[TF2] What makes a "Major Update" Major?

[@imabird1566]

If I were a MINOR update, I wouldn’t be sitting here DISCUSSING it with ya now, would I?

[@FortressForge-Animations]

LMAO🤣

[@timestorm5687]

I think major update mostly just means "weapons rebalance" or "new weapons get added"

[@C.A._Old]

mostly unreleased and unused weapons son.

[@killerblodychuky6]

in my mind a major update is honestly just separated by either NEW weapons/gameplay features like mvm or medievil mode type huge stuff or rebalances to the gameplay

[@spakwi]

Also, it's got stuff made by Valve, and not just the community

[@blasting1148]

yeah, you have a point

[@nataliaborys1554]

I think that would put Summer 2023 as a major update, since it added Versus Saxton Hale to the game. Then again, it was pretty big, and the tf2wiki calls it a "major seasonal update" so

[@cihloun]

The Major himself crawls out through your screen and kisses on your cheek

[@Corpsepct]

Small "update" to me is when devs just fix issues within the game that almost change nothing in game, but more behind the scenes. Medium / seasonal "updates" to me is when devs add cosmetics, cases, maps, stamps, etc... to the game. MAJOR "update" to me is when devs add new weapons, contracts, game modes, and everything else said above. Cherry on top is new music, voice lines, and a SFM.

[@RichterOvertime]

New gameplay experiences created by valve with real artistic discernment

[@TheSwankTF]

Yoooo Richter. I agree completely. It's just that most work shoppers don't understand what falls under that umbrella. And getting a lot of different work shoppers to come to an agreement on that is very difficult. Hence why the quality of content can vary so much.

[@FortressForge-Animations]

i feel like all valve would need to do to make the community consider an update major is give it a name, a theme and keep it the same size as your average seasonal update and BOOM You got hype i bet

[@lightningmc-09]

and balance change

[@HHHjb_]

yea this + a fix would be perfect for example a bison update would be nice

[@TheSwankTF]

Hard agree here. Focused theming is a largely underrated aspect of some of the best updates in the game's history. Instead of adding a bunch of stuff. You can make an update feel bigger while doing less if the theming is right.

[@Wapako]

no joke, is there actually people not understanding what "major" update means ? No guys seriously, its hard to understand that getting random cosmetics and mid maps for seasonal events made by the community is not a major update ?! It should be obvious that what people mean by "Major" update is that Valve actually do something like new weapons, balance weapons, official maps that are not seasonal. Something done by Valve, that's it.

[@maxscott3349]

In most games I would consider a major update to be one that adds, removes or completely reworks significant game mechanics.

[@TheSwankTF]

I would think this too. But with certain other past updates, such as End of the Line or Robotic Boogaloo, we've seen the tag "Major Update" be used in spite of this.

[@DelabLeFou]

I really don't care about update pages or theming anymore, I just want matchmaking to be ridden off and balance changes

[@TheSwankTF]

Matchmaking ridden of, you say? Stay tuned. Got a video in the works for this topic.

[@gilition]

I have not watched this video yet, but the title alone makes me really interested because I've had a similar thought. It's confusing to me how electronic boogaloo (an update with just hats) was considered by valve to be a major update but summer 2023 and 24 somehow aren't major updates

[@kingkrool94]

I'm guessing RB is considered "major" because it was the first update driven entirely by the community. While its quality was awful, it was a big milestone in TF2's history just because of that.

[@TheSwankTF]

Pretty much entirely why I made this video. We say we want a "major update" but if we got another robotic boogaloo or End of the Line, the community would probably shit itself in rage.

[@evdestroy4121]

I usually just see it as an update with an update page

[@TheSwankTF]

Robotic Boogaloo 💀

[@vettyyt2995]

You earned my like since you said hey champs because you reminded me of my dad before he left me when I was a kid

[@TheSwankTF]

Thanks for the comment vetty....

[@AndronicusYT]

Honestly, you make a great point. We are getting content, its just Valve isn't putting any effort forth on their part. I've always been wanting to have something actually created by Valve for the game, not just stuff dumped from the workshop without ANYTHING else created by them. The community has quite literally been keeping the game alive with the workshop and all Valve has to do is pump something into it every Summer, Halloween, and Christmas... I hope that they eventually break this cycle. My dream is to keep getting the content that were getting, but maybe Valve fills in the gap between Winter and Summer and makes a Spring update with a bit of content created by them or something on the lines of that. Would give us content to look forward to year round and if Valve adds the time and care into these updates again, I think it could make updates as charming as they were back years and years ago.

[@nickname5447]

Imo they should remove some of the bloat, most notably some of the maps (wutville and that one AI smissmass map in partifular)

[@slysamuel5902]

Legit all I want anymore is rebalances, good ones. I don’t care about “major” updates. If per update we get one or two bad weapons made good, or even a nerf or rework to the op or annoying ones, that would do wonders for me. I don’t want much else. Just that please.

