots	B-Protocol
to	O
teach	O
players	O
the	O
basic	O
mechanics	O
of	O
classes	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
played	O
competitively	O
,	O
through	O
multiple	O
leagues	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
North	O
American	O
league	O
,	O
ESEA	O
,	O
supports	O
a	O
paid	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
league	O
,	O
with	O
$	O
42,000	O
in	O
prizes	O
for	O
the	O
top	O
teams	O
in	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
formalized	O
competitive	O
gameplay	O
is	O
very	O
different	O
from	O
normal	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
it	O
offers	O
an	O
environment	O
with	O
a	O
much	O
higher	O
level	O
of	O
teamwork	O
than	O
in	O
public	O
servers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
teams	O
use	O
voice	B-Application
chat	I-Application
to	O
communicate	O
,	O
and	O
use	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
strategy	O
,	O
communication	O
,	O
and	O
mechanical	O
skill	O
to	O
win	O
against	O
other	O
teams	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
leagues	O
are	O
often	O
supported	O
by	O
Valve	O
via	O
in-game	O
medals	O
(	O
which	O
are	O
submitted	O
via	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
Workshop	O
)	O
and	O
announcements	O
on	O
the	O
official	O
blog	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2015	O
,	O
Valve	O
announced	O
that	O
a	O
dedicated	O
competitive	O
mode	O
would	O
be	O
added	O
to	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
utilizing	O
skill-based	O
matchmaking	O
;	O
closed	O
beta	O
testing	O
began	O
in	O
the	O
following	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
order	O
to	O
join	O
competitive	O
matchmaking	O
,	O
players	O
must	O
have	O
associated	O
their	O
Steam	B-Application
account	O
with	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
Guard	O
Mobile	O
Authenticator	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
having	O
a	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
"	O
premium	O
account	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
unlocked	O
by	O
either	O
having	O
bought	O
the	O
game	O
before	O
it	O
went	O
free-to-play	O
or	O
by	O
having	O
made	O
an	O
in-game	O
item	O
purchase	O
since	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
played	O
in	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
different	O
formats	O
,	O
which	O
dictate	O
the	O
maximum	O
size	O
and	O
composition	O
of	O
a	O
team	O
and	O
can	O
drastically	O
change	O
the	O
impact	O
of	O
a	O
single	O
player	O
's	O
gameplay	O
or	O
choice	O
of	O
class	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
features	O
nine	O
playable	O
classes	O
,	O
evenly	O
split	O
and	O
categorized	O
into	O
"	O
Offense	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Defense	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
Support	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
classes	O
have	O
additional	O
slots	O
for	O
PDAs	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Scout	O
(	O
Nathan	O
Vetterlein	O
)	O
is	O
an	O
American	O
baseball	B-Application
fan	O
and	O
street	O
runner	O
from	O
Boston	O
,	O
Massachusetts	O
who	O
practiced	O
running	O
to	O
"	O
beat	O
his	O
mad	O
dog	O
siblings	O
to	O
the	O
fray.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
is	O
a	O
fast	O
,	O
agile	O
character	O
,	O
who	O
is	O
armed	O
by	O
default	O
with	O
a	O
scattergun	O
,	O
a	O
pistol	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
aluminum	O
baseball	B-Application
bat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Engineer	O
can	O
build	O
structures	O
to	O
support	O
his	O
team	O
:	O
a	O
sentry	O
gun	O
for	O
defending	O
key	O
points	O
,	O
a	O
health	O
and	O
ammunition	O
dispenser	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
pair	O
of	O
teleporter	B-General_Concept
modules	O
(	O
one	O
entrance	O
and	O
one	O
exit	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Engineer	O
is	O
armed	O
by	O
default	O
with	O
a	O
shotgun	O
,	O
a	O
pistol	O
,	O
a	O
wrench	O
that	O
functions	O
as	O
both	O
a	O
melee	O
weapon	O
and	O
to	O
repair	O
and	O
upgrade	O
his	O
buildings	O
,	O
and	O
two	O
separate	O
PDAs	B-Application
;	O
one	O
to	O
erect	O
his	O
buildings	O
and	O
one	O
to	O
remotely	O
destroy	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
keeps	O
doves	O
as	O
pets	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
which	O
is	O
named	O
Archimedes	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Sniper	I-Application
(	O
John	O
Patrick	O
Lowrie	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
New	O
Zealand	O
ocker	O
raised	O
in	O
the	O
Australian	O
outback	O
,	O
equipped	O
by	O
default	O
with	O
a	O
laser-sighted	O
sniper	O
rifle	O
to	O
shoot	O
enemies	O
from	O
afar	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
cast	O
has	O
expanded	O
with	O
