Valve Releases TF2 Source Code: Modders Celebrate

Surprise! Valve has unleashed a massive update to the Source SDK, generously including the complete Team Fortress 2 client and server game code. This opens the door for players to craft entirely new games from the ground up. Unlike Steam Workshop or typical local mods, this update grants modders unprecedented freedom to modify, expand, and even completely rewrite Team Fortress 2.

While commercialization is off the table—meaning any derived mods or games must be free and non-commercial—creations can still be published on the Steam Store, appearing as independent games within Steam's game library.

Valve's rationale, as explained in a blog post, centers on respecting the community's significant investment in TF2 inventories and Steam Workshop contributions. A vast majority of in-game items are community-created, and Valve encourages modders to maintain this spirit of collaboration, specifically requesting that mods refrain from profiting from the efforts of Workshop contributors. Ideally, many mods will continue to allow players access to their existing TF2 inventories.

This update also extends to Valve's entire back-catalog of multiplayer Source engine titles, introducing a significant upgrade with 64-bit binary support, scalable HUD/UI, prediction fixes, and numerous other improvements across Team Fortress 2, DoD:S, HL2:DM, CS:S, and HLDM:S.

Following seven years of anticipation, December saw the release of the seventh and final update to The Team Fortress 2 comic. These comics have served not only as a rich source of lore and character development for fans but also as a testament to Valve's enduring commitment to one of its most beloved franchises.