Difference between revisions of "Community competitive play"

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[[Category:Competitive]]
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{{Update}}
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[[Image:Badlands yard fight.png|right|thumb|400px|A yard fight on [[Badlands (competitive)|Badlands]] in standard competitive play.]]
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{{Other uses|for=the in-game competitive matchmaking|Competitive Mode}}
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[[File:Badlands yard fight.png|right|thumb|400px|A yard fight on [[Badlands (competitive)|Badlands]] in standard competitive play.]]
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{{Quotation|'''The Scout'''|Major League!|sound=Scout stunballhittingit05.wav}}
  
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{{Quotation|'''The Scout'''|Major League!|sound=Scout_stunballhittingit05.wav}}
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'''Community competitive play''' in Team Fortress 2 refers to organized gaming done for the purpose of playing through skillful competition, practiced teamwork, and self-improvement, especially in a league setting. There are 3 main competitive formats in TF2 - [[Standard competitive lineup|6v6]] (commonly referred to as '6s'), [[Highlander (Competitive)|Highlander]] (commonly referred to as 'HL'), and [[Prolander]] (also known as 7v7). Other formats of competitive play include [[4v4]], [[Ultiduo]], and [[Basketball|Bball]], which are played in more casual competitions, rather than prized and more serious competitions.
  
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'''Competitive play''' in Team Fortress 2 refers to organized gaming done for the purpose of having fun through skillful competition, practiced teamwork, and self-improvement, especially in a league setting. There are 2 main competitive formats in TF2 - [[Standard competitive lineup|6v6]] (commonly referred to as '6s') and [[Highlander (Competitive)|Highlander]] (commonly referred to as 'HL'). Other formats of competitive play include [[4v4]], [[Ultiduo]], and [[Basketball|Bball]], which are played in more casual competitions, rather than prized and more serious competitions.
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== Team formats ==
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{{See also|Standard competitive format}}
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==Format==
 
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:''See also: [[Standard competitive format]]''
 
  
 
All competitive games are based around the following principles:
 
All competitive games are based around the following principles:
 
* Team members are chosen before the game starts.
 
* Team members are chosen before the game starts.
 
* Players use vocal communication to quickly relay information.
 
* Players use vocal communication to quickly relay information.
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* Both teams are of the same predetermined player count, 6 in 6v6 and 9 in Highlander.
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* Both teams are of the same predetermined player count, 6 in 6v6, 9 in Highlander, 7 in Prolander, and 4 in 4v4.
 
* Both teams are under the same basic restrictions, which include weapon whitelists and class limits.
 
* Both teams are under the same basic restrictions, which include weapon whitelists and class limits.
  
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Beyond these, there are many differences between various leagues, seasons, and communities. That said, most competitive TF2 games follow the standard competitive format, which has set class limits and certain gameplay settings that try to encourage fairness and reduce the impact of chance. All of the major TF2 leagues and [[w:Pick-up game|PUG]] communities follow the standard competitive format, though each has variations on specific rules. Many leagues contain a subdivision for both 6s and Highlander.  
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Beyond these, there are many differences between various leagues, seasons, and communities. That said, most competitive TF2 games follow the standard competitive format, which has set class limits and certain gameplay settings that try to encourage fairness and reduce the impact of chance. All of the major TF2 leagues and [[w:Pick-up game|PUG]] communities follow the standard competitive format, though each has variations on specific rules. Many leagues contain a subdivision for both 6v6 and Highlander.
  
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In 6v6, the focus is on 5CP maps, such as [[Badlands (Control Point)|Badlands]], [[Process]] and [[Gullywash]], with [[King of the Hill]] maps such as [[Product (competitive)|Product]]. Highlander prefers A/D based maps, such as [[Steel]] and Payload maps like [[Upward]]. They also have other formats such as King Of The Hill and 5CP. Custom maps are used in both formats, and are usually completely custom maps (pl_swiftwater_ugc) or are pro versions of default maps, such as Viaduct or Granary. Other gamemodes, like [[Capture the Flag]] and [[Special Delivery]], are rarely seen in either format.
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In 6v6, the focus is on [[List_of_game_modes#Symmetrical_Control_Point|5CP]] maps, such as [[Badlands (Control Point)|Badlands]], [[Process]] and [[Gullywash]], with [[King of the Hill]] (KOTH) maps such as [[Product (competitive)|Product]]. Highlander prefers [[List_of_game_modes#Attack/Defend|Attack/Defend]] based maps, such as [[Steel]] and Payload maps like [[Upward]]. They also have other formats such as KOTH and 5CP. Custom maps are used in both formats, and are usually completely custom maps (pl_swiftwater_ugc) or are pro versions of default maps, such as [[Viaduct]] or [[Granary]]. Other gamemodes, like [[Capture the Flag]] and [[Special Delivery (game mode)|Special Delivery]], are rarely seen in either format.
  