Halloween	B-Application
updates	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
characters	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
Horseless	O
Headless	O
Horsemann	O
"	O
and	O
Monoculus	O
(	O
Gary	O
Schwartz	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
video	O
announcement	O
for	O
the	O
"	O
Jungle	O
Inferno	O
"	O
update	O
,	O
Mann	B-Application
Co	I-Application
.	I-Application
CEO	O
Saxton	B-Application
Hale	I-Application
,	O
a	O
hypermasculine	O
Australian	O
adventurer	O
,	O
is	O
voiced	O
by	O
JB	O
Blanc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
designed	O
as	O
an	O
open-ended	O
multiplayer	O
experience	O
without	O
an	O
active	O
storyline	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
additional	O
material	O
nonetheless	O
feature	O
a	O
wider	O
narrative	O
centered	O
around	O
the	O
fictional	O
Mann	O
Co.	O
,	O
a	O
large	O
shipping	O
and	O
manufacturing	O
company	O
led	O
by	O
CEO	O
Saxton	B-Application
Hale	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
PvP	O
gamemodes	O
are	O
set	O
during	O
the	O
"	O
Gravel	O
Wars	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
conflict	O
between	O
the	O
rival	O
heirs	O
Redmond	O
"	O
Red	O
"	O
and	O
Blutarch	O
"	O
Blu	O
"	O
Mann	O
for	O
which	O
the	O
nine	O
playable	O
characters	O
were	O
hired	O
out	O
as	O
mercenaries	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gray	O
Mann	O
later	O
emerges	O
as	O
the	O
third	O
competitor	O
,	O
killing	O
the	O
other	O
two	O
brothers	O
and	O
forcing	O
Hale	O
to	O
rehire	O
the	O
mercenaries	B-Application
to	O
protect	O
Mann	B-Application
Co	I-Application
.	I-Application
from	O
Gray	O
's	O
robot	B-Algorithm
army	O
in	O
the	O
Mann	O
vs	O
Machine	O
cooperative	O
horde	O
shooter	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
the	O
Australian	O
team	O
TF	O
Software	O
,	O
comprising	O
Robin	O
Walker	O
and	O
John	O
Cook	O
,	O
as	O
a	O
free	O
mod	O
for	O
the	O
1996	O
PC	O
game	O
Quake	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1998	O
,	O
Walker	O
and	O
Cook	O
were	O
employed	O
by	O
Valve	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
just	O
released	O
its	O
first	O
game	O
,	O
Half-Life	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Valve	O
began	O
developing	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
as	O
an	O
expansion	O
pack	O
for	O
Half-Life	B-Application
using	O
Valve	O
's	O
GoldSrc	B-Application
engine	I-Application
,	O
and	O
gave	O
a	O
release	O
date	O
for	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1999	O
,	O
Valve	O
released	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
Classic	I-Application
,	O
a	O
port	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
,	O
as	O
a	O
free	O
Half-Life	B-Application
mod	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
Classic	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
using	O
the	O
publicly	O
available	O
Half-Life	B-Application
software	B-Application
development	I-Application
kit	I-Application
as	O
an	O
example	O
to	O
the	O
community	O
and	O
industry	O
of	O
its	O
flexibility	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
,	O
Valve	O
originally	O
planned	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
to	O
have	O
a	O
modern	O
war	O
aesthetic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
first	O
shown	O
at	O
E3	O
1999	O
as	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
Brotherhood	O
of	O
Arms	O
,	O
where	O
Valve	O
showcased	O
new	O
technologies	O
including	O
parametric	B-General_Concept
animation	I-General_Concept
,	O
which	O
blended	O
animations	O
for	O
smoother	O
,	O
more	O
lifelike	O
movement	O
,	O
and	O
Intel	O
's	O
multi-resolution	O
mesh	O
technology	O
,	O
which	O
dynamically	O
reduced	O
the	O
detail	O
of	O
distant	O
on-screen	O
elements	O
to	O
improve	O
performance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
mid-2000	O
,	O
Valve	O
announced	O
that	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
had	O
been	O
delayed	O
for	O
a	O
second	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
attributed	O
the	O
delay	O
to	O
development	O
switching	O
to	O
its	O
new	O
in-house	O
engine	O
,	O
Source	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Walker	O
and	O
Cook	O
worked	O
on	O
various	O
other	O
Valve	O
projects	O
;	O
Walker	O
was	O
project	O
lead	O
on	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
One	I-Application
and	O
Cook	O
worked	O
on	O
Valve	O
's	O
content	O
distribution	O
platform	O
Steam	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
became	O
a	O
prominent	O
example	O
of	O
vaporware	B-Application
,	O
a	O
long-anticipated	O
game	O
that	O
had	O
seen	O
years	O
of	O
development	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
often	O
mentioned	O
alongside	O
another	O
much-delayed	O
game	O
,	O
Duke	B-Application
Nukem	I-Application
