Surprise! Valve has just unveiled a groundbreaking update to the Source SDK, granting access to "all" of the Team Fortress 2 client and server game code. This update empowers players to craft entirely new games from the ground up, providing modders with the unprecedented ability to modify, expand, and even completely reimagine Team Fortress 2 in virtually any way they see fit.
While creations made with this update must be offered for free on a non-commercial basis and cannot be sold, they can still be published on the Steam Store, where they will appear as new games in the Steam game list. Valve emphasized the importance of the TF2 community's contributions, stating, "Players have a lot of investment in their TF2 inventories, and Steam Workshop contributors have created a lot of that content. The majority of items in the game now are thanks to the hard work of the TF2 community."
Valve encourages TF2 mod makers to honor the community's efforts and avoid creating mods designed to profit from the work of Workshop contributors. They also hope that many mods will continue to allow players to access their TF2 inventories, where it makes sense for the mod.
In addition to the Source SDK update, Valve is rolling out "a big update" to all its multiplayer back-catalog Source engine titles. This includes adding 64-bit binary support, scalable HUD/UI, prediction fixes, and numerous other improvements to games like Team Fortress 2, Day of Defeat: Source, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, Counter-Strike: Source, and Half-Life: Deathmatch Source.
Back in December, after a seven-year wait, The Team Fortress 2 comic released its seventh and final update. These comics have not only been a treasure trove of information for fans eager to learn more about their favorite characters and stories, but they also underscore Valve's ongoing dedication to one of its most beloved series.