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==Dynamics==
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== Gamemodes ==
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{{main|Competitive dynamics}}
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{{See also|Category:Competitive}}
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:''See also: [[:Category:Competitive]]''
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* [[6v6]] is the most popular of the competitive gamemodes where teams typically consist of 2 [[Scout]]s, 2 [[Soldiers]], 1 [[Demoman]] and 1 [[Medic]].
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* [[Highlander (Competitive)|Highlander]] (HL) is a 9v9 format with one of each the nine classes on each team.
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* [[4v4]] has teams typically consisting of 1 Scout, 1 Soldier, 1 Demoman and 1 Medic.
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* [[Prolander]] also known as 7v7 has 7 players per team with a class limit of 1 for each class, therefore encouraging adaptive offclassing. Its playstyle is most closely related to Highlander.
 +
* [[Ultiduo]] is a competitive gamemode with teams only having 1 Soldier and 1 Medic on each team.
 +
 
 +
== Dynamics ==
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{{Main|Competitive dynamics}}
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{{See also|Category:Competitive}}
  
 
Patterns and protocols have emerged from competitive play's unique format and setting, leading to a set of gameplay dynamics distinct from non-competitive play.
 
Patterns and protocols have emerged from competitive play's unique format and setting, leading to a set of gameplay dynamics distinct from non-competitive play.
  
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*Certain dynamics have become a standard in competitive play, one of the most noticeable is that [[ÜberCharge]]s are what competitive Team Fortress 2 revolves around. [[Medic]]s on both teams have to track both their ÜberCharge and the enemy Medics as best they can. This is because in a organized format, a player attempting to take ground can be focused and dealt with. ÜberCharge allows for a team to force their way into an area, and gives them the ability to kill other players while invulnerable.
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* Certain dynamics have become a standard in competitive play. For instance, almost all competitive Team Fortress 2 revolves around [[ÜberCharge]]s. Medics on both teams have to track both their own ÜberCharge and that of the enemy Medic as best they can. This is because in an organized format, an isolated player attempting to take ground can be focused and dealt with. ÜberCharge allows a team to force their way into an area, giving them the ability to kill other players while invulnerable, at little risk of being killed themselves.
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*Roll-Outs, which are not generally used in public games, due to their advanced nature, are also often seen in competitive games. The basic idea of a roll-out is to get to mid quicker by [[Jumping#Soldier_jumps|rocket]] and [[Jumping#Demoman_jumps|sticky jumping]]. By exchanging health, you are traveling much faster than you would by walking, allowing you to reach the initial fight faster.
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* Roll-outs, which are not often found in casual games due to their advanced nature, are also seen often in competitive games. The basic idea of a roll-out is to get to the middle point (commonly referred to as "mid") quicker by [[Jumping#Soldier jumps|rocket]] and [[Jumping#Demoman jumps|sticky jumping]]. By sacrificing health, you can travel much faster than you would by walking, allowing you to reach the initial fight on the middle point (known as the "midfight") faster.
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*The team is split into two smaller forces, the combo and the flanks. The combo generally consists of the Medic, [[Soldier]] and [[Demoman]], while the flanks consist of the [[Scout]]s and the roaming Soldier who hovers in between the flanks and the combo. In the case of Highlander, the combo mainly consists of the [[Medic]], [[Demoman]], [[Heavy]], and [[Pyro]] while the Flank classes include the [[Scout]] and [[Soldier]]. There is a third group called "pick" classes, which work relatively on their own, but coordinate with their teammates. These classes include the [[Spy]] and the [[Sniper]].
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* The team is split into two smaller groups, known as the [[Combo (competitive)|combo]] and the [[flank]]. The combo generally consists of the Medic, Pocket Soldier and Demoman, while the flank consists of a Roaming Soldier and two Scouts, one of who hovers between the flank and combo. In Highlander, the combo consists of the Medic, Demoman, [[Heavy]], and [[Pyro]], the latter of which sometimes can be found on the flank. The flank consists of the remaining classes such as Scout and Soldier, but the [[Sniper]], [[Engineer]], and [[Spy]] also have shifting roles, with the former two sometimes playing in the combo, and the latter employing a more lone-wolf style of play.
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*The team is split into two smaller forces, known as the combo and the flank. The combo generally consists of the Medic, [[Soldier]], and [[Demoman]], while the flank consists of a roaming Soldier and two [[Scout]]s, one of which hovers between the flank and the combo. In Highlander, the combo consists of the Medic, Demoman, Heavy, and Pyro, the latter of which sometimes can be found on the flank. The flank consists of the remaining classes, but the [[Sniper]], [[Engineer]], and [[Spy]] have shifting roles, with the former two sometimes playing in the combo, and the latter utilizing a more lone-wolf style of play.
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== Configurations ==
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Competitive games do not use the standard server configuration, instead opting to use their own values for various settings in order to provide a more organized or competitive experience. While there are no universal specifics, and different leagues and groups use their own settings, there are a few general guidelines that many leagues and groups use for their matches.
  
