Main menu

The main menu of Team Fortress 2 after the Manniversary Update.

“

Time to fight! Click to listen — The Administrator, eagerly (or impatiently) awaiting the player's upcoming bloodbath.

”

The main menu is the opening screen of Team Fortress 2. Upon the initial opening of the game's menu, one of the soundtrack songs will play, but it will not loop or play again until the game is restarted. The main menu can also be opened while connected to a server (the default key to open the menu is Esc).

There are three possible map backgrounds and eighteen possible class images to appear on the right, with default items equipped or with Manniversary Update items equipped.

Main menu button appearances and functions

Top buttons
Alerts & messages
The messages panel open.	An example of a Trade alert. The alert box is a temporary box that appears to the left of the message tab. It shows notifications such as trade requests and map events (so far only Mann Manor has made use of this via gift drops and Horseless Headless Horsemann appearances during the Scream Fortress Update). The messages tab, when expanded, shows a "newspaper" with the most recent updates from the TF2 Official Website's blog. The right hand side of the main menu is occasionally used for special update-related events such as the War! Update or Saxxy Awards.
Left main menu buttons
Start Playing/Resume Game
	This button will take you to matchmaking so you can automatically select a server for a certain game modes. If connected to a server it becomes the resume game button.
Call Vote	The tick symbol allows you to call a vote on the server you are currently on as long as the server supports it. Options include player kicking, map changes and team scrambles.
Mute Players	Main article: Muting players The Mute Players button displays a menu that allows the player to mute other players' in-game voice chat. The menu will show an empty list when the player is not connected to a server. It will not mute sounds triggered by scripts or the server, or sounds from a Template:W.
Request Coach	The whistle symbol allows you to call for a coach to teach you how to play.
Browse Servers/New Game
	Allows the player to join or set up a game. By clicking the main body of the button the server browser is opened. When the player is currently connected to a server, it becomes the New Game button to allow the searching of a game through matchmaking.
Create Server	The plus symbol allows you to start up a listen or LAN server.
Training/Change Server
	Main article: Training Allows the player to start up a training level or play a practice game against bots. Whilst in a game this button will become the change server button which brings up the server browser.
Items
	Main article: Manage items Will take you to the loadout and stats pages.
Shop
	Main article: Mann Co. Store Clicking the Shop button opens the Mann Co. Store, which allows players to purchase in-game items such as hats, weapons, action items, and tools using money stored in their Steam Wallet. A current "featured item" is also shown under this button.
Replays
	Main article: Replay Takes you to the Replays window where you can view your recorded clips, takes, and movies.
Steam Workshop
	Main article: Steam Workshop Takes you to the Steam Workshop hub where you can upload custom content to be rated, commented upon and be considered as an addition to the game.
View Promotional Codes
	This button will open a Steam web browser page to a listing of all your Team Fortress 2 related claim codes on your account. If the player hasn't obtained any promotional codes, this button won't appear in the main menu. Currently the only promotional code available is from the RIFT Well Spun Hat Claim Code item.
Bottom buttons
Quit/Disconnect
	This button with either close the game if not connected to a server, or will disconnect from the currently connected server.
Glyphs Bar
New User Forum	Opens the Steam overlay web browser to the Team Fortress 2 New User Forum.
Achievements	Main article: Achievements Brings up a window that shows earned and unearned achievements, along with progress bars for achievements that require them. Unearned achievements have a tick box that can enable the achievement's progress to be shown in the HUD while playing.
Developer Commentary	This menu allows the player to enter one of three empty versions of the official maps. These contain non-functioning bots and speech bubbles, which provide voice commentary from the designers detailing the game's development.
Be a Coach	Main article: Coaching This gives you the option to volunteer to coach other players in the coaching mode.
Report Bug	This menu gives the player a fast and efficient option to quickly report a bug with an optional screenshot.
Options
	The "Options" button opens up a window where the player can change keyboard bindings, mouse, audio, and video options, voice configuration for use with a microphone, and multiplayer options.
	Main article: Advanced multiplayer options This button opens the "Advanced Multiplayer Options" directly.

Update history

September 20, 2007 Patch

• Disabled the loading of background maps.

September 21, 2007 Patch

• Removed background map due to incompatibilities.

October 2, 2007 Patch

• Added "Very High" texture resolution option
• Fixed non-English language text overlapping in a few places.
• Extra options added to 'Game' tab in "Create Server" menu option.

October 9, 2007 Patch

• Fixed loading screen and intro movie showing up on Windows Vista with full screen AA.

January 25, 2008 Patch

• Added new option to auto-save a scoreboard screenshot at the end of a map to the Multiplayer->Advanced dialog.
• Removed the "Reset Stats" button from the Player Stats screen.

April 1, 2008 Patch

• Fixed a few instances of truncated text in the menus and dialogs for languages other than English.

