<a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/roboticboogaloo/"><img src="http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/robotic_blog_post_image_01.jpg" width="100%" border="0"></a><br> <br>

<p>When we first launched the Workshop back in 2011, we had no idea what the TF2 community was capable of. As the hats, beards, boots and hairdos started rolling in, we realized there was a huge well of creativity out there. But we didn’t appreciate just how deep those waters ran until the community-made updates started appearing. Now we've finally gotten to the point where we're able to shine a well-deserved spotlight on your efforts, starting with the <a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/roboticboogaloo/">Robotic Boogaloo Update</a>, which includes <b>57 new items</b>—the most community items we've ever shipped at once. Currently the items are only available in RoboCrates. RoboCrates will become rare drops after June 3rd.</p><br>

<p>This update is 100% created by the TF2 community. And when we say everything, we mean <i>everything</i>—the in-game content, the update hub website, the animated short, the comic, even the splash images in the Steam store. Even better, everything you created avoided the classic trap of using other companies’ intellectual property. (Those of you working on a Darth Vader Pyro mask, we've got some bad news for you.) Plus, in a first for the Team Fortress economy, all the creators of the Robotic Boogaloo Update have decided to share the revenue earned from the sale of RoboCrate Keys. That means that <b>everyone</b> involved will be profiting from this update, not just the people making hats. </p><br>

<p>This doesn't mark the end of Valve-produced TF2 updates, by the way. As far as we’re concerned, there's plenty of room for both to happily co-exist.... [Read More]

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:<br/>

<b>Source Engine Changes</b><ul>
<li>Fixed server CPU spikes caused by compression of string tables and packets.
<li>Added sv_netspike, sv_netspike_sendtime_ms, and sv_netspike_output convars for investigating server performance
<li>net_compresspackets_minsize default value increased to 1024. This convar now also determines the threshold to determine when a "fragment" (logical game network message, before being broken up into network packets) is compressed.
<li>Added vprof_vtrace and vprof_report_oninterval convars, and tweaked vprof_dump_spikes and vprof_dump_oninterval to reduce output
</ul>

<b>Team Fortress 2</b><ul>
<li>Added the Robotic Boogaloo community update: http://www.teamfortress.com/roboticboogaloo/
<li>Fixed a chat exploit that would cause other clients to timeout from dedicated servers
<li>Updated the Mann Co. Store<ul>
<li>Added RoboCrate Keys
<li>Added A Random RoboKey Gift
<li>Added Pile of RoboKey Gifts
<li>Backpack Expanders on sale at 80% off</ul>
<li>Updated the localization files
</ul>


Read on the TF2 Blog.

<p>Want to give CS:GO a shot? <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/news/10621/">Play for FREE</a> starting now through Sunday at 1pm Pacific Time! Now is the perfect time to grab your friends and bring them into the game. Stick around after the weekend is over – CS:GO and Operation Payback are both on sale at <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/730/">50% off until Monday</a>.</p>
<p>For all of you new players, CS:GO includes a ton of new <a href="http://blog.counter-strike.net/index.php/about/">game modes</a>, characters, maps, weapons, and more. If that sounds a bit overwhelming, here are some tips to get you started:</p>
<p>First, if you’ve never played a Counter-Strike game before, check out the Weapons Course where you’ll learn about the core concepts of the game. Even seasoned veterans should try the special timed course at the end.</p>
<p>Ready to test your skills? Head over to the Arms Race or Deathmatch, fast-paced modes where you can practice each weapon without worrying too much about objectives.</p>
<p>Ok, now that you’ve got the weapons down, it’s time for some teamwork! Head over to Demolition mode for quick, intense action where both teams fight over a central bombsite. Or, if you’re in the mood for some classic Counter-Strike action, drop in to a Casual match and <a href="http://blog.counter-strike.net/index.php/resources/">practice some new strategies</a>.</p>
<p>Want a challenge? Jump into Competitive matchmaking, where you’ll play a full best-of-30 5 vs. 5 match. Matchmaking will place you in matches with players at your skill level, and you’ll receive a personal ranking once you’ve won 10 matches. Competitive matches can take a while, so make sure you’ve got enough time before you commit to a... [Read More]