⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣤⠲⣶⠒⠖⣶⣶⠦⣀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣴⢞⣿⣵⣿⣿⣿⣴⣾⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⣶⢄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣝⣆⣄⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢰⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠟⠛⠛⠛⠋⠛⠛⠿⠿⠟⠛⠛⠿⣿⣿⣿⣶⣄⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⣿⡿⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⣶⣌⣍⡟⡦⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡠⠊⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿⣟⣻⢿⣮⣦⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡰⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⣯⣽⣿⣿⣾⣿⣿⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⣿⣿⣷⣯⣏⣟⢿⣿⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡜⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣀⣠⣄⣐⣢⣢⢄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣮⣿⣿⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⠃⠀⠀⣀⠀⡀⣀⠀⠤⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⣟⣓⠊⠈⠙⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⠉⠉⣉⠱⢆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣸⣾⣾⣿⣿⣿⣏⠀⠀⠀⠈⠹⠛⢻⠿⠿⠛⠚⠛⠂⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⢰⣙⠻⣮⣣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⡽⣿⡿⠧⢬⢻⠂⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⣿⣿⣿⣿⠸⣿⣷⡝⡟⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡷⠉⠀⠒⠁⠚⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⣿⣿⣿⣧⠉⣿⣏⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠲⢲⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠛⠛⠻⠏⠀⠻⠃⣡⠅⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⠐⠀⠀⠀⠰⣤⠀⢀⣴⣶⣶⣾⠽⠃⠀⠀⠀⠐⠂⢄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢇⢤⣶⠉⢢⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠺⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠟⠛⠋⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠠⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠁⠀⠡⢣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠂⠂⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣀⣠⣶⡾⢄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠠⠣⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡆⣆⡄⠀⣀⣀⡤⠆⡒⠒⠾⠛⡟⣹⣿⠿⠛⠉⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢣⢣⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⢸⢻⣿⡿⠼⠄⠗⠀⠋⠉⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢡⢣⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢁⠀⠰⠌⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢣⢣⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡆
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣠⣴⣶⣿⠿⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢡⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣠⣴⣶⣿⣿⣿⠿⠋⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡸⢇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣀⣤⣴⣶⣶⣶⣷⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠛⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠒⠒⠒⠒⠂⠈⠉⠉⠂⠀⠁⠒⡶⣤⣬⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠛⠋⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

is nice

Team Fortress 2 is not my most played game, but it will probably always be my favorite. The characters and the world Valve built here are unmatched in the gaming industry and the envy of all other game studios. The core, objective-oriented gameplay isn't even the star of the show, and it doesn't have to be. You take Quake-derived, solid gameplay and couple it with some of the best writing in the history of gaming and a timeless artstyle—you have a masterpiece.

A typical modern live-service multiplayer game priority list goes something like this: Progression -> Gameplay -> Art -> Personality—but TF2 proves if you want something timeless that will be loved for decades despite its balance flaws and aging tech, it needs to be easy on the eyes and dripping with personality to keep people interested. The media outside of the game is just as important as the experience in the game itself. It all started when Valve released comics and Source Filmmaker.

Most modern game studios seem to only go half-way, getting stuck somewhere between gameplay and art after pouring all their resources into making the progression loop as profitable as possible. You don't necessarily need progression to interest people. Quick arena matches have fallen out of style in a big way, but TF2 proves it still works. Most games drill down hard on grinding for unlocks or being ultra-sweaty grinding ranks as progression. TF2 is from a different era where the arena gameplay was a given, so they used the personality as a hook. The game would've faded into obscurity if it released as it was in early iterations, as another generic military shooter completely devoid of everything that makes it so replayable. Valve took a massive risk with the art style and the comedy—they took a lot of heat for it back in the day—and it paid off in a big way.

It's the grandfather of micro-economies in games, for better or worse. Valve did it right.
Quake Team Fortress is also the grandfather of class based shooters. The world needs more boomer shooters. If you want Team Fortress 2 to be more like Quake, there's always Open Fortress.

It is just too bad the neglect TF2 receives from Valve—who seem content with selling seasonal crates rather than producing a TV show or a movie (or even gameplay updates). Other companies salivate at the profit potential in producing a TV streaming hit, but Valve has a method of producing maximum profits with minimal effort. I don't hope for the downfall of Valve's IP as a wake up call, but I hope something changes eventually.

I hope TF2 continues delivering the funny for another 18 years.