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==Configurations==
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* [[Autobalance]] is almost universally turned off, preventing players from accidentally being forced onto the opposing team. While this rarely makes a difference during an actual game, in the pre-game when teams are joining the server, it allows players to join the correct team regardless of how many players are in each team.
  
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Competitive games do not use the standard server configuration, opting to use their own values for various settings in order to provide a more organized or competitive experience. While there is no univeral specifics and different leagues and groups use their own settings, there are a few general guidelines that many leagues and groups use for their matches.
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* Gameplay affected by luck, otherwise known as RNG (Random Number Generation), such as weapons affected by random bullet spread and [[random crits]], are also almost universally disabled, to prevent matches from being influenced by factors outside of a player's control.
  
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* Autobalance is almost universily turned off, preventing players from accidently being forced onto the opposing team. While this rarely makes a difference during an actual game, in the pre-game when teams are joining the server, it allows players to join their team regardless of how many opponents are in the server.
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* While leagues and groups rarely agree on what to ban, almost all of them have some weapons banned. Oftentimes, it's due to the weapon being considered overpowered, or having some bug attached to it that makes it undesirable to have in play. Some weapons are allowed in certain formats but are banned in others. This is usually due to balancing around other factors such as class limits. For example, the lower number of players in 6v6 able to spam the Engineer's Sentry Gun while "wrangled" means the [[wrangler]] is commonly regarded as overpowered (and therefore often banned) in 6v6, but not in Highlander, where there are more classes to do so. For a list of banned weapons per league, see [[Competitive item restrictions|competitive item restrictions]].
  
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* Luck factors, otherwise known as RNG, such as bullet spread and random crits, are also almost universily disabled, as it allows the victory to go to the team that performed better, instead of matches potentially being decided by a factor out of the player's control.
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* Leagues or groups use custom map configs to adapt the game to better fit the meta of competitive play, but these configs tend to vary between leagues. With 5CP, the win condition is almost always some form of round victories, but the inclusion of half-times, what number of victories produces a win, and round timer length is often contested and changes from region to region.
  
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* While leagues and groups rarely agree on what to ban, almost all of them have some weapons banned. Oftentimes, it's due to the weapon being considered overpowered, or having some bug attached to it that made it undesirable to have in play. Sometimes, weapons are banned since they're almost completely useless, and using them would be unsportsmanlike conduct in the interest of fair play.
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* Almost all leagues utilise class limits, most noticeably in Highlander and Prolander, though 6v6 also includes some class limits (such 1 Medic per team). This is to prevent team composition from disrupting competitive play, either through slowing down the game significantly, or using too many classes of a specific type in an attempt to jeer the opponent.
  
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* While no league or group uses the default map configs, due to a lack of clear-cut end, there's very little standardization about how maps are played. With something like 5CP, the win condition is almost always some form of round victories, but the inclusion of half-times or what number of victories produces a win is often debated.
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== Classes ==
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{{See also|Category:Classes (competitive)}}
  
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* While some leagues do not include class limits, especially in Highlander, many do. This is to prevent team makeups from being uncompetitive groups, either through stalling the game down unacceptably, or using too many classes of a specific type in an attempt to jeer the opponent.
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Classes in standard competitive play are utilized differently than in [[Casual]], due to the smaller team sizes and increased structure/coordination. The standard lineup in the 6v6 format, known as "cookie cutter" or "textbook", is two Soldiers, two Scouts, one Demoman, and one Medic. This lineup provides the highest ability to get kills or complete objectives, while also allowing for fast-paced gameplay and movement.
  
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==Classes==
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As such, any other class is deemed utility, used to perform a specific role or objective and not for permanent use. This is known as "offclassing". Some of them, like Heavy and Engineer, are utilized to defend a point, usually the final one, in order to take advantage of their benefits in a situation where their weaknesses, primarily movement, are diminished. In occasions of a stalemate where neither team is in enough of an advantageous position to push, a player may change to a [[Pick|pick]] class, such as Sniper or Spy, in order to kill an important player on the other team, usually the Medic, and prompt the push. Some maps, like [[Product (competitive)|Product]], the map design of which potentially encourages permanent use of a utility class, may see teams break from the standard lineup completely to take advantage of that.
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:''See also: [[Standard competitive lineup]] and [[:Category:Classes (competitive)]]''
 
  
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Classes in standard competitive play are utilized differently than in pubs, due to the smaller team sizes and increased structure/coordination. The standard lineup, known as "cookie cutter" or "textbook", is two Soldiers, two Scouts, one Demoman, and one Medic. This lineup provides the highest ability to get kills or complete objectives, while also allowing for fast-paced gameplay and movement.
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In Highlander, since one of each class is always present, there is no offclassing. However, the class strategies do vary from their casual variants, just like in 6v6. As such there are individual pages on the competitive strategies for each class.
  
