List of references

Due to the comedic style of Team Fortress 2 as well as Valve's humor, the game includes references, usually in a humorous fashion. There are many different types, from games to movies. Jokes that have developed within the game and its community have been included. Below are references that are not specific to one class.

Bill's Hat, a reference to the game Template:W.

Class-specific references

• Scout-specific references
• Soldier-specific references
• Pyro-specific references
• Demoman-specific references
• Heavy-specific references
• Engineer-specific references
• Medic-specific references
• Sniper-specific references
• Spy-specific references

Achievements

General

BFF² Have 2 BEST FRIENDS at the same time.

Template:W, often shortened to BFF, is a close friendship typical of teenagers and young people.

Grey Matter Get 25 headshots as a Sniper.

Template:W is a major component of the central nervous system. The highest concentration of grey matter is found in the brain.

Mass Hysteria Have 6 teammates using Pyrovision at the same time.

Template:W is the spontaneous manifestation of similar hysterical symptoms by more than one person.

Riftwalker Kill an enemy within 5 seconds of you traveling through an Engineer's teleporter.

In science fiction, teleportation devices are often stated to use technology which creates a rift in space, allowing a person to travel through it and out the other end while virtually no time passes in between.

The Great Deflate Kill 79 enemies who have the Balloonicorn pets.

The Template:W was a debate between two influential astronomers which took place in 1920, and concerned the nature of spiral nebulae and the size of the universe.

Astro-chievements

Escape Ferocity Kill an enemy who has damaged the Australium carrier in the last 3 seconds.

Template:W is the speed needed to "break free" from a gravitational field without further propulsion.

Lift-offed Push a player into the rocket's exhaust path at the end of the round.

"Liftoff" referes to the moment at which a vehicle such as an aeroplane, helicopter, or more appropriately, a rocket, leaves the ground.

Someone who is said to have been "offed" has been murdered.

Plan Nine to Outer Space Launch the rocket as all 9 classes.

Template:W is a 1959 sci-fi film notorious for its poor quality.

Rocket Booster Win a round after the enemy team has opened the rocket lid.

A rocket booster is a component inside the engine of a rocket which provides additional thrust on takeoff, and is usually jettisoned when no longer required.

The Fight Stuff Win 138 Rounds.

Template:W is a 1979 book about the U.S. manned space program. It was adapted into a Template:W in 1983.

Cap-ogee Win a round with at least 5 teammates on the elevator.

The Template:W is the point where a a satellite is the farthest away from earth. For example, the moon's apogee is 405,000 km away from earth.

Space Camp Kill an enemy within the broken crate area while they attempt to pick up the neutral Australium.

A Space Camp is a summer camp designed to teach young people about various aspects of astronomy and space exploration.

Flight Crew Play in a game with five or more players from your Friends list.

The Template:W are the personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight.

Mission Control Pick up the Australium from its home position and capture it without dropping it.

As they are so complex, all aerospace flights require a Template:W from where support personnel monitor all aspects of the mission.

Foundry

Real Steal Win a round in which the enemy team has attempted to capture your final control point.

Template:W is a 2011 science-fiction sports drama film.

Terminated, Too Kill a player by pushing them into the cauldron fire.

This is a reference to the film Template:W and its final scene.

Claim Jumper Capture a control point within 12 seconds after exiting a teleporter.

A claim jumper is someone who illegally occupies or profits from a property to which another has a legal claim.

The Crucible Win 137 Rounds.

In any year of the Template:W, held in the Crucible Theater in Sheffield, England, the winner (or the runner-up) can play a cumulative total of no more than 137 frames over all five rounds.

Raze the Roof Kill two people on the roof of the center control point in a single life.

"Raise the roof" is a dancing motion whereby the dancer pushes both hands up in the air with their palms open and facing upwards.

To "raze" a building is to demolish it.

Dead Heat Play through a back-and-forth battle for 15 control point captures.

A "dead heat" in a sporting event describes a situation in which both teams are so evenly matched that neither can achieve a decisive victory.

Foundry Force Five Play in a game with five or more players from your Friends list.

Template:W is a Christian crunk rock band from Georgia, USA.

Two Minute Warring Be part of a team that wins within two minutes.

In the Template:W, a "two-minute warning" is given when two minutes of game time remain on the game clock during each half of the game.

Halloween

Attack o' Lantern Cause the deaths of 5 players by exploding nearby pumpkin bombs.

A Template:W is a hollowed-out pumpkin with a face carved in its front and a light source placed inside.

Candy Coroner Collect 20 Halloween pumpkins from dead players to unlock a hat. Reward: Mildly Disturbing Halloween Mask

A Template:W is a government official who examines autopsy reports and rules on cause of death.

