Team Fortress 2 is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed and published by Valve. It is the sequel to the 1996 Team Fortress mod for Quake and its 1999 remake, Team Fortress Classic. It was released in October 2007 as part of The Orange Box video game bundle for Microsoft Windows and the Xbox 360. A PlayStation 3 version followed in December 2007 when The Orange Box was ported to the system. Later in development, the game was released as a standalone title for Windows in April 2008, and was updated to support Mac OS X in June 2010 and Linux in February 2013. It is distributed online through Valve's digital retailer Steam, with Electronic Arts handling all physical and console ports of the game.
The player can join one of two teams, RED or BLU, and choose one of 9 character classes to battle in game modes such as capture the flag and king of the hill. Development of the game was led by John Cook and Robin Walker, the developers of the original Team Fortress mod. Team Fortress 2 was first announced in 1998 under the name Team Fortress 2: Brotherhood of Arms. Initially, the game had more realistic, militaristic visuals and gameplay, but this changed over the protracted nine-year development. After Valve released no information for six years, Team Fortress 2 regularly featured in Wired News' annual vaporware list among other ignominies. The finished Team Fortress 2 has cartoon-like visuals influenced by the art of J. C. Leyendecker, Dean Cornwell, and Norman Rockwell, and uses Valve's Source game engine.
Team Fortress 2 received critical acclaim for its art direction, gameplay, humor, and use of character in a multiplayer-only game. Valve continues to release new content in the form of submissions made through the Steam Workshop. In June 2011, it became free-to-play, supported by microtransactions for in-game cosmetics. A 'drop system' was also added and refined, allowing free-to-play users to periodically receive game equipment and items by use of a random number generator. Though the game had an unofficial competitive scene for many years, both support for official competitive play through ranked matchmaking and an overhauled casual experience were added in July 2016.
Sound Effects Used
- Hollywoodedge, Bird Hawk Single Scre PE020801/Hollywoodedge, Hawk Screech Single AT082901 (Heard only in Alpine/Forest-themed maps.)
- Hollywoodedge, Cats Fighting Loud Sc PE917007/Hollywoodedge, Cats Two Angry YowlsD PE022601 (Heard in 2010 Halloween Update and Haunted Fortress 2, and used for the "Black Cat" noisemaker.)
- Hollywoodedge, Crash Train Car Mix PE111601
- Hollywoodedge, Gusts Heavy Cold Wind PE031601
- Hollywoodedge, Metal Hits Metal Pipe FS010603
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - MEDIUM SET-OFF WITH WHISTLE (high pitched)
- Sound Ideas, BELL, FIGHT - BOXING RING FIGHT BELL: SINGLE RING, SPORTS
- Sound Ideas, BIRD, CROW - COMMON CROW: CALLS, ANIMAL
- Sound Ideas, BIRD, OWL - CALLING, ANIMAL 02
- Sound Ideas, COW - SINGLE MOO, ANIMAL 01
- Sound Ideas, COW - SINGLE MOO, ANIMAL 02
- Sound Ideas, COW - SINGLE MOO, ANIMAL 04
- Sound Ideas, DOOR, WOOD - OPEN 03
- Sound Ideas, ELECTRICITY, SPARK - HIGH VOLTAGE SPARK, ELECTRICAL 01
- Sound Ideas, FIRE, BALL - IMPACT AND LARGE FIRE BURST, RUMBLE
- Sound Ideas, FLAME THROWER - MEDIUM BURST, FIRE 01
- Sound Ideas, FLAME THROWER - MEDIUM BURST, FIRE 05 (Used for the Pyro's Flamethrower.)
- Sound Ideas, FLAME THROWER - MEDIUM BURST, FIRE 06 (Used for the Pyro's Flamethrower.)
- Sound Ideas, GUN FOLEY - HANDLING 12 GAUGE MOSSBERG SHOTGUN RELOADING
- Sound Ideas, HUMAN, DRINK - DRINK LIQUID FROM A MUG, SWALLOW
- Sound Ideas, HUMAN, SCREAM - SCREAM: FEMALE, HORROR 01 (2nd scream heard in "Haunted Fortress 2" soundtrack.)
- Sound Ideas, HUMAN, SCREAM - SCREAM: FEMALE, HORROR 02 (2nd scream heard in "Haunted Fortress 2" soundtrack.)
- Sound Ideas, ROBOT, MOTOR - ROBOT SERVO MOTOR 03
- Sound Ideas, SPACE - 'ENERGIZE', ELECTRONIC
- Sound Ideas, SPACE, DOOR - SPACE DOOR: ACTIVATE 02
- Sound Ideas, SPACE, DOOR - SPACE SHIP DOOR 3, OPEN
- Sound Ideas, SPACE - WARBLING, ELECTRONIC
- Sound Ideas, SPACE, ZAP - HIGH ENERGY ZAP, ELECTRONIC
- Sound Ideas, TRAIN, FREIGHT - CROSSING BELLS, PASS BY WITH HORN
- Sound Ideas, WIND - DESERT WIND, LONELY, HAUNTING, OMINOUS, WEATHER
- Sound Ideas, WIND - FOREST WIND, LEAVES STIR, WEATHER
