Team Fortress 2's player count doubles after fan pressure sees Valve step in with a bot-demolishing banwave and a firm line on appeals: 'No'

GamesFPSTeam Fortress 2Team Fortress 2’s player count doubles after fan pressure sees Valve step in with a bot-demolishing banwave and a firm line on appeals: ‘No’When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Valve)

Smiling Heavy in TF2.

Team Fortress 2’s bot problem is an ongoing drama in PC gaming land: the issue seemingly went into overdrive when developer Valve stepped back from major work on the game in 2017. To be clear, whatever some in the community may say Valve has never abandoned TF2, and continues to periodically release bug fixes and community-authored expansions for the 17-year-old game. But the bots… the bots have definitely gotten out of hand.

The issue seemed to becomeparticularly acute around 2020, and led to various player campaigns beforeValve even acknowledgedthere might be a bit of an issue. In recent years the community’s kept up the pressure but things reached fever pitch this year witha renewed effortunder the “FixTF2” hashtag that’s beenpart internet petition, part awareness campaign,part review bombing, and all about pushing Valve into a response.

It somehow gets even better from there. The behaviours Valve lists are cheating, manipulation, “botting and/or automation”, and “interfering with the normal operation of game servers or other players”, and then we get to the juice. The following is an excerpt from Valve’s text:

Can you tell me why I was game banned? “No.”

Can I appeal my game ban? “No.”

I was not using my account when it was game banned. Can the ban be removed? “No.”

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

Can I move my Team Fortress 2 items to a different account? “No.”

Sappin’ those sentries

(Image credit: Valve)

The Spy from Team Fortress 2 holding a Saxxy award.

TF2 YouTuber Shounic, who’s made several videos about the bot problem and #FixTF2 over the years, covered this banwave and, as an experienced bot-spotter that knows the times and places to find them, claimed it had become “impossible” to find bots immediately after the purge. They did later find one after 20 minutes of searching, which seemed to be just spinning on the spot and rather confused.

All the Bots Got Banned - YouTubeWatch On

All the Bots Got Banned - YouTube

There are also some community-sourced claims that PC Gamer cannot verify. According to these, around 850 accounts were targeted, with roughly 250 receiving lifetime bans, just under 100 VAC bans, 131 community bans and four game bans. Bear in mind that one Steam account can be part of a network responsible for many more bots.

“I played 20 matches today,“posts the X account Did TF2 Get Updated?“I checked in less popular regions, and not a single bot, and also the difference between the player count in the last week before the ban wave) and now is huge. If Valve continues doing this, TF2 could make a major comeback,” which is a rather optimistic note to finish on.

What can you say though, the numbers are the numbers: on 27 June Team Fortress 2 had just over 60,000 players,per SteamDB(still an incredible number, it must be said). In the last 24 hours it’s had around 145,000 players.

This being the TF2 community, there are also some excellent memes.

Judgement day

(Image credit: Deviantart user Deniszizen)

Money money money.

There should of course be some perspective. TF2’s bot problem will no doubt persist, even if players are currently struggling to find them. Valve’s obviously decided to get the hose out, but Valve is Valve and who knows whether this will be a significant and permanent improvement in the game’s condition, or simply a temporary lull before the bots return with a vengeance.

But sometimes… sometimes you have to smell the flowers, and bask in the schadenfreude. Discussing a known botter’s profile and waiting for the inevitable can be its own reward, after all.

“8 year old account,“notes Redditor Fogoticus, discussing a known botter’s profile. “Would be a shame if he got VAC banned.”

Shortly afterwards Half-Life-Cat replies with the good news: “Fucker did get banned LMAO.”

“Another endless W,” writes Fogoticus, as they light a cigar, lie back, and think about the Scout’s mother.

TOPICSValve

TOPICS

More about fpsThe most important tool in Remedy’s new co-op FPS is the shower: ‘Saving water is essential’If you missed it over the holidays, this noir Half-Life 2 mod turns you into a hardboiled detective in Prohibition-era ChicagoLatestIt’s time for me to admit that AI-accelerated frame generation might actually be the way of the future and that’s a good thingSee more latest►

More about fps

The most important tool in Remedy’s new co-op FPS is the shower: ‘Saving water is essential’If you missed it over the holidays, this noir Half-Life 2 mod turns you into a hardboiled detective in Prohibition-era Chicago

FBC: Firebreak

The most important tool in Remedy’s new co-op FPS is the shower: ‘Saving water is essential’

A noir Chicago with Combine metro cops from Half-Life 2

If you missed it over the holidays, this noir Half-Life 2 mod turns you into a hardboiled detective in Prohibition-era Chicago

LatestIt’s time for me to admit that AI-accelerated frame generation might actually be the way of the future and that’s a good thingSee more latest►

Latest

It’s time for me to admit that AI-accelerated frame generation might actually be the way of the future and that’s a good thing

Nvidia RTX 5090 Founders Edition rendered on a green background.

It’s time for me to admit that AI-accelerated frame generation might actually be the way of the future and that’s a good thing

See more latest►

Most PopularThis Jinx-inspired gaming PC is my favorite of CES 2025 and I’m head over heels for the hardwareHarrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us RemakeTencent says it’s not a Chinese military company and is willing to sue the US Department of Defense if it isn’t removed from a blacklistAll Zenless Zone Zero 1.5 livestream codesAsus reveals three new Slash Travel Bags for carting around your ROG Ally—however, none of them are particularly fashion forwardToday’s Wordle answer for Friday, January 10We may not have a roadmap or balance patch just yet, but at least Path of Exile 2’s bugfix patch notes are funnyDeus Ex: Mankind Divided writer didn’t like the ending either: ‘Nothing is resolved’It seems like Square’s finally consistently taking the PC ports of Final Fantasy seriouslyLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii looks more like a zany RGG take on Black Flag than I dared hopeThe most important tool in Remedy’s new co-op FPS is the shower: ‘Saving water is essential’

Most Popular

This Jinx-inspired gaming PC is my favorite of CES 2025 and I’m head over heels for the hardware

Harrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us Remake

Tencent says it’s not a Chinese military company and is willing to sue the US Department of Defense if it isn’t removed from a blacklist

All Zenless Zone Zero 1.5 livestream codes

Asus reveals three new Slash Travel Bags for carting around your ROG Ally—however, none of them are particularly fashion forward

Today’s Wordle answer for Friday, January 10

We may not have a roadmap or balance patch just yet, but at least Path of Exile 2’s bugfix patch notes are funny

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided writer didn’t like the ending either: ‘Nothing is resolved’

It seems like Square’s finally consistently taking the PC ports of Final Fantasy seriously

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii looks more like a zany RGG take on Black Flag than I dared hope

The most important tool in Remedy’s new co-op FPS is the shower: ‘Saving water is essential’

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

Sappin’ those sentries#

Judgement day#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

Sappin’ those sentries

Judgement day