Team Fortress 2 going free-to-play, existing owners upgraded to premium accounts

By Adam Rosenberg Published June 24, 2011

team-fortress-2-meet-the-medic — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Valve Corporation is now offering free-to-play games through its Steam digital download service and it was just confirmed earlier this week that the company is also working on an F2P release of its own. This may be it: the company has revealed that the PC version of its popular team-based multiplayer first-person shooter Team Fortress 2 is going the free route, with its continued existence supported entirely by microtransactions.

The shooter, which launched in 2007 as part of The Orange Box collection (the same one that introduced the world to Portal), just got its much publicized “Uber-Update” yesterday, following a week-long hype train of content reveals posted on the company’s website. Players who purchased the game prior to the release of the Uber-Update are automatically upgraded to a premium account, the details of which are revealed in a FAQ.

Premium account holders get “access to rare and cosmetic items through random item drops… and more powerful trading and crafting abilities.” They also get a deeper backpack to store things in, with 300 slots vs. the standard 50. Anyone can upgrade to a premium account by making a first-time purchase in the online store. The game otherwise plays the same for one and all, and nothing has been scaled back from the pay version of the game that used to exist.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

Gaming

Ubisoft confirms Assassin’s Creed remakes are in the works

Basim perched on a ledge overlooking Baghdad

In a company interview with CEO Yves Guillemot posted on the Ubisoft website Thursday, the executive reveals that there are remakes of Assassin's Creed games in the works, although he doesn't specify which ones.

"Players can be excited about some remakes, which will allow us to revisit some of the games we've created in the past and modernize them," he says, implying that it could pertain to games made before Odyssey. "There are worlds in some of our older Assassin's Creed games that are still extremely rich."

Gaming

Surfaced patent shows what an Xbox streaming console would’ve looked like

An Xbox Series X sits next to both Series S models.

There have been a few Xbox devices that have never come to fruition, one of which was Keystone, a prototype for an affordable game streaming device you could hook up to your TV or monitor. Thanks to a surfaced patent, we've gotten an even closer look at what it would've potentially looked like.

The patent, first spotted by Windows Central, gives us a more complete view of the device. We've previously seen the Keystone in the flesh. Microsoft Gaming head Phil Spencer is known for hiding teases and interesting collectibles on the shelf in his office. In a 2022 X (formerly Twitter) post congratulating Bethesda on Fallout's 25th anniversary, you can see a small white device on the top shelf that's actually a Keystone prototype. Xbox told Digital Trends that it was a version of the device made before it decided to "refocus our efforts on a new approach.”

Gaming

Wordle Today: Wordle answer and hints for June 28

Someone playing Wordle on a smartphone.

We have the solution to Wordle on June 28, as well as some helpful hints to help you figure out the answer yourself, right here. We've placed the answer at the bottom of the page, so we don't ruin the surprise before you've had a chance to work through the clues. So let's dive in, starting with a reminder of yesterday's answer.
Yesterday's Wordle answer
Let's start by first reminding ourselves of yesterday's Wordle answer for those new to the game or who don't play it daily, which was "ORDER." So we can say that the Wordle answer today definitely isn't that. Now, with that in mind, perhaps take another stab at it using one of these Wordle starting words and circle back if you have no luck.
Hints for today's Wordle
Still can't figure it out? We have today's Wordle answer right here, below. But first, one more thing: Let's take a look at three hints that could help you find the solution, without giving it away, so there's no need to feel guilty about keeping your streak alive -- you put in some work, after all! Or just keep scrolling for the answer.

Today’s Wordle includes the letter D.
Today’s Wordle uses two vowels.
Today's Wordle can refer to a large number of animals, particularly livestock like cattle or sheep, that are moving together in a group.