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As such, any other class is deemed utility, used to perform a specific role or objective and not for permanent use. This is known as "offclassing." Some of them, like Heavy and Engineer, are utilized to defend a point, usually the final one, in order to take advantage of their benifits in a situation where their weaknesses, movement primarily, are diminished. In occasions of a stalemate where neither team feels in enough of an advantageous position to push in, a player may change to a [[Pick]] class, such as Sniper or Spy, in order to kill an important player on the other team, usually the Medic, and prompt the push. Some maps, like [[Product_(competitive)|Product]], the map design of which potentially encourages permanent use of a utility class, may see teams break from the standard lineup completely to take advantage of that.
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In Prolander, due to it having 7 players per team but a class limit of 1, a large part of the strategy revolves around offclassing. However, some classes are almost always used, such as Demo, Medic, Solider and Scout due to their utility and mobility. The other classes are rotated depending on the situation and opposition's classes. For example a team might use an Engineer on Payload defence, and the attacking team might use a Spy to counter this.
  
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In Highlander, due to the fact that one of each class is always present, there is no offclassing. However, the class strategies do vary from their public server variant, just like in 6v6. As such there are individual pages on each classes' competitive strategy.
 
  
 
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=== Weapon restrictions ===
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== Maps ==
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Within some competitive leagues, restrictions on items allowed in matches are employed to ensure matches are balanced. See [[Competitive item restrictions]] for a list of restricted items in certain leagues.
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{{See also|Category:Competitive maps}}
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The majority of competitive [[6v6]] play is done on 5CP and KOTH maps, and [[Highlander]] varies between [[Payload]] and KOTH. The most common maps in [[6v6]] play are [[Process (competitive)|Process]], [[Gullywash (competitive)|Gullywash]] and [[Snakewater (competitive)|Snakewater]]. Newer maps like [[Sunshine (competitive)|Sunshine]] and [[Metalworks (competitive)|Metalworks]] are also played regularly in matches. The only non 5CP gamemode actively played is KOTH, on maps like [[Product (competitive)|Product]] and [[Bagel]]. Highlander has a larger spread of different gamemodes, from Payload maps like [[Upward (competitive)|Upward]] to [[Control Point (game mode)|Attack/Defense]] maps such as [[Steel (competitive)|Steel]], and King Of The Hill maps like [[Product (competitive)|Product]] and [[Lakeside]].
  
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==Maps==
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Maps like [[Badlands (competitive)|Badlands]] and [[Viaduct]] used to be featured more prominently in competitive, either being phased out of league play, like Badlands, or updated by community members to a "Pro" version of the map, with [[Viaduct]] becoming [[Product (competitive)|Product]]. Between all of the leagues and gamemodes, many maps have been tested in official matches, with only a handful being popular enough to see any level of active play. Similarly, in the first few seasons of competitive, maps like [[2Fort]] and [[Dustbowl]] received play, but have not been considered competitive maps for a long time, due to a number of skilled mapmakers in the competitive community willing to make maps specifically for competitive play.
  
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The majority of competitive 6v6 play is done on 5-cp push maps, the most popular being [[Badlands (competitive)|Badlands]] and [[Granary (competitive)|Granary]], though exceptions sometimes exist (most notably [[Gravel_Pit (competitive)|Gravel Pit]], [[Turbine (competitive)|Turbine]], and [[Viaduct (competitive)|Viaduct]]). On these maps, the standard format and lineup have caused strategies and tactics to form unique to competitive TF2. You can read more about them in each map's competitive article:
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== Organizations and leagues ==
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* [[Badlands (competitive)]]
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Each of these leagues mainly run the [[standard competitive format]], however some host [[Highlander (Competitive)|Highlander]], [[Prolander]], [[4v4]], [[Ultiduo]] and [[Basketball|BBall]] competitions.
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* [[Coalplant (competitive)]]
 
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* [[Croissant (competitive)]]
 
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* [[Foundry (competitive)]]
 
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* [[Freight (competitive)]]
 
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* [[Granary (competitive)]]
 
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* [[Gravel Pit (competitive)]]
 
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* [[Gullywash (competitive)]]
 
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* [[Lakeside (competitive)]]
 
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* [[Process (competitive)]]
 
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* [[Snakewater (competitive)]]
 
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* [[Sunshine (competitive)]]
 
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* [[Turbine_pro (competitive)]]
 
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* [[Viaduct_Pro (competitive)]]
 
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* [[Warmfront (competitive)]]
 
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* [[Well (competitive)]]
 
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* [[Yukon (competitive)]]
 
  
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The majority of [[Highlander (Competitive)|Highlander]] play is done on [[Payload]] maps such as [[Badwater]], or [[King of the Hill]], such as [[Viaduct]]. There are, however, exceptions - with other gametypes such as push 5-cp (such as [[Croissant]]), or Attack/Defense (such as [[Steel]] or [[Gravelpit]]).
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=== Global ===
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* [https://www.ugcleague.com/ UGC]'s [https://www.ugcleague.com/home_tf26.cfm TF2 6v6 League], [https://www.ugcleague.com/home_tf24.cfm 4v4 League], [https://www.ugcleague.com/home_tf22.cfm Ultiduo League] and [https://www.ugcleague.com/home_tf2h.cfm Highlander League]
  