Forever	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Walker	O
said	O
that	O
Valve	O
built	O
three	O
or	O
four	O
different	O
versions	O
of	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
before	O
settling	O
on	O
their	O
final	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shortly	O
before	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
in	O
2004	O
,	O
Valve	O
's	O
marketing	O
director	O
Doug	O
Lombardi	O
confirmed	O
that	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
still	O
in	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Valve	O
reintroduced	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
at	O
the	O
July	O
2006	O
EA	O
Summer	O
Showcase	O
event	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Departing	O
from	O
the	O
realistic	O
visual	O
design	O
of	O
other	O
Valve	O
games	O
,	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
features	O
a	O
cartoon-like	O
visual	O
style	O
influenced	O
by	O
20th-century	O
commercial	O
illustrations	O
and	O
the	O
artwork	O
of	O
J	O
.	O
C	O
.	O
Leyendecker	O
,	O
Dean	O
Cornwell	O
,	O
and	O
Norman	O
Rockwell	O
,	O
achieved	O
through	O
Gooch	O
shading	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
debuted	O
with	O
the	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
's	O
new	O
dynamic	O
lighting	O
,	O
shadowing	O
and	O
soft	O
particle	O
technologies	O
alongside	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
Two	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
to	O
implement	O
the	O
Source	B-Application
engine	I-Application
's	O
new	O
Facial	O
Animation	O
3	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
impressionistic	O
design	O
approach	O
also	O
affects	O
textures	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
based	O
on	O
photos	O
that	O
are	O
filtered	O
and	O
improved	O
by	O
hand	O
,	O
giving	O
them	O
a	O
tactile	O
quality	O
and	O
giving	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
its	O
distinct	O
look	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
RED	O
bases	O
use	O
warm	O
colors	O
,	O
natural	O
materials	O
,	O
and	O
angular	O
shapes	O
,	O
while	O
BLU	O
bases	O
use	O
cool	O
colors	O
,	O
industrial	O
materials	O
,	O
and	O
orthogonal	B-Application
shapes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
July	O
2006	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
press	O
conference	O
,	O
Valve	O
revealed	O
that	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
would	O
ship	O
as	O
the	O
multiplayer	O
component	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Orange	I-Application
Box	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
beta	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
entire	O
game	O
was	O
made	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
on	O
September	O
17	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
for	O
customers	O
who	O
had	O
pre-purchased	O
The	B-Application
Orange	I-Application
Box	I-Application
,	O
who	O
had	O
activated	O
their	O
Black	O
Box	O
coupon	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
included	O
with	O
the	O
ATI	O
HD	O
2900XT	O
Graphics	O
cards	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
members	O
of	O
Valve	O
's	O
Cyber	O
Café	O
Program	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
October	O
10	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
both	O
as	O
a	O
standalone	O
product	O
via	O
Steam	B-Application
and	O
at	O
retail	O
stores	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Orange	I-Application
Box	I-Application
compilation	O
pack	O
,	O
priced	O
at	O
each	O
gaming	O
platform	O
's	O
recommended	O
retail	O
price	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Orange	I-Application
Box	I-Application
also	O
contains	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
One	I-Application
,	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
Two	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Portal	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Valve	O
offered	O
The	B-Application
Orange	I-Application
Box	I-Application
at	O
a	O
ten	O
percent	O
discount	O
for	O
those	O
who	O
pre-purchased	O
it	O
via	O
Steam	B-Application
before	O
the	O
October	O
10	O
release	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
opportunity	O
to	O
participate	O
in	O
the	O
beta	O
test	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
Valve	O
has	O
continually	O
released	O
free	O
updates	O
and	O
patches	O
through	O
Steam	B-Application
for	O
Windows	O
,	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Linux	B-Application
users	O
;	O
though	O
most	O
patches	O
are	O
used	O
for	O
improving	O
the	O
reliability	O
of	O
the	O
software	O
or	O
to	O
tweak	O
gameplay	O
changes	O
,	O
several	O
patches	O
have	O
been	O
used	O
to	O
introduce	O
new	O
features	O
and	O
gameplay	O
modes	O
,	O
and	O
