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
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. 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 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) Buildings ~  Damage against buildings reduced 50%.   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). The button to craft items in the new crafting interface can still be clicked after a successful craft, with nothing in the crafting boxes. Clicking it will cause the game to crash. 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