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==Organizations==
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=== North American ===
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===Global===
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* [https://rgl.gg/ RGL]'s [https://rgl.gg/?r=40 6v6 League], [https://rgl.gg/?r=24 Highlander League], and [https://rgl.gg/?r=1 Prolander]
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* [http://www.ugcleague.com/ UGC]'s [http://www.ugcleague.com/home_tf26.cfm TF2 6v6 League], [http://www.ugcleague.com/home_tf24.cfm 4v4 League], and [http://www.ugcleague.com/home_tf2h.cfm Highlander League]
 
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===North American===
 
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* [http://play.esea.net/ ESEA]'s [http://play.esea.net/index.php?s=league&d=standings&division_id=1331 TF2 Invitational], [http://play.esea.net/index.php?s=league&d=standings&division_id=1885 TF2 Intermediate], and [http://play.esea.net/index.php?s=league&d=standings&division_id=1337 TF2 Open] Divisions
 
  
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===European===
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=== European ===
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* [http://etf2l.org/ ETF2L] (6v6 and Highlander leagues and cups)
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* [https://etf2l.org/ ETF2L] (6v6 and Highlander leagues and cups)
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* [http://tf2.wireplay.co.uk/ Wireplay] (6v6 and Highlander leagues and cups)
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* Classic MGE Cup
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* [https://esagamer.com/ ESA Gamer] (6v6 cups)
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* CLTF2
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===Asian===
 
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* [http://asiafortress.com/ AsiaFortress]
 
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===Oceanian===
 
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* [http://www.ozfortress.com/ ozfortress]
 
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* [http://www.nzfortress.co.nz/ NZFortress]
 
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* [http://www.atf2l.org/ ATF2L]
 
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===Country specific===
 
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* [http://fbtf.teamfortress.com.br/ FBTF (Brazilian)]
 
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* [http://www.tf2connexion.fr/ TF2Connexion (French)]
 
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===Recently Inactive===
 
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* [http://www.esl.eu/eu/tf2/ ESL] (ESL closed down all TF2 sections)
 
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* [http://www.teamwarfare.com TWL] (TWL closed down all TF2 sections)
 
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* [http://www.playigl.com IGL] (Currently inactive, website is down)
 
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* [http://rtf2l.tf2world.ru/ RTF2L (Russian)] (Mysteriously vanished)
 
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* [http://www.cevo.com/ CEVO]'s [http://www.cevo.com/index.php?page=event&id=186 TF2 6v6 league.] (Team Fortress 2 support cancelled)
 
  
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Each of these leagues mainly run the [[standard competitive format]], however some host Highlander, 4v4 and 1v1 competitions.
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=== Asian ===
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[http://teamfortress.tv/ TeamFortress.TV], [http://tv.blackoutgaming.org/ BlackOut TV] & [http://www.extelevision.com/ eXtv] are fairly well-known portals that post current events and casts for the competitive TF2 scenes in North America and Europe.
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* [https://asiafortress.com/ AsiaFortress] (6v6)
  
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==External links==
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=== Oceania ===
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* [http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2610054 speedygeek]'s competitive guide
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* [https://ozfortress.com ozfortress] (6v6 & Highlander)
  
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{{Competitive nav}}
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=== Streaming/casting organizations ===
 +
* [https://teamfortress.tv/ teamfortress.tv], [https://www.kritzkast.com Kritzkast], [https://cappingtv.com CappingTV] and [https://rgl.gg RGL.gg] are the active organizations that provide casts for the competitive TF2 scenes worldwide. Teamfortress.tv primarily covers ETF2L and ESEA 6v6, Kritzkast covers EU Highlander and Prolander, CappingTV covers APAC 6v6, and RGL.gg covers NA 6v6 and Highlander. Previous coverage of EU and NA Highlander has been provided by [https://www.youtube.com/user/BlackOutCasting/ BlackOut TV] and [https://evlgaming.tv/ EVL TV] respectively, and previous coverage of Prolander by [https://www.youtube.com/user/CommFT eXtelevsion].
 +
 
 +
== Resources ==
 +
* [https://comp.tf/ Comp.tf] is a community-driven wiki which focuses entirely on competitive TF2.
 +
 
 +
{{Competitive Nav}}
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[[Category:Competitive]]

Latest revision as of 03:00, 14 October 2023

Dead Heat Icon.png“Gotta move that gear up!”
This article may contain content that is out of date. You can help improve this article by updating the content as necessary. See the wiki style guide.
Notes: None added
For the in-game competitive matchmaking, see Competitive Mode.
A yard fight on Badlands in standard competitive play.
“
Major League!
Click to listen
— The Scout
 ”

Community competitive play in Team Fortress 2 refers to organized gaming done for the purpose of playing through skillful competition, practiced teamwork, and self-improvement, especially in a league setting. There are 3 main competitive formats in TF2 - 6v6 (commonly referred to as '6s'), Highlander (commonly referred to as 'HL'), and Prolander (also known as 7v7). Other formats of competitive play include 4v4, Ultiduo, and Bball, which are played in more casual competitions, rather than prized and more serious competitions.