are	O
often	O
associated	O
with	O
marketing	O
materials	O
such	O
as	O
comics	O
or	O
videos	O
offered	O
on	O
the	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
website	O
;	O
this	O
blog	O
is	O
also	O
used	O
to	O
keep	O
players	O
up	O
to	O
date	O
with	O
the	O
ongoing	O
developments	O
in	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Themed	O
patches	O
have	O
also	O
been	O
released	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
yearly	O
Halloween-themed	O
event	O
called	O
"	O
Scream	O
Fortress	O
"	O
,	O
where	O
players	O
may	O
obtain	O
unique	O
items	O
available	O
only	O
during	O
a	O
set	O
period	O
around	O
the	O
holiday	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
new	O
features	O
have	O
given	O
players	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
craft	O
items	O
within	O
the	O
game	O
from	O
other	O
items	O
,	O
trade	O
items	O
with	O
other	O
players	O
,	O
purchase	O
in-game	O
items	O
through	O
funds	O
in	O
Steam	B-Application
,	O
and	O
save	O
and	O
edit	O
replay	O
videos	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
posted	O
to	O
YouTube	B-General_Concept
.	I-General_Concept
</s>
<s>
This	O
approach	O
has	O
subsequently	O
created	O
the	O
basis	O
for	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
Workshop	O
functionality	O
of	O
the	O
software	O
client	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
of	O
the	O
new	O
content	O
had	O
been	O
confirmed	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
while	O
development	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
was	O
deemed	O
"	O
uncertain	O
"	O
by	O
Valve	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
received	O
an	O
update	O
that	O
repaired	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
issues	O
found	O
within	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
ranging	O
from	O
graphical	O
issues	O
to	O
online	O
connectivity	O
problems	O
;	O
this	O
update	O
was	O
included	O
in	O
a	O
patch	O
that	O
also	O
repaired	O
issues	O
found	O
in	O
the	O
other	O
games	O
within	O
The	B-Application
Orange	I-Application
Box	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
updates	O
released	O
on	O
PC	O
and	O
planned	O
for	O
later	O
release	O
on	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
include	O
new	O
official	O
maps	O
and	O
game	O
modes	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
tweaks	O
to	O
classes	O
and	O
new	O
weapons	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
unlocked	O
through	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
achievement	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
developers	O
attempted	O
to	O
negotiate	O
with	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
developer	O
Microsoft	O
to	O
keep	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
releases	O
of	O
these	O
updates	O
free	O
,	O
but	O
Microsoft	O
refused	O
and	O
Valve	O
announced	O
that	O
they	O
would	O
release	O
bundles	O
of	O
several	O
updates	O
together	O
to	O
justify	O
the	O
price	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
of	O
the	O
cost	O
of	O
patching	O
during	O
the	O
seventh	B-Application
generation	I-Application
of	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
consoles	I-Application
,	O
Valve	O
has	O
been	O
unable	O
to	O
provide	O
additional	O
patches	O
to	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
version	O
since	O
2009	O
,	O
effectively	O
cancelling	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
console	O
versions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
10	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
,	O
shortly	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Steam	B-Application
for	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
release	O
was	O
teased	O
by	O
way	O
of	O
an	O
image	O
similar	O
to	O
early	O
iPod	O
advertising	O
,	O
showing	O
a	O
dark	O
silhouette	O
of	O
the	O
Heavy	O
on	O
a	O
bright	O
green	O
background	O
,	O
his	O
Sandvich	B-Application
highlighted	O
in	O
his	O
hand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	O
earbuds	B-Operating_System
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
worn	O
when	O
playing	O
on	O
either	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
or	O
Windows	O
once	O
acquired	O
,	O
were	O
given	O
to	O
players	O
playing	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
before	O
June	O
14	O
,	O
though	O
the	O
giveaway	O
period	O
was	O
later	O
extended	O
to	O
August	O
16	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
6	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
Valve	O
announced	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
for	O
Linux	B-Application
as	O
part	O
of	O
a	O
restricted	O
beta	O
launch	O
of	O
Steam	B-Application
on	O
the	O
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
initial	O
release	O
of	O
