It’s been years since Valve last made an official comment regarding its online multiplayer shooterTeam Fortress 2. In 2020, Valve addressed a leak that hadTeam Fortress 2players worried their accounts were vulnerable. Those curious when the lastTeam Fortress 2content update was made are better off not asking. Yet Valve has now issues a new statement to theTeam Fortress 2community. All it took was a massive campaign of memes under the banner of #SaveTF2.The message from Valve, shared viaTeam Fortress 2’s verified Twitter account, is short and simple. It says, “TF2 community, we hear you! We love this game and know you do, too. We see how large this issue has become and are working to improve things.” ThatTeam Fortress 2playersreceived a response at all has already led to a celebration among fans of the game, even if the response is ambiguous and noncommittal. With that said,Team Fortress 2players are certain to try and hold Valve accountable.RELATED:Modders are Remaking Team Fortress 2 in the Half Life: Alyx EngineAs for the “issue” that Valve says that it’s planning to address, it likely refers toTeam Fortress 2’s long-term bot infestation. Bots have always been a problem inTeam Fortress 2, which rewards players with items that can be sold for real money. But in 2020 bots surged to a degree that madeTeam Fortress 2nigh unplayable in certain circumstances.
Valve has made several changes toTeam Fortress 2the past two years to try and improve the bot situation and, presumably, must have been content with the numbers it saw after each fix. Players have never been happy with what’s become ofTeam Fortress 2, though. And the issue has only grown worse year to year. The feeling thatValve had abandonedTeam Fortress 2is what prompted the #SaveTF2 protest.
As oneTeam Fortress 2community member succinctly captures the moment, “The end goal is not to get a tweet from Valve. The end goal is to get an update to stop the bots.“Valvehas givenTeam Fortress 2players hope for change before, after all. A tweet with no specific commitments doesn’t actually mean changes to the game until those changes are live.
Of course, mostTeam Fortress 2players would agree that the #SaveTF2 campaign wasn’t just about the bots. It’s also about wanting Valve to startsupportingTeam Fortress 2again, in general. It’s been a long time sinceTeam Fortress 2received new content. That’s a battle that theTeam Fortress 2community isn’t likely to win, as valiant as the effort may be. If nothing else,Team Fortress 2fans will always have the #SaveTF2 memes.