Costume Contest Kill a Spy disguised as your current class.

A costume contest is a competition in which participants try to determine who has the best Halloween costume.

Optical Defusion Kill MONOCULUS! Reward: MONOCULUS!

An Template:W is an image designed to trick observers into thinking it portrays something impossible.

Sackston Hale Craft the Saxton Hale Mask.

In the TF2 universe, Saxton Hale is the President and CEO of Mann Co.

Scared Stiff Kill a player scared by a ghost.

For someone to be "scared stiff" he/she must be so afraid of something he/she is unable to move.

Sleepy Holl0WND Kill the Horseless Headless Horsemann. Reward: Horseless Headless Horsemann's Head

Template:W is a short story by Washington Irving in which a young schoolteacher named Ichabod Crane is pursued by a ghost known as the Headless Horseman on an autumn night.

"0wnd" is an Internet slang term used to refer to someone who has been defeated in a game.

Mann vs. Machievements

Balls-E Destroy the tank during the final seconds of the bomb being deployed.

Template:W is a 2008 animated sci-fi film.

A "ballsy" person is one who is tough or courageous.

Brotherhood of Steel Complete a mission with 5 people on your Friends List.

The Brotherhood of Steel is one of many factions seen in the Template:W series of role-playing games.

Clockwork Carnage Destroy two tanks within 5 seconds of each other.

Template:W is a dystopian satire novel by Anthony Burgess.

Ctrl + Assault + Delete Destroy a sentry buster before it reaches its target.

Template:W is a keyboard command used to bring up the task manager in Windows, or otherwise used to restart a PC computer.

Deus Ex Machina Defeat a wave in an advanced difficulty mission without dying once.

A Template:W is a plot device that suddenly and abruptly solves a story's seemingly unsolvable problem.

Do Androids Dream? As a Scout, use the Sandman to mark 15 robots for death in a single wave.

Template:W is a 1968 science-fiction novel about a bounty hunter who is charged with "retiring" escaped androids.

.executioner In a single wave, kill 15 bomb-carrying robots in a row before they level up.

Template:W is the filename extension Windows and MS-DOS use for a program (an executable file).

Fast Cache Pick up a credit pile that is about to expire.

The term "fast cash" refers to a quick way to make money.

Frags to Riches Earn all credit bonuses in an advanced difficulty mission.

To say someone has gone from "rags to riches" means he/she has come from a state of poverty to a state of wealth, usually in a relatively short time.

German Engineering Use a canteen charged with 'ÜberCharge' to destroy 15 robots.

"German engineering" is a buzzword used in recent Template:W advertisements.

Ghost in the Machine Use a canteen charged with 'Teleport to Spawn' and then kill the bomb carrier within 5 seconds.

Template:W is a 1993 film about a serial killer whose mind is transferred to a computer and goes on a murder spree.

Hack of All Trades Play an entire mission as a single class, and do this for every class.

A "Template:W" is a person who is competent with many skills.

Hard Reset As a Pyro, reset the bomb 3 times in a single wave.

A hard reset is a forced shutdown and reboot to a system by hardware means, usually done by pressing a reset button.

Negative Charge Kill 5 Medics that are ready to deploy an ÜberCharge in a wave.

A particle with a negative charge has an abundance of electrons in its outer atomic shell.

Real Steal As an Engineer, escape with your sentry as a sentry buster is about to detonate.

Template:W is a 2011 science-fiction sports film.

Spam Blocker During a wave, defend the hatch 10 times from robots about to deliver a bomb.

Template:W is a common term for junk mail.

Spark Plugger As a Sniper, kill 4 enemies simultaneously.

A Template:W is a device that delivers electric current to a car's engine in order to ignite it.

Steel Fragnolias Complete all waves successfully in a mission. Reward: Power Up Canteen

Template:W is a 1989 comedy film about a group of women described as delicate as magnolias, but tough as steel.

T-1000000 Collect 1,000,000 credits in your career.

The T-1000000 is from the Universal Studios park attraction Template:W and is a metal spider-like version of the Template:W from Template:W.

Turbocharger Buff 4 or more teammates as a Soldier at the same time in a single wave.

A Template:W is a device which delivers compressed air to an engine to allow more power to be produced.

Undelete During a wave, use a canteen charged with 'Instant Building Upgrade' to build a new sentry gun within 3 seconds of your previous sentry gun's destruction.

This achievement's name refers to a deleted line from Portal 2 in which Wheatley exclaims "Undelete! Undelete! Where's the undelete button?"

Vial Sharing As a Medic, share your canteen 5 times in a single wave.

