Team Fortress 2 gets in-game store

By Fred Dutton Published 30 September, 2010

Update lets you buy, trade, customise gear.

A new update for Valve's Team Fortress 2 adds an in-game trading post that lets users purchase new items and upgrades or swap existing gear with other players.

To celebrate the launch of the Mann Co. Store, Valve has also debuted "the largest addition of inventory items in the game's history", a load of item customisation options and some new mini-games too.

Users will be able to buy items by depositing cash in their Steam Wallet. Funds held here can be spent on any Steam downloads – not just in the Mann Co. Store.

You can only trade items that you've picked up yourself during gameplay, not those that you have bought in the store.

Team Fortress 2 is famous for its regular free updates and these look set to continue, despite the addition of micro-transactions.

"Our plan is to continue updating TF2 just like we always have, adding free maps, game modes, new features, and more," explains an in-depth FAQ on Valve's website. "The Mann Co. Store is simply an alternative way of obtaining items that other players can earn during gameplay.

"Segregating players into groups that can't play together, based on who bought what, is something we'd like to avoid."

The update is available now for the PC version of the game. Xbox 360 users are still left out in the cold though, with Valve recently admitting "total failure" to update the console version.

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About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (26) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #1 2 years ago

    In before the 'OMG Valve have a cash shop' headline only readers.

    Theres only a small flaw in the system - the 'farm achevement' maps will now become even more used for the 'farm items for cash' playerbase, I like the idea but I hope Valve are looking at the exploiters of the system and deal with it quickly.

  • Huxley82 #2 2 years ago

    Well there is a limit on how many random drop items you can get per week. If you play regularly you will probably get the max anyway.

  • Slamhound #3 2 years ago

    Um, no. It doesn't work like that.

    You can't exchange items for cash, just cash for items. I can't idle my way through to filling my backpack and "selling" it all for Steam store credit.

    Edit: As an addendum, regular players don't get cash from item sales, just the community creators that have items in-game that are bought. They get a slice of the profit every time one of their hats/items are bought via the store. For all the hate levelled by the fandumb on the Steam boards, you could rationalise this as supporting community creators.
    Edited by Slamhound at 30/09/10 @ 23:01

  • Huxley82 #4 2 years ago

    Although it does go back on what they originally said about paid DLC:
    http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/valve-...

  • Vampyre_Warrior #5 2 years ago

    “Segregating players into groups that can't play together, based on who bought what, is something we'd like to avoid.”--However our greed has grown so much that we frankly do not care to prevent it!

    After all, who can hear complaints over the cheers their shareholders made when this concept was suggested!

  • sink257 #6 2 years ago

    @Vampyre_Warrior

    Actually, Valve doesn't have any shareholders.

  • Ryboy #7 2 years ago

    "Xbox 360 users are still left out in the cold though..."

    GOOD!

  • CaptainKid #8 2 years ago

    Seen the prices anyone?
    €50 or $50 for all the new items.
    €16.50 or $17 for a new hat.

    That's right EU gets screwed once more.

  • KiLlerKnight #9 2 years ago

    LOL at most of the prices.
    Makes you actually look like an idiot when wearing or using those in-game.

  • Phishfood #10 2 years ago

    They had to find a way to pay for all the work the devs were doing that the community was getting for free.

  • samadriel #11 2 years ago

    "Malibu Stacey with New Hat!"

  • StooMonster #12 2 years ago

    sink257: Actually, Valve doesn't have any shareholders.

    Actually, all companies have shareholders; but Valve is a privately owned company rather than a publicly traded one is what you meant to say. :)

  • Ryboy #13 2 years ago

    @Phishfood - Probably the most retarded thing I have ever read. Do even realise just how fucking loaded Valve are? When you are the best game developer in the world you don't need to "find a way to pay for all the work the devs were doing" as you put it. They are doing it simply because they can. And why the fuck not. TF2 is a completely different game to the one that was released in 2007.

  • magicpanda #14 2 years ago

    I think this is a good thing for the worlds number one military themed hat simulator.

    Some of the new items were designed by the TF2 community and they will get paid for it.

  • bf #15 2 years ago

    All these updates are nice and all but I'm staring to feel less and less enthusiastic about TF2. I can't really put my finger on it but there is something about all the changes that seems to draw power from the core of the game.

  • SleepyDeathFred #16 2 years ago

    "All these updates are nice and all but I'm staring to feel less and less enthusiastic about TF2. I can't really put my finger on it but there is something about all the changes that seems to draw power from the core of the game. "

    Weirdly I'm not really all that sold on the gameplay itself but I've kept playing, partly because it's the only online game my unversity's ridiculously strict firewall will let through and partly because of the constant stream of unlocks and achievements.

  • smoison #17 2 years ago

    Why can't Counter Strike get updates as well?

    More people play CS then TF2 ...

  • arcam #18 2 years ago

    Counter-Strike players generally aren't very receptive to change...

  • shadowaspect #19 2 years ago

    Counterstrike with fancy hats? I would be in for that. :D

  • Gromit #20 2 years ago

    Are people still playing this on the consoles? It was the only part of the Orange Box I enjoyed tbh.

  • bigbadbeasty #21 2 years ago

    I'm really not sure about this. I love TF2, but not only are these items far more expensive than I expected ($9.99 for a hat!). What is surprising is that they are offering game changing items at a price too, things that actually change gameplay, I always thought that was online game suicide?

    I agree with bf's comment, I think the more they add, it is almost feels like they are taking something away from the purity of the original release.

  • Liam64 #22 2 years ago

    @Huxley82

    It doesn't really go back on what they said. Robin said "you buy the game, you get the content". That's still true, all this paid for stuff can still be unlocked for free by playing the game. They're just offering those without much time but with disposable incomes (ie. most people in full time work) the chance to access content that everyone else has access to.

    And hopefully fund a bit of Half Life 3 in the process.

  • Xardan #23 2 years ago

    Why are people still playing this? Its fun and all but there are so many other games to be playing right now.

  • sneetch #24 2 years ago

    @bigbadbeasty
    I'm really not sure about this. I love TF2, but not only are these items far more expensive than I expected ($9.99 for a hat!). What is surprising is that they are offering game changing items at a price too, things that actually change gameplay, I always thought that was online game suicide?

    Wow, that price is ridiculous I won't be buying hats at that kind of price. Probably.

    However, any game changing items can be obtained in game too either as a drop or through crafting. The only thing that "concerns" me is the "the wearer cannot be killed by headshots" sniper set bonus even though the sniper won't be able to score headshots himself.

    If I shoot someone in the head I consider it only polite if they die. ;)

  • Vistrix #25 2 years ago

    Well its been fun.

  • AHiFi #26 2 years ago

    *looks at 360 copy of Orange Box squashed inbetween Guiter Hero World Tour and FNR 3, pulls out shotgun*