[@TheSwankTF]

There's a number of weapons that I think are just a single change away from being viable enough to be considered fun. But this goes back into the idea of Valve having to put effort into their game.

[@erpetek]

hot take: major update is when valve adds their own content

[@TCLG6x6]

The last major update was last summer update for me.

[@zionmolina3039]

Good question. Heavy update when?

[@mingshi7689]

The last tf2 comic means we need to move on There’s nothing we can do…

[@TheSwankTF]

When we crack the Heavy ARG.

[@highway_roadkill]

honestly i'd even describe past Scream Fortresses as 'major updates' in a sense that they even typically had themes outside of just "ooh it's Halloween guys!" up until 2015, Scream Fortress updates would come with lore stuff, comics, and new bosses. from 2015 onward it's just been the community seeing how many re-used gimmicks can be stuffed into one map i'm not even against major updates consisting of primarily community-created stuff, it's just that we're getting so goddamn much these days. there's a lot that can be done with just a little bit. ya'know the map Crasher added in Scream Fortress 2022? image if that was the only map added in that update but it came alongside a comic introducing the two mad-scientists and their feud, and had map-specific achievements. that right there would be more than enough to put on-par with past Scream Fortress updates to me. it'd certainly be preferable to the unending bloat of forgettable content we're seeing right now.

[@NotSoPolitePerson]

By tf2 standards Content

[@DudeTheNinja]

To me, a "major" update is an update that isn't just patch notes. It's Valve "blessing it" with a name, a special image, a blog post. Doesn't need multiple days, or a tie-in short, or even any Valve-made content (see EOTL and Invasion). It really comes down to Valve treating it as such. I'd say the past two summer patches were the closest to a "major" update we've gotten since Jungle Inferno, with the only real lack of "majorness" being that Valve blessing in the form of an actual blog post. Summer 23 brought the first "official" mode since PASS Time was officially released with MYM, and Summer 24's content was almost entirely from the Tropic Crisis project (with the War Paints being added in Halloween, and the final map, Patagonia, being released last month). Considering a lot of the JI content was from the Mayann project, I'd say the only thing that's left of the "Tropic Crisis saga" is truly the blog post.

[@raymondkuczewski6499]

in the major update or next update , i want new guns,nerfs and buffs,new maps, that's my lists

[@Arvoyance]

New weapons

[@moony_otter]

Major update is pretty simple An update that changes gameplay in some fundamental way, even if small. This excludes bug fixes and content added from the community. Maps are new content, but are not a fundamental change to the game; adding a map does not have any affect on the game outside that map. Minor seasonal updates are minor because they add cosmetic stuff and maps; there is no affect on the actual way the game is played for any player in a typical match. As an example, the recent change to the Gas Passer was considered fairly significant, despite being a small change to a niche item; it was still treated as a big deal for a good while and has had a permanent fundamental change to how Pyro plays with the Gas Passer.

[@andryemkha6232]

There's also the question of money. All Valve is adding these days is staf that makes them money and maps they just took from someone. That "magic" is the new content which doesn't directly make valve money, like sfms or new weapons.

[@TheSwankTF]

I think this is the reason why we don't see stuff like this anymore. In the past, I do think sfms and other promotional material for updates did help make money for tf2 because it would expand the game's player base via advertisement. But now I don't think Valve has any desire to expand the game's player base, hence these elements became sort of a lost art.

[@owaine-changaming]

Short answer what makes a major update is new weapons major balance changes class improvements or buffs and nerfs

[@leepik28]

i think its easy to seperate major updates from the rest jungle inferno is a major update end of the line isint love and war is a major update i guess only dificulty may be in war update or engineer update or the heavy update (2008 one)

[@TheSwankTF]

The issue with that is the official TF2 website considers all of these to be "Major Updates" under the "History" tab. In fact it considers every Scream Fortress update as a major update, with the exception of 2023 and 2024 for some reason? It also considers the saxxy awards as major updates despite the fact that they didn't add anything to the game. It's a mess.

[@slimes1319]

Good question. 2fort update when?

[@RedWithTheLongYoutubeHandle]

Weapon rebalances and actual valve input not watching the video lil bro

[@aidansroadams5328]

I just wish for new weapons

[@C.A._Old]

mostly unreleased and unused weapons

[@springmen1922]

And effort towards the TF2 emporium for their shitty hats that don’t fit the games style.

[@TheSwankTF]

One can dream lol

[@FortressForge-Animations]

ehh depends on the hat, there are quite alot of hats in the game that do not follow the artstyle that i really like

[@backslay]

new weapons