Team Fortress 2 was intended for release originally in 1999, but Valve postponed the release date again and again. First, lots of information, screenshots and videos were released. Then, for a long, long time, nothing was heard of Team Fortress 2. Everybody thought this promising project had been abandoned.

Why was it so quiet around Team Fortress 2?

After Valve realized that they couldn’t implement all their ideas and plans with the old Half-Life 1 engine, they decided to develop their own innovative engine. So Team Fortress 2 was the foundation for the source engine. On July 14th, 2006 everyone was surprised. Gabe Newell reported on the Electronic Arts Press Event that Team Fortress 2 would be released with Episode Two. The response to this information was overwhelming. Everyone wanted to see what the new Team Fortress 2 was like.

One week later, Valve released the first video of Team Fortress 2 featuring In-game footage. This video presented the well known classes from the Team Fortress Classic, but with a new look.
The opinions of the fans diverged, but many were very pleased with the unexpected new concept. Team Fortress 2 is a mixture of TFC and new ideas from Robin Walker & co. The best aspects of Team Fortress 2 will be also included in Team Fortress 2. Some classes were changed more, some not at all. The biggest changes are at the medic and the pyro. The offensive and defensive behavior of the medic were evaluated and changed appropriately.

Everyone who preordered the game could participate on the beta testing phase in September 2007. The rest of the world had to wait until the game's official release on October 10th, 2007. The game was well received among both fans and critics.

On April 29th, 2008, Valve released the first class update. This update added new content for the Medic class. By unlocking a specific number of newly added, Medic-specific achievements, each player can obtain a total of 3 new weapons (Blutsauger, Kritzkrieg, Ubersaw). In order to make the effort of unlocking all these achievements worthwhile, 3 "Milestones" has been added as well. These achievements are unlocked when obtaining a new weapon, thus unlocking a specific number of achievements.

This achievement-based weapon unlocking system has been applied to any following class update since then (With the exception of the Sniper vs. Spy update, but the achievement system has been included shortly after the update's release).

This update wasn't called "Medic Update" though. Since it was the first update of its kind, it has been called the "Gold Rush Update" since the Medic content was originally a bonus for the map PL-Goldrush. This map also introduced players with the new Payload game mode.

Six months later, on June 19th, 2008, the next class update was released. Called the "Pyro Update" this time, the Pyro class received some additional weapons. In addition to the 3 new weapons (Backburner, Flare Gun, Axtinguisher), the Flamethrower obtained a new special feature: By pressing the right mouse button, the Flamethrower can create a Compression Blast (a blast of compressed air). This blast allows the Pyro to deflect enemy rockets and grenades as well as to "blow away" enemy Stickies.

The Pyro Update also marks the beginning of the inclusion of maps created by the community rather then by Valve itself. The first two community maps to be included into the game's standard map pool are CP-Fastlane and CTF-Turbine. On top of that, the "Meet the Sniper" video has been released as part of the update.

Exactly two months later, on August 19th, 2008, Valve released the "Heavy Update". The Heavy received 3 new weapons - well, 2 weapons (KGB, Natascha) and 1 item to be specific. A non-aggressive item has been introduced for the first time: The Sandvich. This item as well as other items from the following updates can be used unlimited times, but have a rather long recharge time. In case of the Sandvich, it allows the Heavy to heal himself by eating it, thus making him less dependent from the Medic. The Sandvich even received its own video - "Meet the Sandvich".

Just like in the Pyro Update, this update also featured a few new maps. The new maps created by Valve were PL-Badwater Basin as well as 5 maps for the new Arena-Gamemode: Lumberyard, Ravine and an Arena version of Well, Granary and Badlands. As for the community part, CP-Steel has been added to the map pool.

Valve didn't release any additional class update for the following 6 months. But just because the team is taking a break for the big updates, it doesn't mean they're doing nothing for the smaller, less important things in life, as the "Semi-Engineer Update" shows.

The considerably smaller content update released on December 11th, 2008, introduced players to Level 2 and 3 dispensers as well as Level 2 and 3 teleporters - Now all Engineer buildings could be upgraded up to Level 3. In addition to that, two new "MEDIC!" speech bubble has been added, one for being low on health (see picture to the left), and one for being set on fire. The Soldier and Demoman received a cosmetic improvement by adding a, literally, hot heels effect whether one of these classes perform a weapon-assisted jump (Rocket jump and Sticky jump respectively). On top of that, all Stickies can now be destroyed by using projectile-based weapons and the Spy can recharge the energy meter of his Invisibility Watch by picking up ammunition.

In the new year of 2009, Valve released the "Scout Update" on February 24th. As always, the Scout class received 3 new gadgets: 2 new weapons (The Sandman, Force-of-Nature) and 1 item (BONK! Energy Drink). As for the maps, this update featured new community maps only: Arena-Watchtower, CP-Junction and CP-Egypt have been added to the map pool. In addition to that, CP-Fastlane received an update on its own.

The Scout Update is considered by many to be one of the worst class updates due to some not-so-well received updates as well as the absence of a Meet the Team video.

Roughly 3 months later, on May 21th, 2009, Valve released its biggest update to date. It was called a "Sniper Update" at first, introducing the new weapons for the Sniper. At day 4, however, it was revealed that the Spy would receive additional content as well - at the same time! This surprise was only topped by the leak of the new "Meet the Spy" video. The now called "Sniper vs. Spy Update" also introduced the new class-specific hats. These hats possess no special abilities whatsoever and are of cosmetic purpose only. In conclusion, the Spy received 1 new weapon (The Huntsman) and 2 new items (Jarate, Razorback) and the Spy received 1 new weapon (Ambassador) and 2 new items (Dead Ringer, Cloak and Dagger).

In addition to that, the Payload-Race game mode and its first map, PLR-Pipeline, has been introduced and 2 new Arena maps (Sawmill, Nucleus) as well as the community map PL-Hoodoo has been added to the map pool.

But even this seemingly perfect update had its bad moments. The Sniper vs. Spy Update introduced players to a new item drop system. According to Valve, the more a player plays the game, the more weapons, items and hats can be found randomly. The system is supposed to give players an alternative for the achievement-based way of obtaining new class content.

There is nothing bad with the idea itself. In fact, the item drop system gives both new players and veterans alike the chance to obtain new content without achievements. The community was divided because of this system like never before, however, since the new content for both the Sniper and Spy class can only be obtained through the item drop system. Valve ultimately added the Milestones for both classes 8 days after the initial release of the update, on May 29th, 2009.

Valve said that they will continue to release further updates until each class has its own new content. As of now, the only classed left are the Engineer, the Soldier and the Demoman.

(To be continued)