A new petition to save Team Fortress 2 has accumulated almost 30,000 signatures in less than seven days, and calls on Valve to “do something” about the classic FPS game, which the petition says is now “unplayable.” Originally released in 2007, TF2 remains immensely popular on Steam, but is perceived as comparatively neglected alongside other Valve games such as Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2. Recently, the Half-Life developer issued a takedown notice for a fan remake of Team Fortress 2 using the new Source 2 engine. Now, a TF2 petition asks Valve for “open communication” regarding its plans for the shooter.
Amidst Half-Life, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2 feels overlooked and underappreciated. Funny, colorful, and superbly balanced between all of its character classes, TF2 is an FPS game that – even 17 years later – deserves more attention than it ever receives. A full, fan-made remake of Team Fortress 2 in the Source 2 engine was recently shut down via a copyright claim from Valve. Since then, the TF2 community has become increasingly vocal about the state of the game, resulting in a petition which so far has more than 28,000 signatories.
“Despite being 16-plus years old, Team Fortress 2 is one of the most-played and most-beloved games of all time,” the petition, started on Thursday January 11, reads. “However, despite its massive community and long-lasting impact on gaming, TF2 is in an unplayable state. The game is overrun with bots that instantly kill every player trying to play the game, spread hate speech, and use their power over the community for financial gain.
“We want to show Valve that there is no room in the community for the problematic individuals who host these bots, and this petition is not a direct means of changing things, but a show of numbers for the number of people who want to take a stand against them.
“Valve must do something, because these bots shouldn’t have a platform in a beloved and massive game like TF2,” the petition continues. “We’re asking for an open dialogue between Valve and the community. We understand that Valve has other responsibilities, but it has a responsibility to take care of TF2. We ask for open communication from Valve and more clear indication of its plans for TF2.”
As of Thursday January 18, the petition has precisely 28,507 signatures. Elsewhere, another Team Fortress 2 community project, Team Fortress 2 VR, has voluntarily ceased development after more than a year.
If you’re a big Team Fortress 2 fan, you may want to try some of the other best multiplayer games. Or perhaps you want to get a headstart on 2024 and all the upcoming PC games that are on their way.
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