Template:W is a method of transferring data over the Internet. It is often misused for illegal purposes.

Wage Against the Machine Earn a credit bonus at the end of a wave.

Template:W is a rock band from Los Angeles, California, USA.

Weapons

Conscientious Objector We gave peace a chance. It didn't work. Custom decals can be applied to this item.

A Template:W is someone who refuses military service for ideological reasons.

The description of the weapon references Template:W, a song by Template:W.

Frying Pan

The Frying Pan is a melee weapon used by the survivors in Left 4 Dead 2.

Saxxy Winner: [Category] [Year] Imbued with an ancient power.

The Annual Saxxy Award is a reference to the annual Template:W, having similar prize statuettes and opening songs.

Hats and Miscellaneous items

Alien Swarm Parasite This cute little guy was once the scourge of humanity in another time and place. Now he's content to ride on your head and keep the sun off.

This is a stylized version of an enemy parasite from Alien Swarm.

Aperture Labs Hard Hat Produce-powered personal illumination and cranial safety apparatus. NOT FOR USE OUTSIDE OFFICIAL APERTURE FACILITIES.

This hat is a reference to the "Potato Clock" or "Potato Battery", a popular science fair project where a potato is used to power a clock or other electronic appliance and a running joke in Template:W.

Athletic Supporter [Insert Favorite Regional Team Here]

The Athletic Supporter sports the Template:W logo on the front.

"Athletic supporter" is an alternate name for a Template:W.

B.M.O.C. Be the Big Man of Christmas with this fur-fringed pom-pom hat!

The "Big Man of Christmas" is Template:W; the abbreviation is a play on the term "Big Man on Campus", a highly respected individual.

Bill's Hat Left 4 You.

This is the beret worn by Vietnam war veteran Bill in Template:W.

Bombinomicon "If ye gaze upon one tome-themed badge this year, MAKE IT NOT THIS ONE!" - Merasmus the Magician

The name "Bombinomicon", a portmanteau of Bomb and Template:W, is a reference to the fictional grimoire from the Template:W films which also had a face, was bound in flesh, and inked in blood. The name of the book from the film series was taken, as a tip of the hat, from the works of Template:W, which feature a grimoire of the same name.

Companion Cube Pin

This item features Template:W companion cube.

Company Man

The logo of Sarif Industries from the Template:W series is printed on the front of the cap.

Ebenezer If you are visited by one piece of spectral headwear this night, make it the Ghost of Christmas Hats, donated in true Smissmass spirit by Steam User Jacen.

The Ebenezer's name, as well as its description, is a reference to Charles Dickens' novel Template:W. The description references the three spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future that visit Ebenezer Scrooge, the main character, during the course of the story.

Ellis' Cap

Ellis wears this cap in Left 4 Dead 2.

Full Head of Steam You never took a break from cp_foundry, and now you can prove it with the actual steam whistle used to call the breaks you never took!

The idiom "full steam ahead" describes a task done with as much enthusiasm as possible.

Hat of Undeniable Wealth And Respect Earned by completing 28 objectives in 'The Great Steam Treasure Hunt.' Beware the Cephalopod padlock.

The hat is level 28, the same number of objectives required to be completed in The Great Steam Treasure Hunt to earn it.

Human Cannonball Ask any daredevil what they strap onto their heads before getting shot out of a cannon and the answer will be the same: a glassy, unfocused stare from years of head trauma. Head trauma that could have been prevented with this sharp-looking crash helmet.

The Template:W is a popular circus stunt in which a person is launched from a cannon.

Lo-Fi Longwave Can't stop the signal.

This hardhat sports the KritzKast logo on the front.

The description is a tagline for Template:W.

Map Maker's Medallion

The hammer symbol on this medal is a reference to Valve's map editor, Hammer.

The item is referred to as a "Func_Medal", a reference to the various func-prefixed entities available for use with the Hammer editor.

Marxman Everyone knows laughter is the best medicine. But did you know that laughter is also the best disguise? No? Well, good thing you're not a cop infiltrating the Chinese mafia, then. Oh wait you are. AND NOW YOU'RE DEAD. Look, rookie, these glasses are actually hilarious.

The item is designed to resemble the popular novelty item Template:W, which are based on the comedian Template:W.
The name is a play on the term "marksman", referring to a person who can shoot well.

Max's Severed Head Expertly crafted headwear from cruelty-free farms in the Philippines. Hollowed-out skull casing wicks moisture away when in the heat of battle.

This hat is made from the head of Max from Template:W. The description is a reference to the first Sam & Max comic, Monkeys Violating the Heavenly Temple, which took place in the Philippines.

