The new Team Fortress 2 update
The new Team Fortress 2 update is here, and it’s bringing a seal with it. While the community has been divided over the update, largely due to a new game mode that some believe brings little innovation to the FPS game, others are saying this adorable addition is exactly what Team Fortress 2 needs. In fact, the seal is so loved that players are flooding the Steam forums with pictures and videos of the adorable animal, with a few expressing disappointment that it’s only available for a limited time.
The seal and the Player Destruction game mode
The seal is a part of the Player Destruction game mode, in which players attempt to feed it the most fish before it is released into the ocean. Players on the opposing team then attempt to kill the players and take the fish from them to feed to the seal. The team that reaches 96 feeds first wins.
The mode was introduced as part of the Team Fortress 2 5.0 update, alongside the introduction of the Free Love cosmetic case, more than 100 new items, a new map called Hellfire, and the official implementation of the community game mode, Saxton Hale.
While some players are thrilled with the update, others say that the new mode feels too similar to older modes that added extra steps without any significant changes to the core gameplay.
“The official game mode is called ‘Player Destruction’ and involves killing players to pick up items (buckets of fish) and bringing them to the seal,” one user writes. “The team that reaches 96 feeds first wins.”
“This is exactly like a mode in another game,” another writes, “except instead of buckets of fish, it’s boxes of beer.” They link to a mode in the free-to-play game Tribes 2 called Team Hunters, in which players attempt to bring crates of beer to their own mobile bar, which then serves beer to the opposing team, which then attempts to drink the beer before serving it to the bar.
The user also mentions that this is the first time the mode has been introduced with a seal theme, although the gameplay itself is not new. “The total number of feeds required varies depending on the map and player count,” they continue.
Another says simply, “I love this game mode.” They continue, “I wish there were more maps for it outside of events.”
Another user says, “I wish they did a mode where you deposit beer on a moving train to get the train driver drunk and crash into the enemy base.” They continue, “Maybe a mode where you deposit beer on a flying saucer to get a space alien drunk and crash it into the enemy base.”
Saxton Hale and the community game mode
The update also adds Saxton Hale, a community game mode, officially into the game. Some users are describing him as a “sexy version of Steve Irwin,” while others say he looks like Texas Ranger Joe McDonald.
Others discuss the release in general, with some expressing their love for the game and the enduring popularity of TF2. “TF2 just broke its all-time playing record with 258k concurrent players,” one says. “Not all of those are going to be active at once, right?”
Another says, “258,000 concurrent players. Over 20 years and the game is still going strong. There’s a reason this game has a dedicated fan base and is such a big part of internet culture.”
There are also a few humorous comments, such as, “I wish the map was a little less grainy.” Another says, “I’m really, really excited for TF3.”
One expresses a desire for TF3 in its original form, saying, “I don’t want all the added content and changes from TF2.” Another expresses confusion about what TF2 stands for, and another user responds, “TF2 stands for Team Fortress 2.”
Check out the full update here.
