(Image credit: washy)

The Year of the Horse has arrived, and Potato.TF thinks that calls for a celebration! After asking every horse in the area the best ways to enjoy this year, it was unfortunately nays across the board. Unsure what to take from this, Potato.TF decided to celebrate the best way they could think of: bringing back Memes vs Machines! The horses did give one piece of advice: do not release on April Fools under any circumstances! In hindsight it seems this was merely a clever prank. Good job, horses, maybe that long face of yours has more brains behind it than we thought.

Operation Memes vs Machines: Re-Peeled is a new Mann vs. Machine charity event brought to you by Potato.TF! Complete over 10 missions across new and returning maps and complete at least 8 missions to receive an in-game medal! Click here to get started!

Feeling generous? Potato.TF is also hosting a charity fundraiser supporting Hawaii Storm Relief! Donate as little as $5 to receive an in-game medal! Have the link to your Steam profile ready and click here for more information.

Destroy those robots while you can! The event will run until May 25th, 2026.

Important Links:

• Event website
  
• Discord
  
• Steam Group
  

(Image credit: Concept artist - Endi, SFM artist - BloodiestBanana, Illustrator - Max Shortt)

This is where they'd put the trophy...

Are you the sort with a healthy dose of ideas but nowhere to use them? Have you just had one now and are wondering where you're going to find a plastic pelican at this hour? Then oh-boy does KritzKast have the competition for you!

KritzKast are looking for those with creative juices to spare, maybe even some artistic flare, or at the very least a friend or two who knows it's the sharp end of the pencil that goes down. This is absolutely the least effort you'll ever have to put into a creative endeavour to win big. Actually, technically to win very small, but still to win awesomely.

A fancy French cosplay studio (whose work you may have seen in certain "meet the real" videos) has volunteered to create the best esport trophy Team Fortress 2 has ever seen, for ÜBERFEST 2026! But KritzKast are notoriously work-shy, so to reach this trophy's full potential they need your ideas for what it should actually look like.

The winning idea will be made real, put on display during the LAN, and then awarded to the winning esport team! If it's your idea that's chosen, you and your team will each receive a one-of-a-kind handmade miniature replica of the trophy! There will also be plenty of Lo-Fi Longwave hats up for grabs!

The competition runs until the end of May!

Important Links:

• Get started
  
• More information and instructions
  

(Image credit: Max Shortt)

Fireside Casts will be hosting their Cam's Cup Highlander tournament starting this Friday, April 17, @ 3:30PM EDT! The event honors a North American community member that recently passed away. Featuring 12 teams of 9 players, captains will gather to do a live draft the day before matches. The 12 teams will then be sorted into three divisions relevant to the teams' assumed skill levels and will be playing in a double elimination best-of-1 bracket.

On Friday, viewers can watch the live draft where captains will pick players to be on their respective teams. Then on Saturday and Sunday match coverage of the cup begins, featuring commentary from new and old faces alike!

Be sure to tune in and catch all the action! More details can be found on their Discord server.

Important Links:

• Twitch
  
• Cam’s Cup Discord
  
• Fireside Casts Discord
  

(Image credit: Waltz)

TF2 Painter's Workshop is proud to announce the winners of the Americana Contest have been chosen! The submission scores were averaged between five judges according to three criteria: Theme Adherence/Concept, Execution, and Personal Preference.

All of the winning submissions and the extras which scored at or above a 9/15 have been included in The Americana Collection! There's also a custom war paint case proposal!

All of the submissions have been included in the Americana Contest Entries collection!

To donate or participate in future events, join their Discord server!

MGE.tf is launching a new season with the addition of 1v1 competition and the debut of a new region: Asia! Players will now be able to compete in both 1v1 and 2v2 leagues across North America, Europe, and Asia!

Players will face off in weekly deathmatch games against opponents of similar skill levels, creating a structured environment where everyone, from brand new players to top professionals, can sharpen mechanics and improve through consistent competition. Competitors can sign up for 1v1 or team up with a partner for 2v2, with multiple divisions to fight for glory, cash prizes and medals! Join their discord for league information and to train with other MGE players.

