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After ten years of work and a last-minute scramble to satisfy Valve’s naming policies, the beloved community mod formerly known as Team Fortress 2 Classic has emerged with a new identity. Team Fortress 2 Classified launches on Steam on January 30, 2026, bringing a fresh take on the iconic shooter that attempts to recapture what the game might have looked like based on its original pre-release inspirations.
The road to release has been anything but smooth. Valve stepped in months ago requesting a name change, and the resulting bureaucratic process pushed the launch back significantly. But the team behind the mod insists the wait will be worth it.
Why the name had to change
The original Team Fortress 2 Classic name ran afoul of Valve’s updated policies around community mods. According to developer Nito from studio Eminoma, the Steam maker has recently tightened restrictions after several mods used the “classic” terminology in ways that made them appear to be official Valve products.
“Valve requested a few months ago that we rename our mod, because the name Team Fortress 2 Classic was too similar to their Team Fortress Classic,” Nito explained in a development update.
The confusion is understandable. Team Fortress Classic is an actual Valve game, a remake of the original Quake mod that preceded TF2. Having a community project with nearly the same name created potential for player confusion and brand dilution.
Finding a suitable replacement took longer than expected. Each naming proposal required Steamworks review, with approval times stretching to several weeks per submission. The new name “Classified” initially was not even seriously considered, but eventually won out over other options.
“Not only is it remarkably similar in terms of phonetics, but it also serves as a double entendre,” Nito wrote. “With ‘classify’ both evoking ‘to make something classic’ and its literal definition, leaning us further into the spy film theming that early TF2 had carried. Most importantly, it just passed the vibe check.”
A decade of passion project development
Team Fortress 2 Classified has been in active development since 2014. That is an extraordinary commitment for a volunteer community project, especially one built around a game that Valve itself has largely left on autopilot in recent years.
The mod aims to capture the tone and inspirations that shaped TF2 during its famously prolonged development cycle. Before settling on its final cartoony aesthetic, Valve experimented with various visual styles and gameplay concepts. Much of that scrapped content has become legendary among fans who have pored over old screenshots and trailer footage.
Eminoma is resurrecting some of those lost ideas. The Nail Gun, Dynamite Pack, and Tranquilizer Gun all return, redesigned from their original pre-release incarnations. These weapons offer different gameplay dynamics than what shipped in the final product, giving veterans something genuinely new to experiment with.
New classes and expanded chaos
Perhaps the most exciting addition is the Civilian, a special class designed for VIP mode. Based on the legacy Team Fortress character, the Civilian buffs nearby teammates rather than engaging in direct combat. Protecting or hunting this high-value target creates gameplay scenarios that standard TF2 simply does not offer.
Multi-team maps expand the battlefield beyond the traditional RED versus BLU dynamic. The GRN and YLW factions join the fight, ramping up chaos across several game types. Four-way battles change strategic calculations entirely, forcing players to watch multiple fronts simultaneously.
New game modes include Domination and VIP Race, each with dedicated official maps. The development team has also introduced original weapons and tools like jump pads, flak cannons, bricks, and chain-wrapped fists. These additions stay true to TF2’s spirit while pushing the gameplay in directions Valve never explored.
More content planned after launch
Eminoma is not treating the January release as a finish line. The team has committed to ongoing development with new weapons, modes, and characters planned for the future. A decade of work has built both technical foundations and community momentum that the developers intend to maintain.
“We want this game to be out as much as you do, but we only have one chance to make a first impression, and we need to do it right,” Nito acknowledged. “Besides, it wouldn’t be an authentic TF2 experience without a bit of Valve time.”
That self-aware joke lands perfectly for anyone familiar with Valve’s legendary development timelines. The company that took nine years to count to three with Half-Life probably appreciates the patience required to ship ambitious projects.
How to play
Team Fortress 2 Classified requires a copy of Team Fortress 2 on your Steam account. Since TF2 went free-to-play back in 2011, this requirement is essentially a formality. Anyone with a Steam account can download the base game at no cost and be ready for the mod when it drops.
Wishlisting is available now on the Steam store page. Given the decade of anticipation surrounding this project, expect significant attention when January 30 finally arrives.
The TF2 community has kept Valve’s shooter alive through years of minimal official updates. Team Fortress 2 Classified represents that dedication at its most ambitious, a labor of love that refuses to let the game’s potential fade into memory. Whether you are a veteran who remembers the original Team Fortress or a newer player curious about what might have been, January cannot come soon enough.