Steam	B-Application
and	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
targeted	O
at	O
Ubuntu	B-Operating_System
with	O
support	O
for	O
other	O
distributions	O
planned	O
for	O
the	O
future	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
,	O
on	O
December	O
20	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
Valve	O
opened	O
up	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
beta	O
,	O
including	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
to	O
all	O
Steam	B-Application
users	O
without	O
the	O
need	O
to	O
wait	O
for	O
an	O
invitation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
14	O
,	O
2013	O
,	O
Valve	O
announced	O
the	O
full	O
release	O
of	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
for	O
Linux	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
then	O
to	O
March	O
1	O
,	O
anyone	O
who	O
played	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
Linux	B-Application
would	O
receive	O
a	O
free	O
Tux	B-Application
penguin	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
equipped	O
in-game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
in	O
March	O
2013	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
to	O
officially	O
support	O
the	O
Oculus	B-Device
Rift	I-Device
,	O
a	O
consumer-grade	O
virtual	B-Application
reality	I-Application
headset	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2020	O
,	O
source	B-Application
code	O
for	O
2018	O
versions	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
Counter-Strike	O
:	O
Global	O
Offensive	O
leaked	O
online	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
1	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
shortly	O
following	O
the	O
death	O
of	O
the	O
voice	O
actor	O
of	O
the	O
Soldier	O
,	O
Rick	O
May	O
,	O
Valve	O
released	O
an	O
update	O
to	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
adding	O
a	O
tribute	O
to	O
his	O
voicework	O
as	O
the	O
Soldier	O
in	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
a	O
new	O
main	O
menu	O
theme	O
(	O
a	O
rendition	O
of	O
Taps	O
)	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
statues	O
of	O
the	O
Soldier	O
saluting	O
,	O
added	O
to	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
official	O
in-game	O
maps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
23	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
Valve	O
announced	O
that	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
would	O
become	O
free	O
to	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unique	O
equipment	O
including	O
weapons	O
and	O
outfits	O
would	O
be	O
available	O
as	O
microtransactions	O
through	O
the	O
in-game	O
store	O
,	O
tied	O
through	O
Steam	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Walker	O
stated	O
that	O
Valve	O
had	O
learned	O
that	O
the	O
more	O
players	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
had	O
,	O
the	O
more	O
value	O
it	O
had	O
for	O
each	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
move	O
came	O
a	O
week	O
after	O
Valve	O
introduced	O
several	O
third-party	O
free-to-play	O
games	O
to	O
Steam	B-Application
and	O
stated	O
they	O
were	O
working	O
on	O
a	O
new	O
free-to-play	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Within	O
nine	O
months	O
of	O
becoming	O
free	O
to	O
play	O
,	O
Valve	O
reported	O
that	O
revenue	O
from	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
had	O
increased	O
by	O
a	O
factor	O
of	O
twelve	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
early	O
2020	O
,	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
has	O
endured	O
large	O
amounts	O
of	O
bot	B-Protocol
accounts	O
entering	O
Valve	O
casual	O
matchmaking	O
servers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
bot	B-Protocol
accounts	O
had	O
been	O
an	O
issue	O
in	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
for	O
some	O
time	O
prior	O
to	O
this	O
,	O
multiple	O
sources	O
began	O
to	O
report	O
a	O
spike	O
in	O
activity	O
for	O
these	O
bot	B-Protocol
accounts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
activities	O
of	O
these	O
bots	B-Protocol
have	O
included	O
forcibly	O
crashing	O
servers	O
,	O
spamming	O
copypastas	O
in	O
the	O
text	O
chats	O
of	O
matches	O
,	O
assuming	O
other	O
players	O
 '	O
usernames	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
usage	O
of	O
aimbots	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
some	O
bots	B-Protocol
were	O
programmed	O
taking	O
advantage	O
of	O
a	O
TF2	O
source	B-Application
code	O
leak	O
that	O
Valve	O
had	O
confirmed	O
in	O
April	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
common	O
bot	B-Protocol
that	O
exploited	O
this	O
leak	O
used	O
the	B-Application
Sniper	I-Application
class	O
,	O
allowing	O
them	O
to	O
exploit	O
the	O
"	O
headshot	O
"	O
mechanic	O
to	O
instantly	O
kill	O
enemy	O
players	O
from	O
across	O
the	O