Who will be top of the leaderboards this season? Signups are open!

Important Links:

• Signup
  
• Discord
  
• YouTube
  

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

• Fixed client crash related to material proxies
  
• Fixed Scout.NegativeVocalization04 sounds in Mann vs. Machine not playing because of a typo in the volume (community fix from That Hat Guy)
  
• Fixed The Spy-cicle not using its icicle lightwarp (community fix from BreavyTF2)
  
• Updated material for cp_coldfront to fix compression issue
  
• Updated the prop for Taunt: Heartbreaker to fix a missing material
  
• Updated koth_demolition
  
  
  • Fixed a player clip on the helipad allowing players to stand outside the playable area (thanks Midnite)
    
  • Fixed some player clip pixel walks on some doors
    
  • Fixed a blockbullets floating above BLU spawn (thanks True_Boredom)
  
  

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

• Fixed client crash related to material proxies
  
• Fixed Scout.NegativeVocalization04 sounds in Mann vs. Machine not playing because of a typo in the volume (community fix from That Hat Guy)
  
• Fixed The Spy-cicle not using its icicle lightwarp (community fix from BreavyTF2)
  
• Updated material for cp_coldfront to fix compression issue
  
• Updated the prop for Taunt: Heartbreaker to fix a missing material
  
• Updated koth_demolition
  • Fixed a player clip on the helipad allowing players to stand outside the playable area (thanks Midnite)
    
  • Fixed some player clip pixel walks on some doors
    
  • Fixed a blockbullets floating above BLU spawn (thanks True_Boredom)

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

• Fixed an issue where players could impersonate TF2 system messages by exploiting color control codes
  
• Fixed a bug where certain custom maps would not load assets correctly on Linux
  
• Fixed some crashes relating to singleplayer TF2 SDK mods
  
• Fixed a memory leak on long running servers related to dynamic models
  
• Fixed client crash related to invalid D3D texture flag
  
• Fixed hearing teleporter spin sound when carried (community fix from Brandon Little)
  
• Fixed objects sometimes using the incorrect activity when being placed (community fix from Brandon Little)
  
• Improved Medi Gun heal target selection to prioritize teammate directly under crosshair when teammates are close together (community fix from wget)
  
• Improved targetid selection to replicate Medi Gun heal target selection (community fix from wget)
  
• Added missing Steam Controller inputs for loadout menus (community fix from Ashetf2)
  
• Fixed 3D HUD using the incorrect animations while holding the PASS Time ball (community fix from gidi30)
  
• Fixed network state changes for player condition vars (community fix from ficool2)
  
• Fixed sentry rockets not sending the object_deflected game event when deflected (community fix from The Fatcat)
  
• Fixed Stat Clocks not drawing correctly in UI using playermodelpanel (community fix from rabscootle)
  
• Fixed flipped initial pitch/yaw on thirdperson switch (community fix from ficool2)
  
• Fixed Short Circuit projectile offset ignoring cl_flipviewmodels (community fix from birchish)
  
• Fixed Dragon's Fury fireballs having incorrect projectile path (community fix from wget)
  
• Fixed for mismatched cl_flipviewmodels values between client and server (community fix from birchish)
  
• Fixed cloak and rage meters being mispredicted (community fix from ficool2)
  
• Fixed prediction issues with Spy watches and cloak (community fix from ficool2)
  
• Fixed Casual doors player list sometimes using wrong size (community fix from nemmy)
  
• Fixed missing alpha mask for generator_01 (community fix from BreavyTF2)
  
• Fixed BuildingRescueLevel proxy overwriting TextureScroll on Rescue Ranger oscilloscope (community fix from Voids29)
  
• Fixed Botkiller team color bugs (community fix from DiskIntegrity)
  
• Fixed Scout.NegativeVocalization04 sound not playing because of a typo in the volume
  
• Renamed sd_marshlands to htf_marshlands (hold the flag) to accurately describe its game mode
  
• Updated the Festivizer model for The Overdose to fix a problem with the LODs
  
• Updated the Mann of the Hour to make the hair blend better with the hat and Scout's skin
  
