Valve unleashes chaos as Team Fortress 2 rolls out 100-player battles

Jake Nichols
Team Fortress 2 now has 100 player battles

Valve has cranked the intensity up to eleven on its iconic shooter, Team Fortress 2 (TF2), raising the maximum player count to 100.

This shift from the once-standard cap of 32 players is a game-changer and brings TF2 into a new era of high-octane warfare.

Valve unveiled this groundbreaking update in the most nonchalant of ways, with an attached note branding it as “unsupported and not recommended.”

The sudden ramp-up appears to be part of a wider strategy from Valve to breathe new life into the classic game. Earlier this year, the company teased gamers with whispers of impending updates, even encouraging community input for their Summer 2023 patch.

On July 13, Valve delivered on its promises, rolling out the much-anticipated update, complete with a fresh community-made game mode, new maps, and a bunch of eye-catching cosmetics.

The update’s release sparked a resurgence in TF2’s player count, catapulting the game to a staggering peak of 253,225 players on the same day.

Basking in the surge of returning and new players, TF2 now sits comfortably at third place on Steam Charts, proving that even after 16 years, it’s still a force to be reckoned with.

Amid the excitement surrounding the expanded player limit, some community members have been quick to assume that Valve may be setting the stage for a full-scale battle royale mode, while others dare to dream of a much-anticipated Team Fortress 3.

No matter the reasons behind the update, one thing is clear: these surprising updates have definitely renewed interest in Team Fortress 2.

And as the game embarks on this wild new journey, players worldwide can now dive into the chaotic 50 vs. 50 battles. It may be “unsupported and not recommended,” but let’s be honest – it looks like a lot of fun.

About The Author

Jake Nichols was formerly a Senior Writer on the Australian Dexerto team. A "washed-up" competitive gamer with an economics degree, he has a unique angle on industry trends. When not writing, he's snapping away in Marvel Snap and hunting purple sector times in sim racing games. You can contact Jake at jake.nichols@dexerto.com