After Team Fortress 2 proved to be one of the biggest successes of 2007 as far as multiplayer shooters are concerned, Valve has begun to offer updates for the game, focusing on what could be called "character development". Instead of focusing on only providing new maps and gameplay tweaks, the guys over at Valve have decided to take a different approach and offer updates for individual character classes in the game. The Medic and the Pyro have recently received new weapons and new Achievements through updates and the Heavy is the next in line.

The Heavy is the main "tank" of the Team Fortress world and he can take a great deal of punishment (even if the Sniper can take him out in one shot) as well as inflict a lot of damage on his enemies. His main weapon is the mini-gun, which needs to be spun up before firing and then spun down before the Heavy can run for cover. Currently the character is best paired with a Medic to create a dual juggernaut of destruction, especially after the latest changes made to the Medic class.

With the Heavy update Valve's main goal is to improve its chances of survival when the Medic back-up is removed. The team wants to make the character class more appealing to those who love the damage dealing part while also keeping them interested in survivability. The constraints that the developers identified are related to overpowering the Medic - Heavy combo and to changing the tactical role that it has on the battlefield.

Looking back at the pace of the earlier updates, there will be about two months probably before the Heavy update hits gamers. In the meantime, Valve is happy to hear what gamers have to say about the changes that the Heavy class should undergo.