Team formats

See also: Standard competitive format

All competitive games are based around the following principles:

  • Team members are chosen before the game starts.
  • Players use vocal communication to quickly relay information.
  • Both teams are of the same predetermined player count, 6 in 6v6, 9 in Highlander, 7 in Prolander, and 4 in 4v4.
  • Both teams are under the same basic restrictions, which include weapon whitelists and class limits.

Beyond these, there are many differences between various leagues, seasons, and communities. That said, most competitive TF2 games follow the standard competitive format, which has set class limits and certain gameplay settings that try to encourage fairness and reduce the impact of chance. All of the major TF2 leagues and PUG communities follow the standard competitive format, though each has variations on specific rules. Many leagues contain a subdivision for both 6v6 and Highlander.

In 6v6, the focus is on 5CP maps, such as Badlands, Process and Gullywash, with King of the Hill (KOTH) maps such as Product. Highlander prefers Attack/Defend based maps, such as Steel and Payload maps like Upward. They also have other formats such as KOTH and 5CP. Custom maps are used in both formats, and are usually completely custom maps (pl_swiftwater_ugc) or are pro versions of default maps, such as Viaduct or Granary. Other gamemodes, like Capture the Flag and Special Delivery, are rarely seen in either format.

Gamemodes

See also: Category:Competitive
  • 6v6 is the most popular of the competitive gamemodes where teams typically consist of 2 Scouts, 2 Soldiers, 1 Demoman and 1 Medic.
  • Highlander (HL) is a 9v9 format with one of each the nine classes on each team.
  • 4v4 has teams typically consisting of 1 Scout, 1 Soldier, 1 Demoman and 1 Medic.
  • Prolander also known as 7v7 has 7 players per team with a class limit of 1 for each class, therefore encouraging adaptive offclassing. Its playstyle is most closely related to Highlander.
  • Ultiduo is a competitive gamemode with teams only having 1 Soldier and 1 Medic on each team.

Dynamics

Main article: Competitive dynamics
See also: Category:Competitive

Patterns and protocols have emerged from competitive play's unique format and setting, leading to a set of gameplay dynamics distinct from non-competitive play.

  • Certain dynamics have become a standard in competitive play. For instance, almost all competitive Team Fortress 2 revolves around ÜberCharges. Medics on both teams have to track both their own ÜberCharge and that of the enemy Medic as best they can. This is because in an organized format, an isolated player attempting to take ground can be focused and dealt with. ÜberCharge allows a team to force their way into an area, giving them the ability to kill other players while invulnerable, at little risk of being killed themselves.
  • Roll-outs, which are not often found in casual games due to their advanced nature, are also seen often in competitive games. The basic idea of a roll-out is to get to the middle point (commonly referred to as "mid") quicker by rocket and sticky jumping. By sacrificing health, you can travel much faster than you would by walking, allowing you to reach the initial fight on the middle point (known as the "midfight") faster.
  • The team is split into two smaller groups, known as the combo and the flank. The combo generally consists of the Medic, Pocket Soldier and Demoman, while the flank consists of a Roaming Soldier and two Scouts, one of who hovers between the flank and combo. In Highlander, the combo consists of the Medic, Demoman, Heavy, and Pyro, the latter of which sometimes can be found on the flank. The flank consists of the remaining classes such as Scout and Soldier, but the Sniper, Engineer, and Spy also have shifting roles, with the former two sometimes playing in the combo, and the latter employing a more lone-wolf style of play.

Configurations

Competitive games do not use the standard server configuration, instead opting to use their own values for various settings in order to provide a more organized or competitive experience. While there are no universal specifics, and different leagues and groups use their own settings, there are a few general guidelines that many leagues and groups use for their matches.

  • Autobalance is almost universally turned off, preventing players from accidentally being forced onto the opposing team. While this rarely makes a difference during an actual game, in the pre-game when teams are joining the server, it allows players to join the correct team regardless of how many players are in each team.
  • Gameplay affected by luck, otherwise known as RNG (Random Number Generation), such as weapons affected by random bullet spread and random crits, are also almost universally disabled, to prevent matches from being influenced by factors outside of a player's control.
  • While leagues and groups rarely agree on what to ban, almost all of them have some weapons banned. Oftentimes, it's due to the weapon being considered overpowered, or having some bug attached to it that makes it undesirable to have in play. Some weapons are allowed in certain formats but are banned in others. This is usually due to balancing around other factors such as class limits. For example, the lower number of players in 6v6 able to spam the Engineer's Sentry Gun while "wrangled" means the wrangler is commonly regarded as overpowered (and therefore often banned) in 6v6, but not in Highlander, where there are more classes to do so. For a list of banned weapons per league, see competitive item restrictions.
  • Leagues or groups use custom map configs to adapt the game to better fit the meta of competitive play, but these configs tend to vary between leagues. With 5CP, the win condition is almost always some form of round victories, but the inclusion of half-times, what number of victories produces a win, and round timer length is often contested and changes from region to region.
  • Almost all leagues utilise class limits, most noticeably in Highlander and Prolander, though 6v6 also includes some class limits (such 1 Medic per team). This is to prevent team composition from disrupting competitive play, either through slowing down the game significantly, or using too many classes of a specific type in an attempt to jeer the opponent.

