Team Fortress 2 recently faced its most challenging competition after nearly 18 years, with potential future fierce battles on the horizon.
In the lengthening twilight cast by Valve's heavyweights, Dota 2 and Counter-Strike, Team Fortress 2 (TF2) persists with tenacious vigor. The community's fervor, including a bustling competitive scene that sizzles with energy, has ensured that TF2's legacy endures.
At the sweltering May Physgun Fireside Denver LAN, one fan encapsulated the tournament's intensity, proclaiming it "the hardestlbest competition TF2 has ever seen." With the game now nearing its 18th birthday, the level of competition within the scene has escalated remarkably over the years. Now, even the lowest-ranked player in the top teams could breeze past me in a game like it's a walk in the park-almost like watching the best baseball player in the league utterly outpace a Little Leaguer.
"Right now, the competitive scene's on fire," affirmed SOAPYMEiSTER, a Soldier player hailing from G6, the game's pièce de résistance. But what does a superteam in TF2 look like?
In the widely popular Sixes game mode, teams typically sport a highly refined composition:- 2 Scouts: Nimble, swift, and deadly.- 2 Soldiers: A blend of offense and defense, providing firepower and agility.- 1 Demoman: Packing a punch with explosive damage and helpful utility.- 1 Medic: indispensable for healing and supercharging teammates.
With each generalist class capable of participating robustly in skirmishes or nimbly escaping from them, the Sixes metagame thrives on TF2's demanding and intricate movement system.
Slower classes like the Heavy and Engineer emerge mainly when the team has entrenched themselves in defending their final control point. The Pyro, however, comes into play in select situations, boasting the power to disperse a Medic's charge with expertly timed airblasts. The Sniper and Spy make occasional grand entrances, often stalking the enemy Medic or other high-value targets.
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Team Fortress titans
The unstoppable G6 steamrolled their way to the grand finals at Fireside Denver, delivering an unbeaten streak. However, the crowd's beloved underdogs were Froyotech, the historic dynasty of competitive TF2.
If you ask any fan who they believe to be the greatest player ever, the response comes in unison: Grant "b4nny" Vincent. Founder, captain, and driving force behind Froyotech since its inception in 2014, b4nny forged a storied career out of competitive TF2, a rarity among mainstream esports luminaries.
In five international LANs, Froyotech has amassed more than just about every other team's total earnings, prestige, and admiration from every angle of the TF2 community. "I'm better than you, b4nny" resounded through the arena near the end of a Saturday match as a taunt from Taz, a Soldier player representing the Philippines. Although Froyotech trounced Taz's team in the end, the early show of fighting spirit sounded a cautionary note. Things weren't going as smoothly for Froyotech as they once had.
"Froyo has a convoluted system," revealed Habib, the team's renowned Demoman. "We're used to dealing with crowds, but we crumbled under the pressure. It's all about timing, positioning, execution, but we couldn't maintain that coordination."
In the playoffs, Froyotech would succumb to the unexpected adversary Witness Gaming Australia (WG-AU). With the Australian team's attendance at the event itself almost a Sisyphean task, esports enthusiast Ian "Witness" Faulkner footed the bill for both the Australian and European teams and even guided them on excursions like hikes in the Rocky Mountains.
"I've splashed out $7,000 on this trip so far," Faulkner shrugged. "I won't see any of it back." WG-AU also crowdfunded $8,100 AUD ($5,200 USD) for the trip. Nevertheless, even a perfect performance wouldn't offset the steep costs of traversing the globe-an unfortunate reality for community-driven, lesser-known esports circuits like this one.
"There's a likeness between TF2 and Smash Bros...Valve and Nintendo don't support such communities," Faulkner posited. "They're playing Smash for rice bags in Japan. We're here at one of the most stacked TF2 tournaments in eight years, and we're basically competing for rice bags."
But who needs a full wallet when you've got a victory over the game's most illustrious champions under your belt? "I was a nervous wreck," admitted Conor, a Soldier player for WG-AU. "Just to play against Froyo would have been something special, but to defeat them? It's our biggest moment yet."