April 29, 2008 Patch (Gold Rush Update)

• Added Character Info and Loadout to the main menu.

December 17, 2009 Patch (WAR! Update)

• Added 2 new game startup songs (Right Behind You and Petite Chou-Fleur).

July 8, 2010 Patch (Engineer Update)

• Added Engineer main menu music.

July 13, 2010 Patch

• [Undocumented] Changed the song 'More Gun' to be different from Wilco's 'Someone Else's Song'.

October 27, 2010 Patch (Scream Fortress Update)

• [Undocumented] Added new game start up music "gamestartup_halloween".

September 30, 2010 Patch (Mann-Conomy Update)

• Added the Mann Co. Store & Catalog.
• Server browser tweaks.
  • It will now encourage you to add servers to Favorites or Blacklists after you have a good/bad experience on them.
  • The Server Browser now automatically closes after successfully connecting to a server (opt-out via the Options-Multiplayer->Advanced dialog).
• [Undocumented] Removed the "class advisor" and class records from the top-right corner of the main menu.

April 14, 2011 Patch (Hatless Update)

• Updated the main menu to include 'resume game', 'call a vote' and 'request coach' selections.
• Menu background is now transparent when connected to a server.
• The Mann Co. Store featured item is no longer viewable in the menu unless the player selects the store button specifically.

May 5, 2011 Patch (Replay Update)

• Added the Replay feature to the menu.
• [Undocumented] Added the Saxxy 2011 Theme.

May 6, 2011 Patch

• Fixed a client crashed caused by using custom main menu resource files.

May 9, 2011 Patch

• Saxxy fanfare music wasn't playing on music channel. Music will only play once per launch now and will not play on a changelevel.

May 18, 2011 Patch

• Added an Advanced Options button to the main menu to allow tweaking of many gameplay options.

May 19, 2011 Patch

• Fixed a rare case where users running Service Pack 3 on Windows 7 64-bit with graphics driver version 12.42 saw a graphical glitch on the main menu Options button.

May 31, 2011 Patch

• Fixed the main menu showing through the shopping cart menu when running at 2500x1600.

June 8, 2011 Patch

• [Undocumented] Removed the Saxxy Awards promotion on the main menu.

June 23, 2011 Patch (Über Update)

• [Undocumented] Overhauled main menu elements.

July 18, 2011 Patch

• Added a music clip from Meet the Medic to the menu startup music list.

July 29, 2011 Patch

• “Meet the Medic” startup music added.

August 2, 2011 Patch

• Updated the main menu backgrounds to include Granary and Upward.
• [Undocumented] Mistakenly added Gravel Pit as a Granary main menu background.

October 13, 2011 Patch (Manniversary Update & Sale)

• Added a new startup music track from Meet The Medic.
• Integrated with the new Steam Workshop to enable the publication and management of community contributed content.
• [Undocumented] Updated class images to be wearing cosmetic items.

October 20, 2011 Patch

• [Undocumented] Added new Halloween Special main menu background.

October 27, 2011 Patch (Very Scary Halloween Special)

• [Undocumented] Added new Halloween themed Class main menu images.

November 10, 2011 Patch

• Added a full moon background for the main menu..

Gallery

Main menu backgrounds

• 

  2Fort main menu background.

• 

  2Fort main menu background (widescreen).

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  Gravel Pit main menu background.

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  Gravel Pit main menu background (widescreen).

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  Upward main menu background.

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  Upward main menu background (widescreen).

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  The Saxxy Awards extra that appeared on the main menu during the Replay Update.

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  The main menu background that appeared during Halloween 2010.

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  The main menu background that appeared during Halloween 2010 (widescreen).

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  The main menu background that appeared during Halloween 2011.

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  The main menu background that appeared during Halloween 2011 (widescreen).

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  The main menu background that appears during a full moon.

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  The main menu background that appears during a full moon (widescreen).

Classes

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  The main menu Scout.

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  The main menu Soldier.

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  The main menu Pyro.

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  The main menu Demoman.

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  The main menu Heavy.

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  The main menu Engineer.

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  The main menu Medic.

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  The main menu Sniper.

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  The main menu Spy.

Update-specific class images

Class images from the Manniversary Update & Sale on October 13, 2011.

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  Scout

• 

  Soldier

• 

  Pyro

• 

  Demoman

• 

  Heavy

• 

  Engineer

• 

  Medic

• 

  Sniper

• 

  Spy

Class images from the Very Scary Halloween Special on October 27 until November 6, 2011.

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  Scout

• 

  Soldier

• 

  Pyro

• 

  Demoman

• 

  Heavy

• 

  Engineer

• 

  Medic

• 

  Sniper

• 

  Spy

See also

• Team Fortress 2 Official Soundtrack
• Server Browser
• Head-up display
• Trading
• Multiplayer options