Valve Pleases and Annoys Team Fortress 2 Fans. Bot Hunt Continues, DLC for Funko Fusion Is on the Way
Bots and their creators are in trouble in Team Fortress 2, to the delight of fans. Less widespread enthusiasm was generated by the announcement of the debut of the game's characters in another production.
Valve knows how to evoke extreme emotions in fans of their games. Enthusiasts of Team Fortress 2 recently discovered this and organized a petition that was signed by over 300,000 internet users. Now Fans rejoiced at Valve's decisive action against bots, but the TF2 developers quickly disappointed players with an unfortunate announcement.
Bots hunt
It must be admitted that although the community centered around the cult shooter was cautious about Valve's actions, many fans didn't hide their enthusiasm for the wave of bans that affected both bots and their developers. Upon learning of this, the number of people playing the game at the same time approached 150,000 (via SteamDB).
It's debatable how many of these accounts are real players and how many are bot creators and their minions, trying to ruin the fun for others. Nonetheless, it was enough to enter the game in the last few days to notice the difference. In recent years, it was common to come across bots (with emphasis on the plural). However, since the time of the great wave of bans, they have become almost extinct.
We could be optimistic and assume that it's thanks to the support of the #FixTF2 campaign by hundreds of thousands of players. However, the creators of the bots may also have been influenced by their sense of impunity, as they didn't hesitate to send messages through their creations in the game chat since the petition was opened.
TF2 update outside of TF2
Of course, fans didn't start singing Valve's praises to the heavens. They remember too well how game sessions used to look, not to mention the years of neglect and the community being effectively tasked with the development of Team Fortress 2.
However, the company went so far as to host a page dedicated solely to TF2 bans and denied cheaters' unban requests. In this context, it's not surprising that many fans of the game celebrated on social media. And they quietly hoped for more.
At this very moment, a free DLC has been announced for Team Fortress 2 - no, not for that game, but for Funko Fusion. The free expansion with four classes will be released on September 13.
In theory, this is no surprise - TF2 has had Funko figures for a long time. However, for dedicated fans of the game who have been waiting for a substantial update with new weapons, balance improvements, and the Heavy theme, this comes as a low blow. As some Internet users put it, "at this point, every game is receiving the TF2 update, except TF2 itself."
Some fans even claim that they would prefer if Valve "cancelled" Team Fortress 2.
DLC delights and annoys TF2 fans
Exaggeration? Some fans don't complain that this is how the brand reminds us of its existence. Furthermore, it's one of two game series included in Funko Fusion (along with Five Nights at Freddy's), which can be considered something of an honor. (Besides, the Engineer doesn't have his figure, but he will appear in the DLC - could it be a teaser of a new product?)
Nonetheless, many internet users treat this DLC as an exceptionally bad joke. Valve has abandoned the game, which continues to attract thousands of players and has a loyal fan base, and it only receives "updates" in other productions even after over 15 years.
It's even more painful because at the height of its popularity, Team Fortress 2 had numerous crossovers. The game included, among others, a sword, a witcher's hairstyle, and medallion. A hat from Tropico 4 and a handful of items referring to Total War, Thief, Sam & Max, Plants vs Zombies, and many other series.
Some fans sarcastically argue that this DLC accounts for Valve's abrupt interest in bots in Team Fortress 2. It would be difficult to promote the game's characters when the Internet is flooded with complaints from fans of the original title (via X).
Nonetheless, the majority of fans are far from supporting this thesis. And even if they believe in it, they indicate that at least Valve has finally taken concrete action against bots in Team Fortress 2. So there is no reason to complain, regardless of the company's motives.
