What the 64-bit update could mean for the future of TF2
ValveA simple performance update to Team Fortress 2 could have just secured its long-term future of support from Valve.
Valve‘s war-based hat simulator Team Fortress 2 has been through the ringer in terms of challenges for an aging multiplayer title. Official updates are scarce, new content only comes from community-led seasonal events, and of course, the infamous bot-crisis.
TF2 was thought to be going through a bit of a renaissance after the 2023 summer update brought a lot to the nearly 20-year-old game, including the community-made boss mode, “Versus Saxton Hale,” officially being added to the game. So the sudden silence, outside of the shenanigans of the voice cast, and a continuing bot crisis made fans doubtful if their game could be saved until a recent performance update.
Futureproofing one of Valve’s best games
ValveIn summary, the 64-bit update generally means TF2 will perform better on modern systems, giving the Windows and Linux versions of the game better FPS. It also upgrades them from 32-bit, so they’ll function better on newer hardware.
Unfortunately, the Mac version of the game still hasn’t updated to 64-bit, limiting playability to systems using MacOS Catalina 10.15 or earlier. Though fans don’t want to hold their breath, the sniper bots have been quiet since the update dropped.
While this update didn’t come with any playable content for TF2, it potentially opened the door for big future updates. Due to how old TF2’s code is, the 64-bit update will make it easier to develop official content for Team Fortress 2 from Valve without porting it to Source 2, the engine Counter Strike 2 and Half Life: Alyx run on.
Team Fortress 2 is far from a dead game. The free-to-play shooter has 60,000 average players, and the Steam Workshop is always rife with fresh ideas that fans pitch to Valve regularly, such as new maps and cosmetics. Many of these ideas make it into the game if they are based around a season event.
Halloween and Holiday events are an annual update in the game, often adding maps and cosmetics with a spooky and winter flair. The aforementioned Summer Event from 2023 has the potential to be added to the seasonal roster with new content.
With the addition of “Versus Saxton Hale,” it’s good to see Valve acknowledge a piece of the TF2 community history; now, with the 64-bit update, there’s very little stopping them from doing it again. Who knows, we could see Balloon Race being added as an official game mode.
John Lowrie, the voice of the Sniper in TF2, quotes a post on X (formerly Twitter) from Robin Atkin Downes, the voice of the Medic, showing their support for the update, with the former hoping for it helps with future support for the game.
Though this update seems like just a performance boost and nothing more for now, many have been given hope for a future in the game since 64-bit, not just on Valve’s front but the community front as well, with outside Mods and community servers gaining more accessibility due to the update.