map	O
regardless	O
of	O
direction	O
they	O
were	O
aiming	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
16	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
Valve	O
responded	O
to	O
this	O
by	O
restricting	O
accounts	O
that	O
have	O
not	O
paid	O
for	O
Mann	B-Application
Co	I-Application
.	I-Application
Store	O
items	O
from	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
voice	O
and	O
text	O
chat	O
in-game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
24	O
,	O
all	O
players	O
were	O
restricted	O
from	O
changing	O
their	O
Steam	B-Application
username	O
while	O
connected	O
to	O
any	O
Valve	O
matchmaking	O
server	O
or	O
any	O
server	O
with	O
display	O
name	O
updates	O
disabled	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Their	O
updated	O
username	O
would	O
display	O
on	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
platform	O
,	O
but	O
would	O
not	O
show	O
in	O
game	O
until	O
they	O
reconnected	O
to	O
the	O
server	O
or	O
joined	O
a	O
new	O
server	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
change	O
was	O
implemented	O
to	O
prevent	O
bots	B-Protocol
from	O
changing	O
their	O
display	O
name	O
to	O
impersonate	O
legitimate	O
players	O
,	O
which	O
allowed	O
the	O
bots	B-Protocol
to	O
avoid	O
being	O
kicked	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
confusion	O
caused	O
by	O
their	O
duplicate	O
name	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Approximately	O
one	O
year	O
later	O
,	O
on	O
June	O
22	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
additional	O
changes	O
were	O
implemented	O
to	O
discourage	O
bot	B-Protocol
activity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
YouTuber	O
,	O
Toofty	O
,	O
posted	O
a	O
video	O
that	O
provided	O
input	O
from	O
several	O
of	O
those	O
that	O
were	O
behind	O
the	O
bot	B-Protocol
problem	O
;	O
reasons	O
given	O
ranged	O
from	O
grieving	O
against	O
Valve	O
developers	O
to	O
simply	O
finding	O
the	O
disruption	O
fun	O
to	O
watch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
issues	O
remained	O
ongoing	O
as	O
of	O
May	O
2022	O
,	O
prompting	O
YouTuber	O
SquimJim	O
to	O
uploaded	O
a	O
video	O
to	O
his	O
YouTube	B-General_Concept
channel	I-General_Concept
encouraging	O
his	O
viewers	O
to	O
express	O
their	O
grievances	O
to	O
Valve	O
and	O
news	O
outlets	O
through	O
letters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
also	O
said	O
that	O
some	O
bots	B-Protocol
would	O
"	O
spam	O
...	O
chat	O
with	O
homophobic	O
or	O
racist	O
remarks	O
,	O
outside	O
links	O
,	O
or	O
just	O
plain	O
rude	O
or	O
obnoxious	O
messages	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Across	O
June	O
and	O
July	O
2022	O
,	O
Valve	O
released	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
patches	O
to	O
help	O
players	O
deal	O
with	O
the	O
bot	B-Protocol
issue	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
improving	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
vote	O
kicking	O
system	O
so	O
that	O
both	O
teams	O
can	O
vote	O
to	O
kick	O
players	O
accused	O
of	O
abusive	O
behavior	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Valve	O
took	O
down	O
the	O
servers	O
for	O
five	O
minutes	O
in	O
August	O
2022	O
,	O
during	O
which	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
bans	O
were	O
issued	O
via	O
Valve	B-Application
Anti-Cheat	I-Application
to	O
players	O
that	O
were	O
known	O
to	O
be	O
running	O
these	O
bots	B-Protocol
,	O
effectively	O
ending	O
the	O
problem	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Constructed	O
using	O
Source	B-Language
Filmmaker	I-Language
and	O
using	O
more	O
detailed	O
character	O
models	O
,	O
the	O
series	O
consists	O
of	O
short	O
videos	O
introducing	O
each	O
class	O
and	O
displaying	O
their	O
personalities	O
and	O
abilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
claims	O
Sun	O
Tzu	O
"	O
invented	O
"	O
fighting	O
,	O
then	O
further	O
confuses	O
this	O
claim	O
with	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
Noah	O
and	O
his	B-Application
Ark	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
videos	O
were	O
generally	O
released	O
through	O
Valve	O
's	O
official	O
YouTube	B-General_Concept
channels	I-General_Concept
,	O
though	O
in	O
one	O
notable	O
exception	O
,	O
the	O
"	O
Meet	O
the	O
Spy	O
"	O
video	O
was	O
leaked	O
onto	O
YouTube	B-General_Concept
,	O
several	O
days	O
before	O
its	O
intended	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
videos	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
"	O
Meet	O
the	B-Application
Sniper	I-Application
"	O
,	O
contain	O
more	O
original	O
material	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
videos	O
have	O
been	O
used	O
by	O
Valve	O
to	O
help	O
improve	O
the	O
technology	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
specifically	O
improving	O
the	O
facial	O