Their victory, however, wouldn't last long. In the semifinals, WG-AU faced Balls LAN Team, a team of experienced pros who had rallied together to test their mettle against more established rosters, led by former Froyotech star Jayhyunpae, regarded by many fans as the most technically gifted player in the game.
WG-AU, though, proved too much for the Balls boys to handle, besting them in the most important TF2 series in Australian esports history and becoming the first Australian team to medal at an international tournament. Despite placing 3rd overall after a close loss to sister team Witness Gaming Europe (WG-EU), the Aussies had broken the infamous "4th place curse" tormenting their region for years.
Sister acts
With a determined gaze, WG-EU approached the grand final. Skepticism ran rampant among the crowd as they directed their whispers towards G6: "They're unbeatable."
But WG-EU proved their doubters wrong. In the second map, Process, G6 pushed the Europeans back to their final stronghold, fueling murmurs from the audience. In a tactical move that left fans reeling, the Medic, Auto, switched his loadout from the conventional Übercharge to the Kritzkrieg, a daring choice that delivers massive damage but offers no protection.
One WG-EU Scout, Toemas, darted back to the spawn, transforming into the iconic Heavy Weapons Guy mid-match. With G6 rapidly approaching the point, Auto activated the Kritzkrieg on Toemas, unleashing laser beams that left the audience gasping.
After this decisive play, WG-EU managed to eke out a win on Process and go on to take the remaining matches as well, claiming victory against the undefeated superteam and taking the tournament. In a post-match interview, commentator Tcmano couldn't help but concede: "WG-EU has surprised us all. You have shone a light on Europe,You have championed your region, proving Europe is the best. I had to admit it, and for now...for now, I accept it."
Move along, nothing to see here
Compared to the modern esports scene, competitive TF2 can't help but feel like a relic of the past. Its heyday has long since passed. But the enduring spirit of the game's seasoned pros, together with the steady stream of fresh talent joining the community, shows no signs of fading away.
The tandem Demoman talents of Froyo's Habib and G6's Logan exemplify this symbiosis of old guard and new blood, with Habib acknowledging his younger counterpart's growth, and Logan sheepishly confessing, "Habib taught me everything."
The community may be close-knit, but its growth potential remains unclear. "Being a long-time player, I'd like to see changes come to the competitive scene," shared Balls leader Jayhyunpae. "I'd welcome new maps, new strategies, even different classes. Anything, really."
Even b4nny, the influencer of competitive TF2 with a reputation for adhering to orthodox tactics, sees a need for progression. "Part of me gets Valve's perspective with their restricted competitive format," observed b4nny. "We could loosen up undesirable weapon bans. Competitive has a reputation for being elitist, almost arrogant, and we should be more inclusive to casual players."
Despite forecasts of the competitive scene's twilight, many fans and players felt that they had witnessed the swan song for the scene, due to the grand effort and expense required to facilitate a major tournament. But in b4nny's view, the game's longevity is, in his eyes, far from over.
"I've heard people say 'This is the final LAN' in 2019," sighed b4nny in disbelief. "If the community keeps putting in the effort, creating events, engaging with players, this game will never die."
- At the Physgun Fireside Denver LAN, fans declared the tournament to be "the hardest, best competition TF2 has ever seen," indicating the intense competition in the scene.
- In the widely popular Sixes game mode, teams typically consist of 2 Scouts, 2 Soldiers, 1 Demoman, 1 Medic, showcasing the strength and versatility of each generalist class.
- The underdog team, Froyotech, faced off against the unstoppable G6 in the grand finals of Fireside Denver, despite their unbeaten streak.
- If fans were asked who the greatest player ever is, the response would be Grant "b4nny" Vincent, founder and captain of Froyotech.
- In an international LAN, Froyotech has amassed a considerable amount of earnings, prestige, and community admiration, setting a high standard for competitive TF2.
- Witness Gaming Australia (WG-AU) upset Froyotech in the playoffs, making it to the semifinals against their sister team, Witness Gaming Europe (WG-EU), marking a historic victory for the Australian team.