Philateler Congratulations on doing more yesterday to support the TF2 map-making community through map stamps than anyone else! Wear this with pride before it changes hands tomorrow!

Template:W is the collection and study of postage and imprinted stamps.

Point and Shoot The next time someone accuses you of not being a real wizard because you refuse to (read: can’t) do spells, poke them in the eye with this magically blinding pointy hat and run.

Amadeus, a wizard in Trine 2, wears a hat similar to this. The description references the fact that Amadeus is incapable of conjuring a fireball, a recurring joke in the Trine series.

Proof of Purchase From another era.

The description references this hat's origins; it is visible on the Human Commando player model from the early "Invasion" version of Team Fortress 2, as well as the files that were leaked in 2003 with Half-Life 2's source code.

Resurrection Associate Pin

This item features Template:W companion cube.

Spine-Chilling Skull Express your undying hatred for the living.

The Spine-Chilling Skull is level 31, referring to Halloween on the 31st of October.

Spiral Sallet Little known fact: knights in chess travel over other pieces by rocket jumping.

The Spiral Sallet is named after the eponymous hat from Template:W, though it bears more resemblance to the Mighty Cobalt Helm.

Spirit Of Giving The more gifts you give away, the bigger your heart will get! Get what gift-givers call "the Smissmas spirit," and what cardiologists call hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The item is a reference to the classic Dr. Seuss story Template:W whose title character is born with a heart two sizes two small but when he gives Christmas presents to the Whos of Whoville, his heart grows three sizes.

Template:W is the medical term for thickening and growth of the heart.

Teufort Tooth Kicker These steel-toed dogs were scientifically engineered (in a wind tunnel) by America's foremost authorities on mouth-kicking to perfectly fit the inside of an idiot's mouth.

The Capture the Flag map 2Fort is often referred to as Teufort in TF2's supplementary material.

Top Notch Welcome to a secret society so exclusive it makes the Illuminati look like a Costco. How exclusive? You are the only member. This is the only item of its kind in all of existence. So don't craft it, Miney.

The hat adopts the likeness of Template:W personal avatar, a drawing of himself in the artistic style of Template:W, on which he was the lead developer until the game's official release.

Something which is described as being "top notch" is first rate, or excellent.

Towering Pillar of Hats A-ha-ha! You are as PRESUMPTUOUS as you are POOR and IRISH. Tarnish notte the majesty of my TOWER of HATS.

This hat and its description are references to the hidden Gentle Manne of Leisure page on the Classless Update.

Voodoo Juju Only the finest leather hats come with tattoos and piercings.

The Voodoo Juju is level 31, referring to Halloween on the 31st of October.

World Traveler's Hat Given to generous souls who have donated to community map makers. The effect will only be visible while on a map that has been donated towards!

Should a player contribute enough to obtain 200 stamps for their World Traveler's Hat, its rank will change to "Template:W", a reference to a recurring alloy in science fiction and speculative science.

Bots

Some bots which have names that reference other games include:

• Aperture Science Prototype XR7 – Aperture Science Laboratories is the main setting for Template:W.
• Black Mesa – The main setting of Template:W.
• Boomer Bile – A substance produced by Boomers in the Template:W series.
• CEDA –- The Civil Emergency and Defense Agency in the Template:W series is responsible for control of the Infection.
• Chell – The name of the protagonist of Template:W.
• Companion Cube – An object in Template:W used to solve Test Chamber 17.
• Crowbar – Template:W's weapon of choice in the Template:W series.
• Delicious Cake – The "reward" of subsequent testing in Template:W.
• Dog – The name of Template:W's pet robot from Template:W.
• GLaDOS – The main antagonist of Template:W.
• Hostage – A hapless citizen held up by the Terrorist team in Template:W.
• IvanTheSpaceBiker – A nickname given to the original model of Gordon Freeman in Template:W.
• One-Man Cheeseburger Apocalypse – A reference to a quote from Coach in Template:W.
• Still Alive – The name of the song played during the end credits in Template:W.
• TAAAAANK! – A warning shouted by the Survivors in the Template:W series when a Tank is spotted.
• The Combine – The primary antagonists of Template:W and its episodic sequels.
• The Freeman – The nickname Gordon Freeman is given by the Vortigaunts of Template:W.
• The G-Man – A mysterious recurring character in the Template:W series.
• WITCH – One of the Special Infected types in the Template:W series.
• ZAWMBEEZ – Pronounced "zombies", the primary enemies in the Template:W series.

Responses and sounds

The Soldier and Demoman often reference Greek myth in their taunts of each other, especially concerning the Template:W.