animations	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
source	B-Application
of	O
new	O
gameplay	O
elements	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Heavy	O
's	O
"	O
Sandvich	B-Application
"	O
or	O
the	B-Application
Sniper	I-Application
's	O
"	O
Jarate	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
believes	O
that	O
only	O
game	O
developers	O
themselves	O
have	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
bring	O
the	O
interesting	O
parts	O
of	O
a	O
game	O
to	O
a	O
film	O
,	O
and	O
suggested	O
that	O
this	O
would	O
be	O
the	O
only	O
manner	O
through	O
which	O
a	O
Half-Life-based	O
movie	O
would	O
be	O
made	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
shorts	O
were	O
made	O
using	O
Source	B-Language
Filmmaker	I-Language
,	O
which	O
was	O
officially	O
released	O
and	O
has	O
been	O
in	O
open	O
beta	O
as	O
of	O
July	O
11	O
,	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
more	O
recent	O
major	O
updates	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Valve	O
has	O
presented	O
teaser	O
images	O
and	O
online	O
comic	O
books	O
that	O
expand	O
the	O
fictional	O
contuinuity	O
and	O
characters	O
of	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
expansion	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
cross-media	O
property	O
"	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
Newell	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
and	O
other	O
comics	O
also	O
establish	O
other	O
background	O
characters	O
such	O
as	O
Saxton	B-Application
Hale	I-Application
,	O
the	O
CEO	O
of	O
Mann	O
Co.	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
that	O
provides	O
the	O
weapons	O
for	O
the	O
two	O
sides	O
and	O
was	O
bequeathed	O
to	O
one	O
of	O
Hale	O
's	O
ancestors	O
by	O
Zepheniah	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Administrator	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
announcer	O
,	O
that	O
watches	O
over	O
,	O
encourages	O
the	O
RED/BLU	O
conflict	O
,	O
and	O
keeps	O
each	O
side	O
from	O
winning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
collected	O
comics	O
were	O
published	O
by	O
Dark	O
Horse	O
Comics	O
in	O
Valve	O
Presents	O
:	O
The	O
Sacrifice	O
and	O
Other	O
Steam-Powered	O
Stories	O
,	O
a	O
volume	O
along	O
with	O
other	O
comics	O
created	O
by	O
Valve	O
for	O
Portal	B-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
Left	B-Application
4	I-Application
Dead	I-Application
,	O
and	O
released	O
in	O
November	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Valve	O
has	O
held	O
weekends	O
of	O
free	O
play	O
for	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
before	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
made	O
free-to-play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hats	O
and	O
weapons	O
can	O
be	O
gained	O
as	O
a	O
random	O
drop	O
,	O
through	O
the	O
crafting/trading	O
systems	O
,	O
or	O
via	O
cross-promotion	O
:	O
Limited-edition	O
hats	O
and	O
weapons	O
have	O
been	O
awarded	O
for	O
pre-ordering	O
or	O
gaining	O
Achievements	O
in	O
other	O
content	O
from	O
Steam	B-Application
,	O
both	O
from	O
Valve	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
Left	B-Application
4	I-Application
Dead	I-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
Alien	B-Application
Swarm	I-Application
)	O
or	O
other	O
third-party	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Sam	B-Device
&	I-Device
Max	I-Device
:	I-Device
The	I-Device
Devil	I-Device
's	I-Device
Playhouse	I-Device
,	O
Worms	B-Application
Reloaded	I-Application
,	O
Killing	B-Application
Floor	I-Application
,	O
or	O
Poker	B-Application
Night	I-Application
at	I-Application
the	I-Application
Inventory	I-Application
(	O
which	O
features	O
the	O
Heavy	O
class	O
as	O
a	O
character	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Pyro	O
,	O
Heavy	O
,	O
and	O
Spy	O
all	O
function	O
as	O
a	O
single	O
playable	O
character	O
in	O
the	O
PC	O
release	O
of	O
Sonic	B-Application
&	I-Application
All-Stars	I-Application
Racing	I-Application
Transformed	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Pyro	O
,	O
Medic	O
,	O
Engineer	O
,	O
and	O
Heavy	O
appear	O
as	O
playable	O
characters	O
in	O
Dungeon	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Endless	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Pyro	O
was	O
added	O
as	O
a	O
playable	O
character	O
to	O
Killing	B-Application
Floor	I-Application
in	O
2010	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
appearing	O
as	O
a	O
henchman	O
in	O
the	O
2021	O
game	O
Evil	B-Device
Genius	I-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
players	O
can	O
trade	O
with	O
others	O
for	O
items	O
such	O
as	O
weapons	O
and	O
cosmetics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Operating	O
largely	O
through	O
informal	O
gray	O
markets	O
before	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