Classes

See also: Category:Classes (competitive)

Classes in standard competitive play are utilized differently than in Casual, due to the smaller team sizes and increased structure/coordination. The standard lineup in the 6v6 format, known as "cookie cutter" or "textbook", is two Soldiers, two Scouts, one Demoman, and one Medic. This lineup provides the highest ability to get kills or complete objectives, while also allowing for fast-paced gameplay and movement.

As such, any other class is deemed utility, used to perform a specific role or objective and not for permanent use. This is known as "offclassing". Some of them, like Heavy and Engineer, are utilized to defend a point, usually the final one, in order to take advantage of their benefits in a situation where their weaknesses, primarily movement, are diminished. In occasions of a stalemate where neither team is in enough of an advantageous position to push, a player may change to a pick class, such as Sniper or Spy, in order to kill an important player on the other team, usually the Medic, and prompt the push. Some maps, like Product, the map design of which potentially encourages permanent use of a utility class, may see teams break from the standard lineup completely to take advantage of that.

In Highlander, since one of each class is always present, there is no offclassing. However, the class strategies do vary from their casual variants, just like in 6v6. As such there are individual pages on the competitive strategies for each class.

In Prolander, due to it having 7 players per team but a class limit of 1, a large part of the strategy revolves around offclassing. However, some classes are almost always used, such as Demo, Medic, Solider and Scout due to their utility and mobility. The other classes are rotated depending on the situation and opposition's classes. For example a team might use an Engineer on Payload defence, and the attacking team might use a Spy to counter this.


Scout
Leaderboard class scout.png 		Soldier
Leaderboard class soldier.png 		Pyro
Leaderboard class pyro.png 		Demoman
Leaderboard class demoman.png 		Heavy
Leaderboard class heavy.png 		Engineer
Leaderboard class engineer.png 		Medic
Leaderboard class medic.png 		Sniper
Leaderboard class sniper.png 		Spy
Leaderboard class spy.png

Maps

See also: Category:Competitive maps

The majority of competitive 6v6 play is done on 5CP and KOTH maps, and Highlander varies between Payload and KOTH. The most common maps in 6v6 play are Process, Gullywash and Snakewater. Newer maps like Sunshine and Metalworks are also played regularly in matches. The only non 5CP gamemode actively played is KOTH, on maps like Product and Bagel. Highlander has a larger spread of different gamemodes, from Payload maps like Upward to Attack/Defense maps such as Steel, and King Of The Hill maps like Product and Lakeside.

Maps like Badlands and Viaduct used to be featured more prominently in competitive, either being phased out of league play, like Badlands, or updated by community members to a "Pro" version of the map, with Viaduct becoming Product. Between all of the leagues and gamemodes, many maps have been tested in official matches, with only a handful being popular enough to see any level of active play. Similarly, in the first few seasons of competitive, maps like 2Fort and Dustbowl received play, but have not been considered competitive maps for a long time, due to a number of skilled mapmakers in the competitive community willing to make maps specifically for competitive play.

Organizations and leagues

Each of these leagues mainly run the standard competitive format, however some host Highlander, Prolander, 4v4, Ultiduo and BBall competitions.

Global

North American

European

  • ETF2L (6v6 and Highlander leagues and cups)
  • Classic MGE Cup
  • CLTF2

Asian

Oceania

Streaming/casting organizations

  • teamfortress.tv, Kritzkast, CappingTV and RGL.gg are the active organizations that provide casts for the competitive TF2 scenes worldwide. Teamfortress.tv primarily covers ETF2L and ESEA 6v6, Kritzkast covers EU Highlander and Prolander, CappingTV covers APAC 6v6, and RGL.gg covers NA 6v6 and Highlander. Previous coverage of EU and NA Highlander has been provided by BlackOut TV and EVL TV respectively, and previous coverage of Prolander by eXtelevsion.