"Flawless Victory, now do it again!"

This line from The Administrator is a reference to the Template:W announcer's famous "Flawless Victory!" line.

One of the stock death responses used in Trailer 2 is the infamous Template:W, a well known movie sound effect. The Scout can still scream this way on occasion, usually when he is falling to his death or killed with a Critical hit. This was also the death scream used for the Civilian class, when it was originally accessible via console commands.

Haunted Fortress 2, the soundtrack to the Scream Fortress Update, contains screaming sounds used by the Witch Infected from Template:W.

Other

• The Ferguson system is a Template:W of tractors established in 1934.
• Badwater Basin is a Template:W located in Death Valley National Park, California.
• Team Fortress 2 carries a heavy retro 1960's style, drawing heavy thematic and musical inspiration from famous Spy films and series such as Template:W, Template:W and Template:W.

References in other games

Due to its high popularity, references of Team Fortress 2 can be found in other games as well.

• Template:W has an arcade game called "Team Buttress 2" which advertises that now comes with "TWO FORTS!", a reference to 2Fort.
• Template:W's DLC, called "Hail to the Icons Parody Pack", contains multiplayer map 2Forts1Bridge, a reference to 2Fort, and allows players to wear hats.
  • An advertisement of this map says Hats? Duke loves hats. Give him a minigun and he’ll take down all comers, which may be reference to Trailer 2 video.
• Template:W has Steam Exclusive four playable "familiars": the Heavy, the Engineer, the Medic and the Pyro.
• Template:W has many hackable computers containing information, one specifically referring to a RED Spy infiltrating the BLU's base.
• Killing Floor features the Pyro as a playable character for players who own Team Fortress 2.
• Template:W has a cereal box in the first level of No Mercy that offers Team Fortress 2 toys can be seen in the first building the survivors venture through. Oddly enough, the box reads "10 to collect" despite there being only 9 classes, possibly referencing to the tenth class.
  • In the Sacrifice comic, Louis has a Heavy figurine standing on his desk.
• Left 4 Dead 2 has a voice clip of Ellis in which he remarks "This is just like Team Fortress 2".
  • The Pyro and Heavy appear as mascots for "Pyro's Hamburgers" and "Heavy Gulp".
    • There is also a brand of soft drink labeled "MANNS" found in a safe room.
• Template:W contains a level which references TF2. You start in a supply room and have to fight through a western area full of enemies based on various TF2 classes. The level even includes the Meet the Spy announcement room.
• Template:W took a jab at the Mann Co. Store for April Fools Day 2011 with in-game "Steve Co. Supply Crates" which can only be unlocked with "Steve Co. Supply Crate Keys" bought from a (fake) micro-transaction service which is presented with the Team Fortress 2 font.
• Monday Night Combat contains a variety of items that relate to Team Fortress 2, like the Demoman's hat and eyepatch and the Heavy's bandolier.
• Poker Night At The Inventory features the Heavy as an opponent, along with many references to Team Fortress 2 made in conversations with other characters.
  • Also, there are other Team Fortress 2 references: themed card decks with classes and other characters, table covers with familiar TF2 logos and re-stylized theme songs - Team Fortress 2 and More Gun.
• Portal 2 features hats from Team Fortress 2 that can be used in the Co-op campaign if you own them in Team Fortress 2.
  • These include the Mann Co. Cap, Prince Tavish's Crown, Pyro's Beanie, Fancy Fedora, Master's Yellow Belt, Tyrant's Helm and Aperture Labs Hard Hat.
• Sam & Max Season 3 Episode 4 Beyond the Alley of the Dolls has a cameo appearance of a level 1 BLU Dispenser, referred as a "curious dispenser".
• Template:W's add-on content 'Prejudice' has an achievement named 'Use More Gun' Which is a quote of the Engineer in his Meet the Team video.
• Template:W contains an achievement called "Meet the Spy", an obvious reference to the official Meet the Spy video.
  • Also the achievement "Professionals have standards", that involves the "snipe" ability, is an obvious reference to Meet the Sniper.
• Super Monday Night Combat has TF2 items just like its predecessor. Specifically, reaching level 10 unlocks the TF2 Engineer uniform for Combat Girl and reaching level 15 unlocked the TF2 Soldier uniform and rocket launcher skin for MegaBeth.
• Template:W features a quest involving a large goblin pushing a cart down a track and at some point will say "We must push little cart!", a reference to the Heavy's voice clip.
• Worms: Reloaded contains customizable headgear which can make Worms look like TF2 classes, with forts that contain key features from many TF2 maps.

See also

• Meet the Team
• Classes
• Hats
• Bots