Team Fortress 2 Beta

See also: Team Fortress 2 Closed Beta

The Team Fortress 2 Beta is a Template:W version of the game that is separate from Team Fortress 2 itself and is open to all owners of it. Released on December 2, 2010, this is the second period of public beta testing, the first one occurring before official release of the game. The current beta is used for purposes including, but not limited to:

• testing and tuning various class, item, and weapon changes
• testing map changes and variants
• running higher level, game-wide experiments (like doubling player health)
• testing new technologies without the risk of breaking the game

Players receive all achievement-related items, all promotional items their Steam account is entitled to, the complete Saharan Spy pack, the Gloves of Running Urgently, and any weapons that are currently under testing. Random drops, Crafting, and Trading are currently enabled. The Mann Co. Store is not available. The current Team Fortress 2 Beta differs from the beta first released to any user who pre-ordered the game back in 2007, and is more similar to the closed beta from 2009.

Changes currently under test

New weapons

Class		Ammo Loaded	Ammo Carried	Damage Range	Notes / Special Abilities
Medic	Beta Quick-Fix	N/A	N/A	N/A	Über effect: Megaheal Heal rate increased 3x on heal target and medic Heal target and medic immune to stun and damage forces  Heal rate increased 40%  ÜberCharge rate increased 40%  Match the speed of any faster heal target  Not able to overheal (attempting to overheal will still build Übercharge)
	Beta Syringe Gun	40	150	Base: 9 Crit: 27 [10 syringes / sec.]	Übercharge percentage increases movement speed by up to 10%  -10% damage done.
	Beta Bonesaw	N/A	N/A	Base: 65 Crit: 195	Allows you to see an enemy's health.
Pyro	Detonator	1	16	Base: 30 Crit: 90 Afterburn: 6 / sec. × 10 secs.	On hit, ignites enemy.  Alt-fire detonates flare in flight. It creates a small explosion which ignites nearby players, but does less damage than a normal hit. Knockback can be used to flare jump.  Flares detonate on impact, with a greatly reduced explosion radius.  Guarantees Mini-Crit damage on burning targets, regardless of distance (only when flare is not detonated).  20% explosion self-damage vulnerability on wearer.
Soldier	Beta Pocket Rocket Launcher	4	20	Base: 90 Crit: 270	When the Medic healing you is killed, gain Mini-Crit Boost for 6 seconds.  On hit: -10 health.
	Beta Pocket Rocket Launcher 2	4	20	Base: 90 Crit: 270	+15% Übercharge rate for the Medic healing you (not in spawn room)  On hit: -10 health.
	Beta Pocket Rocket Launcher 3	4	20	Base: 90 Crit: 270	50% faster reload time while being healed by a Medic  On hit: -10 health.
	Beta Pocket Shotgun	6	32	Base: 60 Crit: 180 [6 dmg. × 10 pellets]	While a Medic is healing you, this weapon's damage is increased by 20%.  While not being healed by a Medic, your weapon switch time is 30% longer.
	Beta Split Equalizer 1	N/A	N/A	Base: 65 Crit: 195	When weapon is active:  Move speed increases as the user becomes injured.  Blocks healing while in use.
	Beta Split Equalizer 2	N/A	N/A	Base: 33–107 Crit: 3× base damage.	When weapon is active:  Damage increases as the user becomes injured.  Blocks healing while in use.
Sniper	Beta Sniper Rifle 1	25	N/A	Base: 50 (0% charge) 150 (100% charge) Headshot: 150 (0% charge) 450 (100% charge)	On bodyshot: Rifle charge rate increased by 25%.  On headshot: Rifle charge rate increased by 45%.  On miss: Rifle charge rate decreased by 65%.
	Beta Sniper Club 1	N/A	N/A	Base: 65 Crit: 195	25% increase in damage when health <50% of max.  25% decrease in damage when health >50% of max.

Changed weapons

Class	Item	Old	New
Scout	Shortstop	~	20% slower reload speed.
Soldier	Equalizer	Blocks healing while in use. Move speed increases as the user becomes injured. No damage penalty Base damage: 33-113	No longer blocks healing.  Move speed no longer increases as the user becomes injured.  Slight high-end damage penalty Base damage: 33–107

Other changes

An example of the changed menu in the Beta.

• Some responses have been tweaked.
• Several UI changes were tested in the Beta before being shipped to the main game.
• As of the June 17, 2011 patch the entire menu interface has been reworked, with major changes to the loadout and crafting systems.