Resources

  • Comp.tf is a community-driven wiki which focuses entirely on competitive TF2.
v • d • e
Competitive play
General
Formats
Classes
Leaderboard class scout.png Scout · Leaderboard class soldier.png Soldier · Leaderboard class pyro.png Pyro · Leaderboard class demoman.png Demoman · Leaderboard class heavy.png Heavy · Leaderboard class engineer.png Engineer · Leaderboard class medic.png Medic · Leaderboard class sniper.png Sniper · Leaderboard class spy.png Spy
Maps
Attack/Defend
Capture the Flag
Control Point
King of the Hill
Payload
Medals
First Place - ETF2L Highlander Tournament · ETF2L Highlander Gold Medal Season 1 · ETF2L Ultiduo Gold Medal · ETF2L Highlander Open 1st Place · First Place - Gamers With Jobs Tournament · UGC Highlander Platinum 1st Place Season 3 · UGC Highlander Platinum Season 5 · UGC Highlander Platinum 1st Place Season 6 · UGC Highlander Platinum 1st Place Season 8 · UGC Highlander Platinum 1st Place Season 9 · UGC Highlander Platinum 1st Place Season 11 · UGC Highlander Platinum 1st Place Season 12 · UGC Highlander Platinum Participant Season 9 · UGC Highlander Platinum 1st Place Season 11 · UGC Highlander Gold 1st Place Season 12 · ESL 1st Place · ESH Ultiduo Gold Medal · Ready Steady Pan Participant · Ready Steady Pan Participant Season 2 · ozfortress OWL Premier Division First Place · AU Highlander Community League First Place · Tumblr Vs Reddit Participant · AsiaFortress Cup Division 1 1st Place · Tumblr Vs Reddit Participant (Season 2) · InfoShow TF2 Tournament Participant · LBTF2 6v6 1st Place Season 9 · LBTF2 6v6 1st Place Season 10 · LBTF2 Highlander 1st Place Season 1 · LBTF2 Highlander 1st Place Season 3 · RETF2 EE22 Winner · BETA LAN 1st Place · Florida LAN 2014 · Florida LAN 2015 · EdgeGamers UltiDuo Participant · Gamers Assembly Gold Medal · Asymmetric Accolade · TF2Connexion Gold Medal · OSL.tf 1st Place · ozfortress Summer Cup First Place · AsiaFortress Cup Division 2 1st Place · PASS Time Tournament Gold Medal · DeutschLAN 1st Place · Florida LAN 2016 · ESA Rewind 1st Place · Rally Call 2017 - 1st Place Medal · RGB LAN 1st Place · Chapelaria Ultiduo 1st Place · Chapelaria 6v6 1st Place · CappingTV Ultiduo 1st Place · Snack's Summery Ultiduo Siesta Gold Medal · ETF2L Fresh Meat Challenge Gold Medal · TFCL 1st Place · Finalist Fryer · Insomnia First Place · RGL.gg Pick-Ban Prolander Participant · Heals for Reals Event 1st Place · ESA Rewind II Top 8 · Newbie Prolander Cup Gold Medal · Palaise MGE Doubles Community Clash Champion · RGL.gg One Day Prolander Cup 2017 · NHBL Sasha Cup Champion · Florida LAN 2018 Participant Medal · Ultimate Ultiduo 1st Place · Copenhagen Games 1st Place 2018 · Gette it Onne! Champion · HLPugs.tf Highlander Cup 1st Place · RGL.gg Prolander Invite Champions · PURE League Premier Division 1st Place · Beginnings 5 First Place Medal · HLMixes Showdown 1st Place Medal · Hydro.tf Participant Medal · Finalist Fry Hard · Newbie Highlander Cup Gold Medal · Rally Call - Whale · Essentials.TF Monthly Tournament Gold Medal · UGC Highlander Platinum 1st Place Season 24 · UGC Highlander Gold 1st Place Season 24 · Chapelaria Highlander 1st Place · Fresh Meat Prolander Cup 1st Place · Moscow LAN 1st Place · NewbiDuo Cup 1st Place · PASS Time Federation 1st Place Medal · Respawn League Highlander 1st Place · TFNew Cup 1st Place · RGB 3 LAN 1st Place · United Dodgeball League 1st Place · ESEA 6s Invite 1st Place · Brazil Fortress 6v6 First Place · LAN Downunder 1st Place · ETF2L Highlander Gold Medal Season 17 · Russian Highlander 1st Place · Sacred Scouts 6v6 Gold Medal · AsiaFortress LAN 1st Place · Streamer Cup Gold Medal · Eu Mixes 1st Place · KnightComp Gold Medal · Australian Hightower Highjinx Champion · Brazil Fortress Jump Cup First Place · Fruit Mixes Highlander Gold Medal · New Caps Cup 1st Place · Rasslabyxa Cup 1st Place · RETF2 Retrospective 2 Ultiduo Winner · RGL.gg Highlander Experimental Maps Cup · RGL.gg - Invite Champions - Highlander · RGL.gg One Day Prolander Cup 2019 · South American Vanilla Fortress 1st Place · United Dodgeball League Gold Medal · Asia BBall Cup 1st Place · First Scary · Copenhagen Games 6v6 1st Place 2019 · CLTF2 Tournament Gold Medal · FBTF 4v4 1st Place · TFArena Gold Medal · Cap that Cup 1st Place · Classic MGE Cup 1st Place · EBL 1st Place Medal · EuroLander Gold Medal · Late Night TF2 Cup Gold Medal · BBall One Day Cup First Place · MidNight Moon 1st Place · Pugiklander 1st Place · AsiaFortress Invite Participant · AsiaFortress International Jade Medal
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