• Updated/Added some tournament medals
  
• Updated The Bare Necessities to fix not moving correctly while taunting
  
• Updated the rigging for The Headliner to fix the pocket and tie stretching during some taunts and default poses
  
• Updated alpha channel for Hydro water texture to remove inconsistencies
  
• Updated the Case of the Blues
  
  
  • Updated rigging to fix intense stretching during taunt poses
    
  • Updated materials to look less flat
  
  
• Updated the taunt prop for Taunt: Heartbreaker
  
  
  • Updated the materials to add ambient occlusion
    
  • Updated the phong and rim lighting to show albedo tint
    
  • Updated the materials to add more depth
    
  • Updated the model to fix missing faces
    
  • Updated the model to fix stretching on lower LODs
  
  
• Updated pl_frontier_final to fix invisible func_detail water near BLU spawn (community fix from ObsoleteGuy)
  
• Updated cp_frostwatch to fix first point death pit being survivable with ÜberCharges on Stage 1
  
• Updated cp_manor_event to fix invisible func_detail water near BLU spawn (community fix from ObsoleteGuy)
  
• Updated koth_demolition
  
  
  • Updated map lighting to make it more like a sunset, as well as giving it a more golden color
    
  • Replaced the models used for the capture point lights with a different one which has better collision and illumination
    
  • Reworked the capture point platform to give it a stronger design
    
  • Reworked all the catwalks to give them a more stylized look
    
  • Reworked the lighting in all the furnace rooms to make them less dark and have a more neutral look
    
  • Reverted a previous change to the capture point team change steam whistle
    
  • Removed all ambient_generics near the furnaces and fire pipe
    
  • Reworked the soundscapes to make them more efficient and work properly
    
  • Reworked the control room of the crane to give it a better design
    
  • Reworked some ropes from the crane to give them a better look
    
  • Fixed some props fading out incorrectly
    
  • Fixed ships in the 3d skybox casting shadows
    
  • Fixed cubemaps missing on parts of the map
    
  • Fixed reflective surfaces not having a cubemap attached to them
    
  • Added a 128x128 cubemap on the control point so it is more reflective (thanks Zythe)
    
  • Improved water cubemaps
    
  • Restructured the spawn platform so players spawn looking at the shortcut, and don't need to pull a U-turn to exit spawn (thanks Lizard of Oz)
    
  • Improved the visuals on the spawn platform to fit the previous change
    
  • Fixed a blockbullets allowing players to stand on the exterior side of the helipads (thanks Yazoo)
  
  

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

• Fixed an issue where players could impersonate TF2 system messages by exploiting color control codes
  
• Fixed a bug where certain custom maps would not load assets correctly on Linux
  
• Fixed some crashes relating to singleplayer TF2 SDK mods
  
• Fixed a memory leak on long running servers related to dynamic models
  
• Fixed client crash related to invalid D3D texture flag
  
• Fixed hearing teleporter spin sound when carried (community fix from Brandon Little)
  
• Fixed objects sometimes using the incorrect activity when being placed (community fix from Brandon Little)
  
• Improved Medi Gun heal target selection to prioritize teammate directly under crosshair when teammates are close together (community fix from wget)
  
• Improved targetid selection to replicate Medi Gun heal target selection (community fix from wget)
  
• Added missing Steam Controller inputs for loadout menus (community fix from Ashetf2)
  
• Fixed 3D HUD using the incorrect animations while holding the PASS Time ball (community fix from gidi30)
  
• Fixed network state changes for player condition vars (community fix from ficool2)
  
• Fixed sentry rockets not sending the object_deflected game event when deflected (community fix from The Fatcat)
  
• Fixed Stat Clocks not drawing correctly in UI using playermodelpanel (community fix from rabscootle)
  
• Fixed flipped initial pitch/yaw on thirdperson switch (community fix from ficool2)
  
• Fixed Short Circuit projectile offset ignoring cl_flipviewmodels (community fix from birchish)
  
• Fixed Dragon's Fury fireballs having incorrect projectile path (community fix from wget)
  