Previous changes

Class	Item	Old	New	Status
Scout	Mad Milk	Players heal 75% of the damage done to an enemy covered with milk	Players heal 60% of the damage done to an enemy covered with milk	Added to game (4/14/2011)
	Sun-on-a-Stick	Minicrits against burning players -15% damage done Base damage: 30 Crit: 90	Full crits against burning players  -25% damage done Base damage: 26 Crit: 79	Added to game (4/14/2011)
	Fan O'War	Marked for death status lasts 10 seconds	Marked for death status lasts 15 seconds	Added to game (4/14/2011)
Soldier	Battalion's Backup	Takes 175 damage to fully charge	Takes 350 damage to fully charge	Added to game (4/14/2011)
	Concheror	20% of damage done by teammates is returned as health during buff	35% of damage done by teammates is returned as health during buff	Added to game (4/14/2011)
	Equalizer	~	Damage formula tweaked, no longer possible to one-hit-kill certain classes when at low health  Automatic and manual Medic calls are suppressed	Added to game (4/14/2011)
Pyro	Backburner	No compression blast +15% damage done Base damage: 7.13 / particle Crit: 13-21 / particle	Added compression blast, 50 ammo per blast  +10% damage done Base damage: 6.82 / particle Crit:12-21 / particle	Added to game (4/14/2011)
	Flare Gun	Mini-Crits against burning players at close range, full crits against burning players at long range	Full crits against burning players regardless of range	Added to game (4/14/2011)
	Powerjack	+25% damage No random critical hits Normal damage from melee sources while active	No damage bonus  Random critical hits enabled  +20% damage from melee sources while active	Added to game (4/14/2011)
Demoman	Loch-n-Load	+10% damage done Base damage: 92-135 Crit: 315-360	+20% damage done Base damage: 103-147 Crit: 342-388	Added to game (4/14/2011)
	Eyelander	No random critical hits No damage penalty Base damage: 65 Crit: 195	Random critical hits enabled  -25% damage done Base damage: 49 Crit: 146	Not Active (4/26/2011)
	Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker	No random critical hits No damage penalty Base damage: 65 Crit: 195	Random critical hits  -25% damage done Base damage: 49 Crit: 146	Not Active (4/26/2011)
	Claidheamh Mòr	No random critical hits No damage penalty Base damage: 65 Crit: 195	Random critical hits enabled  -25% damage done Base damage: 49 Crit: 146	Not Active (4/26/2011)
	Ullapool Caber	No random critical hits No damage penalty Base damage: 35 (149 explosion) Crit: 149 (300 explosion)	Random critical hits enabled  -25% damage done Base damage: 26 (149 explosion) Crit: 79 (300 explosion)	Not Active (4/26/2011)
	Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker	No taunt	Now uses the Decapitation taunt	Added to game (6/3/2010)
	Claidheamh Mòr	No taunt	Now uses the Decapitation taunt	Added to game (6/3/2010)
Heavy	Natascha	Slowdown-on-hit effect does not fall off over distance Normal spin-up time	Slowdown-on-hit effect falls off over distance  30% slower spin-up time	Added to game (12/17/2010)
	Natascha Variant 1	Slowdown-on-hit effect does not fall off over distance -25% damage done Base damage: 340 / sec. Crit: 720 / sec.	Slowdown-on-hit effect falls off over distance  -35% damage done Base damage: 312 / sec. Crit: 648 / sec.	Not Active (1/06/2011)
	Natascha Variant 2	Slowdown-on-hit effect does not fall off over distance No health penalty	Slowdown-on-hit effect falls off over distance  -20% max health on wearer	Not Active (1/06/2011)
	Dalokohs Bar	25.7 second cooldown	No cooldown	Added to game (4/14/2011)
	Fists of Steel	60% less damage from ranged sources while active Normal weapon switch	40% less damage from ranged sources while active  20% slower weapon switch	Added to game (4/14/2011)
Engineer	Buildings	~	Damage against buildings reduced 50%.	Not Active (1/13/2011)
	Gunslinger	No random critical hits No damage penalty Base damage: 65 Crit: 195	Random critical hits enabled  -25% damage done Base damage: 49 Crit: 146	Not Active (4/26/2011)
	Southern Hospitality	No random critical hits No damage penalty Base damage: 65 Crit: 195	Random critical hits enabled  -25% damage done Base damage: 49 Crit: 146	Not Active (4/26/2011)
Medic	Medi Gun	~	Players being healed are immune to movement-impairing effects generated by hitscan weapons	Not Active (1/06/2011)
	Kritzkrieg	~	Players being healed are immune to movement-impairing effects generated by hitscan weapons	Not Active (1/06/2011)
	Vita-Saw	~	Allows player to see the enemy's health	Not Active (4/26/2011)
Sniper	Sydney Sleeper	Normal charge rate	25% faster charge rate	Added to game (4/14/2011)
All Classes	Health	~	All classes have double Health	Not Active (1/13/2011)
	Health	~	All classes have 25% extra Health	Not Active (2/11/2011)
	Responses	~	All classes possess new response and voice command rules	Added to game (6/3/2011)

Patches

Main article: Patches (Beta)

Bugs

• An Engineer can prepare to build a Combat Mini-Sentry Gun, switch to either the Wrench, Southern Hospitality or Jag, and still deploy the Combat Mini-Sentry Gun without having the Gunslinger equipped. This does not work the other way around to build normal sentries with the Gunslinger equipped.
• Despite being synced with the changes in the January 10, 2011 Patch, the Kritzkrieg and other crit boost sounds occasionally continue to play after the effect ends.
• As a Soldier, being healed by a Medic or dispenser erroneously charges any of the Soldier's backpack secondaries (Buff Banner, Battalion's Backup, Concheror).

See also

• Team Fortress 2 Closed Beta

External Links

• Official TF2 Beta Forum on Steam Users' Forums
• TF2 Beta Blog Post
• TF2 Beta Update history