Team Fortress 2 heads to the jungle

I had a lot of fun playing Team Fortress 2 ten years ago when it was included as part of Valve’s incredible Orange Box. In the decade since, the industry has shifted – not necessarily positively – a great deal, and much of that could possibly be Valve’s fault. In 2009, the Sniper vs Spy update added cosmetics that would shift the game from being a team-based shooter, to a hat collection game with FPS elements. In many ways, the success of those hats has led to the proliferation of digital baubles, and virtual lootboxes in which to store them.

Now, ten years later, the game is getting a new update. The new Jungle Inferno update (which seems to be a running theme for a week) kicked off today, bringing with it a bunch of new maps and emotes created by Valve and community creators.

After a decade of dustbowls and gravel pits, it’s time to pack your snorkel, find your flip-flops, and endure a series of painful yellow fever vaccinations to your abdomen, because Team Fortress is heading to the tropics!

The Valve-made map is called Mercenary Park, and it’s “a new jungle-themed disease-ridden three-control point map.” It’s complemented by a quintet of maps from community creators, and a bunch of silly taunts. And very probably more hats. There’s more to come over the next few days.

More importantly, there’s an accompanying short film to celebrate Inferno’s release, that’s worth a watch.

I haven’t played Team Fortress in years, nor do I have any interest in returning. Any of you still collecting hats playing Team Fortress 2?

Last Updated: October 17, 2017