14 DAY TRIAL // Valve has finally deployed its extra special Uber Update, and officially confirmed that its massively popular Team Fortress 2 online first person shooter is going completely free to play, while unleashing a brand new "Meet the" short film, focusing on the Medic class.
It's been a hectic week for Team Fortress 2 players, as the Uber Update was being showcased by Valve before its official deployment yesterday.
The update brought forth many items for all of the current classes, while taking special care of the Medic one, which didn't receive any official update up until now.
Besides the array of new items, the company has confirmed that Team Fortress 2 is now completely free to play, with any Steam account holder being able to download the online first person shooter without any charge.
Don't think Valve is neglecting those that already bought Team Fortress 2 on the PC, as they will now have Premium accounts, while those who get it now have Free accounts.
The company has also confirmed through a FAQ feature on its website the differences between the two types of accounts.
"If you've ever spent money on TF2, you have a premium account," the company said. "This includes purchasing the game before it was Free-to-Play, activating a retail version of the game, or making a purchase in the Mann Co. in-game store."
"Premium accounts have a few extra features, including access to rare and cosmetic items through random item drops, the ability to store more items in your backpack, and more powerful trading and crafting abilities. Otherwise, the gameplay experience will be identical for both accounts."
The main differences in features are highlighted below.
Feature - Free - Premium Backpack - 50 slots - 300 slots (expandable up to 1000) Items - Standard - Standard, Rare and Cosmetic Crafting - Limited blueprints - All blueprints Trading - Receive items only - Full trading Gifting - Can receive gifts- Can give and receive gifts Free members that want to upgrade their account can simply make a purchase in the Mann Co. online store and they'll instantly get access to all of the premium features, as well as a Proof of Purchase hat, which is given to all existing owners of TF2.
Valve has also highlighted that it is taking many measures against the potential flood of malicious players that might take advantage of the free nature of the game.
"We’re increasing our focus on making sure that hostile players can’t ruin your fun. Specifically, we’ll be keeping a close eye on players exploiting the ability to make infinite free accounts to bypass bans. We’ve built systems that’ll allow us to measure and track what these players are doing, and respond quickly."
Last but not least, a Coaching feature has also been added.
"If a new player on a Free account upgrades to a premium account and indicates that you were their most helpful friend, you will receive a wearable item. Helping new users via the Coaching feature is a great way to meet new players and help them out!"
After all these big news, the company also released a special Meet The Medic short, introducing the Medic class through a hilarious video, just like almost all of the other classes, so check it all out below.