According to Shacknews, PC gamers will indeed be getting two new maps for Team Fortress 2 (console versions are yet undecided). Not only that, but the maps will “hopefully arrive within the next two months.”

Since Valve’s critically acclaimed Orange Box was launched in October 2007, fans of its Team Fortress 2 component have been expecting – if not half-begging – for additional map content. While the six maps included in TF2 are considered by gamer’s standards to be of the utmost quality, many in the community have expressed their notion of becoming “burned-out” by playing such a small number of maps in rotation. Given TF2’s limited variance of said maps, I’d have to agree.

One of the new maps forthcoming will be a remake of Team Fortress Classic’s Badlands. In addition to this news was mention of additional content hitting well before the maps. The Medic achievement pack that will add several new achievements and gameplay tweaks for the class was specifically mentioned.

So yeah, Badlands sounds like a cool map to add to TF2’s roster. Unfortunately, as Shacknews keenly pointed out, someone in the TF2 community was already working on a Badlands map project (image above exhibits the WiP). I guess it sucks to be him right now.

Via Shacknews

Following on the heels of the announcement of Valve’s acquisition of developer Turtle Rock Studios comes news of more delays to its co-op zombie survival horror game Left 4 Dead. While the last we heard was an early 2008 release date, before even this the game was targeting a 2007 release. Given Valve’s track record for target dates, one can hardly be surprised by such an announcement.

Many in the community are already speculating that the recent delay is attributed to a strategic decision (by Valve) to include Left 4 Dead as a bundle with Half Life 2: Episode 3, much akin to Portal and TF2 with Orange Box. Whether there is any truth to this remains to be seen. For now, we’ll have to wait patiently until such time where the notion of public beta testing comes into play (unless video teasers are your thing).

Via Shacknews

Achtung, Baby! German gamers are getting a weekend of free Team Fortress 2 chocolatey goodness. Valve has sent word:

All gamers in Germany may experience what many are calling the best multiplayer game of 2007 during the Team Fortress 2 Free Weekend, offered exclusively to German gamers via Steam January 4th through 6th.

The Team Fortress 2 Free Weekend in Germany will conclude on Sunday, January 6 and no purchase is required to participate in the free weekend.

Now, my curiosity begs me: If someone calls for a medic in the German version of TF2, do you hear “Medic!” or do you actually hear something like “Doktor!” or “Arzt!”? Inquiring (American) minds want to know.

Via Valve Press Release

At least that’s what Shacknews members would have us believe. In what is perhaps the funniest thing I’ve read this week, Shacknews members have shared their email responses from what looks to be a rather witty Valve Customer Service. Here is one of such responses:

Day after day, Shacker Robotic Puppy Eater saw the same enigmatic image [pictured above] on the Team Fortress 2 map Gravel Pit. Baffled by its existence, consistent placement (”I see it ALL THE TIME,” he posted, “in the exact same spot.”), and artistic inconsistency with the rest of TF2’s decor, he sent this email to the folks at Valve:

(As was later determined, the image is the personal spray of fellow Shacker pyide.)

Those guys over at Valve have a pretty good sense of humor. My favorite was the final response. Epic.

Via ShackBlog

Valve have been working on a flurry of improvements for TF2 and its engine lately. Looks like they released those into the wild last night.

In fear of scrolling our precious news (below) off the page, I’ve strategically positioned a list of those changes (thar be quite a few) after the break.

Read the full article

I’ve lost count at the number of updates and patches that have been released for Team Fortress 2 on PC. Unfortunately console gamers – especially on Xbox 360 – don’t have that benefit, what with Microsoft’s long certification process. A member on NeoGAF recently e-mailed Valve to see if they had any intention of supporting Team Fortress 2 on the 360 and got back a few bits of information.

An update for TF2 should be available before Christmas; it’s already in certification, but as we all know, that can really hold things up. “The update fixes several game-play exploits, improves bandwidth usage, improves stats reporting, and fixes some menu bugs. Most of the fixes that are in this update are in response to forum posts from both the PC and 360, and from direct in-game feedback from players.” the e-mail read.

The e-mail also confirmed that new maps are in the works, and while there’s no schedule for a release date, the most likely scenario is that the maps will be rolled out as they’re finished on the PC, and then later as a pack on 360.

Good things come to those who wait, although I can certainly sympathize with anyone who wants more constant support for TF2.

In news that should surprise absolutely no one, Valve has revealed that they are currently working on new maps for the popular online shooter, Team Fortress 2. The maps are currently being tested and will be released on PC sometime next year as downloadable content. In addition to this news, Xbox 360 owners will soon be receiving a patch for The Orange Box which “fixes several game-play exploits, improves bandwidth usage, improves stats reporting, and fixes some menu bugs.” As much fun as TF2 is, the maps do tend to get a little old at times, since they’re all pretty similar. Hopefully Valve has taken this into consideration when designing these new maps.

Via Kotaku

I’m a big fan of achievements; while the score that accompanies them on the Xbox 360 is an annoyance in my eyes, Valve’s achievements system in The Orange Box was perfect – no points, just achievements that are truly meaningless except to act as achievements, and not a platform for bragging. Playing through Episode 2 in particular made me really yearn for achievements in Episode One and the original Half-Life 2, and if this rumor is true, we might just see that, as well as new achievements for my beloved Team Fortress 2.

A forum poster by the name of “slugz” claims to have received a message from a Valve staffer that read: “We’re planning on adding achievements to all of our games you touched on in your mail [Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode 1, Day of Defeat: Source and Counter-Strike: Source]. We’re just now coming out of the post-shipping haze, so these should start showing up on Steam pretty quick here. We’re also planning on adding a bunch more to TF2, starting with an achievement pack for the Medic in the next week or so.”

I really hope this is true, even though it’s not like I need any incentive to play TF2 anymore than I already do.

via Joystiq

Tom’s Games has an excellent Team Fortress 2 video up featuring gameplay Dos and Don’ts for Valve’s popular FPS.

Video hosts Ben and Rob go over some over some of the lesser known player abilities like the Scout’s double jump and the Demo Man’s sticky bomb assisted jump. They talk about the most effective use of various types of classes, as well as common mistakes characters and teams make.

Review character class specific techniques and team balance issues for TF2 with Ben and Rob on Tom’s Games.

It was only a matter of time. Someone out there in internet land figured out that Garry’s Mod, which allows people to build and create just about anything using items from Half-Life 2, works with the entire Orange Box. After this revelation, of course people out there have set to work constructing all manner of bizarre and hilarious scenes, like the TF2 crew vacationing in City 17 and the Portal world. And scenes with gnomes…lots and lots of gnomes. It’s pretty entertaining and definitely worth checking out.