• Fixed for mismatched cl_flipviewmodels values between client and server (community fix from birchish)
  
• Fixed cloak and rage meters being mispredicted (community fix from ficool2)
  
• Fixed prediction issues with Spy watches and cloak (community fix from ficool2)
  
• Fixed Casual doors player list sometimes using wrong size (community fix from nemmy)
  
• Fixed missing alpha mask for generator_01 (community fix from BreavyTF2)
  
• Fixed BuildingRescueLevel proxy overwriting TextureScroll on Rescue Ranger oscilloscope (community fix from Voids29)
  
• Fixed Botkiller team color bugs (community fix from DiskIntegrity)
  
• Fixed Scout.NegativeVocalization04 sound not playing because of a typo in the volume
  
• Renamed sd_marshlands to htf_marshlands (hold the flag) to accurately describe its game mode
  
• Updated the Festivizer model for The Overdose to fix a problem with the LODs
  
• Updated the Mann of the Hour to make the hair blend better with the hat and Scout's skin
  
• Updated/Added some tournament medals
  
• Updated The Bare Necessities to fix not moving correctly while taunting
  
• Updated the rigging for The Headliner to fix the pocket and tie stretching during some taunts and default poses
  
• Updated alpha channel for Hydro water texture to remove inconsistencies
  
• Updated the Case of the Blues
  • Updated rigging to fix intense stretching during taunt poses
    
  • Updated materials to look less flat
• Updated the taunt prop for Taunt: Heartbreaker
  • Updated the materials to add ambient occlusion
    
  • Updated the phong and rim lighting to show albedo tint
    
  • Updated the materials to add more depth
    
  • Updated the model to fix missing faces
    
  • Updated the model to fix stretching on lower LODs
• Updated pl_frontier_final to fix invisible func_detail water near BLU spawn (community fix from ObsoleteGuy)
  
• Updated cp_frostwatch to fix first point death pit being survivable with ÜberCharges on Stage 1
  
• Updated cp_manor_event to fix invisible func_detail water near BLU spawn (community fix from ObsoleteGuy)
  
• Updated koth_demolition
  • Updated map lighting to make it more like a sunset, as well as giving it a more golden color
    
  • Replaced the models used for the capture point lights with a different one which has better collision and illumination
    
  • Reworked the capture point platform to give it a stronger design
    
  • Reworked all the catwalks to give them a more stylized look
    
  • Reworked the lighting in all the furnace rooms to make them less dark and have a more neutral look
    
  • Reverted a previous change to the capture point team change steam whistle
    
  • Removed all ambient_generics near the furnaces and fire pipe
    
  • Reworked the soundscapes to make them more efficient and work properly
    
  • Reworked the control room of the crane to give it a better design
    
  • Reworked some ropes from the crane to give them a better look
    
  • Fixed some props fading out incorrectly
    
  • Fixed ships in the 3d skybox casting shadows
    
  • Fixed cubemaps missing on parts of the map
    
  • Fixed reflective surfaces not having a cubemap attached to them
    
  • Added a 128x128 cubemap on the control point so it is more reflective (thanks Zythe)
    
  • Improved water cubemaps
    
  • Restructured the spawn platform so players spawn looking at the shortcut, and don't need to pull a U-turn to exit spawn (thanks Lizard of Oz)
    
  • Improved the visuals on the spawn platform to fit the previous change
    
  • Fixed a blockbullets allowing players to stand on the exterior side of the helipads (thanks Yazoo)

(Image credit: deli)

Dzień dobry, howdy and welcome to poLANd.tf 2026!

Twice now the greatest teams in Europe have descended upon Łódź, Poland, to do battle and decide who truly can call themselves the best, in hard-fought, gritty battles of will and determination. This time, the competition goes a step beyond: North America is sending its representatives, too! No longer will the last team standing be champions of the continent, but of the world!

On Friday, February 27th, fourteen teams will enter the bear pit. Over the next couple days, they will fight it out live on stage until by the end of Sunday, March 1st, only one team remains! Who is the best in the world? Find out on https://twitch.tv/essentialstf!