the	O
official	O
Steam	B-Application
Community	O
Market	O
,	O
trading	O
items	O
made	O
players	O
susceptible	O
to	O
fraud	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
features	O
an	O
in-built	O
item	O
valuing	O
system	O
known	O
as	O
an	O
item	O
quality	O
,	O
assigned	O
to	O
a	O
given	O
instance	O
of	O
an	O
item	O
through	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
different	O
means	O
and	O
ranging	O
from	O
"	O
Normal	O
"	O
items	O
used	O
as	O
the	O
stock	O
weapons	O
of	O
each	O
class	O
,	O
to	O
"	O
Unique	O
"	O
items	O
used	O
as	O
the	O
base	O
obtainable	O
items	O
from	O
the	O
item	O
drop	O
or	O
achievement	O
systems	O
,	O
to	O
far	O
rarer	O
qualities	O
such	O
as	O
"	O
Strange	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Unusual	O
"	O
or	O
"	O
Decorated	O
"	O
which	O
feature	O
special	O
cosmetic	O
effects	O
that	O
can	O
immensely	O
increase	O
the	O
market	O
value	O
of	O
a	O
given	O
item	O
;	O
Strange	O
items	O
keep	O
track	O
of	O
kills	O
or	O
other	O
objectives	O
achieved	O
while	O
equipped	O
in-game	O
while	O
Unusual	O
items	O
feature	O
item-specific	O
particle	O
effects	O
,	O
with	O
both	O
Strange	O
and	O
Unusual	O
items	O
being	O
obtainable	O
through	O
rare	O
crafting	O
items	O
or	O
randomly	O
obtained	O
in	O
place	O
of	O
the	O
far	O
more	O
common	O
Unique	O
items	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Such	O
items	O
are	O
additionally	O
assigned	O
a	O
"	O
grade	O
"	O
from	O
"	O
Civilian	O
"	O
to	O
"	O
Mercenary	B-Application
"	O
to	O
track	O
their	O
relative	O
rarity	O
within	O
a	O
collection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Crate	O
keys	O
,	O
crafting	O
metal	O
,	O
and	O
in-game	O
items	O
such	O
as	O
an	O
"	O
earbuds	B-Operating_System
"	O
cosmetic	O
(	O
also	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
"	O
buds	O
"	O
)	O
are	O
all	O
used	O
as	O
currency	O
due	O
to	O
their	O
value	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
economy	O
of	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
has	O
received	O
significant	O
attention	O
from	O
economists	O
,	O
journalists	O
,	O
and	O
users	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
relative	O
sophistication	O
and	O
the	O
value	O
of	O
many	O
of	O
its	O
in-game	O
items	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2011	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
reported	O
that	O
the	O
economy	O
of	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
worth	O
over	O
US$50	O
million	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
received	O
widespread	O
critical	O
acclaim	O
,	O
with	O
overall	O
scores	O
of	O
92/100	O
"	O
universal	O
acclaim	O
"	O
on	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
has	O
received	O
several	O
awards	O
individually	O
for	O
its	O
multiplayer	O
gameplay	O
and	O
its	O
graphical	O
style	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
having	O
received	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
"	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
"	O
awards	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Orange	I-Application
Box	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
well	O
received	O
,	O
its	O
removal	O
of	O
class-specific	O
grenades	O
,	O
a	O
feature	O
of	O
previous	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
incarnations	O
,	O
was	O
controversial	O
amongst	O
reviewers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
further	O
criticism	O
came	O
over	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
issues	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
extra	O
content	O
such	O
as	O
bots	B-Protocol
(	O
although	O
Valve	O
has	O
since	O
added	O
bots	B-Protocol
in	O
an	O
update	O
)	O
,	O
problems	O
of	O
players	O
finding	O
their	O
way	O
around	O
maps	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
a	O
minimap	O
,	O
and	O
some	O
criticism	O
of	O
the	O
Medic	O
class	O
being	O
too	O
passive	O
and	O
repetitive	O
in	O
his	O
nature	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
this	O
end	O
,	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
considered	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
games	O
to	O
offer	O
games	O
as	O
a	O
service	O
,	O
a	O
feature	O
which	O
would	O
become	O
more	O
prevalent	O
in	O
the	O
2010s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fans	O
of	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
Classic	I-Application
have	O
made	O
a	O
total	O
conversion	O
mod	O
of	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
titled	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
Classic	O
,	O
which	O
seeks	O
to	O
marry	O
gameplay	O
elements	O
and	O
concepts	O
from	O
both	O
entries	O
alongside	O
scrapped	O
ideas	O
from	O
the	O
sequel	O
's	O
development	O
cycle	O
and	O
several	O
entirely	O
original	O
additions	O
.	O
</s>
