Team Fortress 2 was first released in 2007 but has changed drastically over time as updates were released. These updates added new maps, introduced new weapons, and even wildly varied game modes. Team Fortress 2 is easily considered one of Valve's best games due to the excellent support it has continuously and reliably received over the years. But despite the game being considered one of the best, a few updates have left much to be desired.
Items were added as cross-promotional material, meaning players could get hats and weapons for buying a certain game. Other updates required players to spend money to really get anything out of them. Despite a few flops, most updates changed the game for the better, though among those some stand out as particularly awesome additions to the game.
10 Worst: Robotic Boogaloo
Despite being related to Mann Vs. Machine, this update does not really add anything to the game mode. At most, it adds a new battery canteen that can be used three times. Other than this, it just adds robotic hats to the game.
It is cool to see the styles, but they must be uncrated, meaning players must use real money to get these hats. For anyone with extra money in their pockets, they can find a robotic version of their favorite hat, but that's essentially the extent of it.
9 Best: Pyromania Update
This update finally saw the release of the Meet the Pyro video, bringing an end to the Meet the Team video series. On top of that, it added the Special Delivery game mode and many new cosmetics for the classes. It also allows players to see the Team Fortress 2 world as the Pyro would see it.
By equipping the Pyrovision Goggles, players will see the colorful, happy, zany world that the Pyro sees in-game, which is pretty entertaining to say the least. The Meet the Pyro video also explained a bit about the Pyro, who seems to not realize they are actually killing the other mercenaries in a darkly comical twist.
8 Worst: Mac Update
This update made it possible for Mac players to finally play Team Fortress 2. Nothing against Mac users, but this update just didn't add a lot for the existing playerbase at large. A nice little change was the inclusion of a practice mode, but other than that PC players didn't get much out of it.
However, it is worth noting that Mac players who played the game by a certain time got a unique Earbud cosmetic, which caused quite a fuss. Beyond allowing Mac players to literally wear their pride, they became a commonly sought-after trade item.
7 Best: The Über Update
The Über Update included the Meet the Medic video, giving a little more information about how the Medic is able to perform his Über charge. Team Fortress 2 also became free-to-play during this update. The update ran for 5 days, adding item sets for a few of the different classes.
After the game became free-to-play, players who had purchased the game got a cosmetic to celebrate this fact. Players got a hat called the Proof of Purchase, which itself was a clever nod to the early concept stages of Team Fortress 2.
6 Worst: Replay Update
The Replay Update allowed players to save clips from the match they played, allowing them to post their best moments on YouTube. Achievements were also included, unlocking when the player got a certain amount of views on their video. Getting 1000 views would unlock a unique hat.
Sadly, it would seem most servers do not offer the chance to save replays anymore. If the player happens to find a server that has replays enabled, they should definitely take full advantage of it.
5 Best: Haunted Hallowe'en Special
This was the first Halloween update added to Team Fortress 2, creating a tradition for each following year. Players were able to find a Halloween mask after managing to snag 20 candy pumpkins from dead players. These masks can only be equipped during Halloween or during a full moon.
The update also started the story about the Mann family, introducing Zepheniah Mann. With each Halloween update, the Mann story was built upon until it became a much bigger part of the surprisingly extensive Team Fortress 2 universe's lore.
4 Worst: 119th Update
This update was to celebrate the 119th update to Team Fortress 2. It added badges that show when a player first started playing the game. Players who played the beta got a platinum badge, a gold badge was given to players who owned the game three months after release, the silver badge for players who played a year after release, and a bronze badge for the rest.
While it was a cool idea, all the update did was add these badges. Two weapons were tweaked, but other than that nothing truly significant changed with the game.
3 Best: Sniper Vs. Spy
This update centered around the Sniper and the Spy, giving both classes cool new weapons and gear that would give them an advantage over the other. This update ran for 8 days, and the last day also introduced the first hats of Team Fortress 2.
This update is directly responsible for the community's undying love for hats, and whether you love them or hate them, they're an intrinsic part of the community's identity at this point. On top of this, new Arena and Payload Race maps were added to the game.
2 Worst: Tough Break Update
The Tough Break Update introduced added gun skins and new items. However, players had to buy a campaign pass to get any of these items. That meant buying a campaign pass and keys to unlock the cases for completing a contract.
This basically meant that any player not wanting to spend money couldn't really take part in this update. On the plus side, a few new maps were added. At least everyone got something out of this update, even if it wasn't a sparkly new cosmetic.
1 Best: Invasion Community Update
While this update meant the player had to buy a campaign pass, the theme of this update made it worth it. It added alien weapons and cosmetics to the game, meaning players could give the mercenaries a cool futuristic aesthetic. Also included was a new game mode, called Player Destruction.
In this game mode, players had to collect beer bottles and bring them to a UFO. The more beer the UFO is given, the drunker the drivers will get. After winning the match, the UFO will crash into the mothership and destroy it. It's a good time.