Surprise! Valve has just unveiled a groundbreaking update to the Source SDK, releasing "all" of the Team Fortress 2 client and server game code to the public. This monumental move empowers players to craft entirely new games from the ground up, offering modders unprecedented freedom to modify, expand, and even completely rewrite Team Fortress 2 in ways they've only dreamed of before.

While you won't be able to monetize your creations—meaning any mods or spin-off content must be released for free on a non-commercial basis—Valve is allowing these innovative projects to be showcased on the Steam Store, where they will appear as brand-new games within the Steam game list.

Valve recognizes the immense contributions of the Team Fortress 2 community, particularly through the Steam Workshop. "Players have a lot of investment in their TF2 inventories, and Steam Workshop contributors have created a lot of that content," Valve stated in a blog post. "The majority of items in the game now are thanks to the hard work of the TF2 community. To respect that, we're asking TF2 mod makers to continue to respect that connection, and to not make mods that have the purpose of trying to profit off Workshop contributors' efforts. We're hoping that many mods will continue to allow players access to their TF2 inventory, if this makes sense for the mod."

Alongside the Source SDK update, Valve is rolling out a significant update to all its multiplayer back-catalog titles using the Source engine. This includes enhancements such as 64-bit binary support, scalable HUD/UI, prediction fixes, and a host of other improvements to Team Fortress 2, Day of Defeat: Source, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, Counter-Strike: Source, and Half-Life: Deathmatch Source.

In a nostalgic nod to the game's lore, after seven years of anticipation, The Team Fortress 2 comic released its seventh and final update back in December. These comics have not only served as a rich source of new information about beloved characters and storylines but also underscore Valve's ongoing dedication to one of its most cherished series.