Valve Unveils Source Code for Team Fortress 2

Valve, the gaming powerhouse, has just opened up a significant opportunity for developers by adding the complete client and server code for Team Fortress 2 into its Source engine SDK. In their blog, they announced this exciting development, highlighting how it empowers creators to craft brand new game modifications. Essentially, fans now have the freedom to alter, expand, or even overhaul the popular online shooter as they see fit.

However, there’s a crucial caveat: developers can’t make money from these creations. Valve made it clear that the SDK is provided under a non-commercial license, meaning that any mod you develop using it must be distributed for free, and any content within those mods should also remain free. Should creators release TF2 mods on the Steam Store, they’ll appear as fresh entries in the Steam game list once published.

Valve also emphasized their respect for the existing TF2 community. Players have heavily invested in their Team Fortress 2 inventories, much of which has been enriched by the contributions of Steam Workshop creators. This community-led content forms a significant part of the game today because of their efforts. In light of this, Valve is requesting that mod developers honor this dynamic by avoiding mods that aim to monetize the efforts of these Workshop contributors. The hope is that many mods will still allow players to access their TF2 inventories, provided it suits the mod’s context.