Tough Break Update

This article is for content released in the update. For the patch itself, see December 17, 2015 Patch.

“

The New Mexico Department of Labor has found the Administrator in violation of every safety law they have, including 106 violations of the Employee Electroshock (Face, Trunk and Genital) Protection Act and 496 unexplained workplace disappearances. This means Miss Pauling has been state-mandated to take her first vacation in... well, ever. It also means she'll still be working round the clock, since those kill-contracts won't assign themselves. — Tough Break Update publicity blurb

”

The Tough Break Update was a major update added in the 2015 Smissmas season that spanned from December 17, 2015 to April 11, 2016.

The update introduced 4 new weapon collections, 15 community-created new cosmetics, 4 community-created new maps, and 3 new taunts. It also added the Tough Break Campaign, a three-month contract campaign which allows players to complete 26 skill-based challenges to unlock one-of-a-kind weapons and exclusive weapon and cosmetic cases. To participate in the Tough Break Campaign, players had to obtain the Tough Break Campaign Pass, which was available for purchase in the Mann Co. Store. Players were invited to fulfill contracts ostensibly handed out by Miss Pauling via postcards on her state-mandated vacation.

Additional content was further added in the December 22, 2015 Patch, such as the Festivizer.

Additions

Cosmetics

Main article: Cosmetic items

Tools

Main article: Tools

Maps

Name	Picture	Game mode	File name
Highpass		King of the Hill	koth_highpass
Landfall		Capture the Flag	ctf_landfall
Snowycoast		Payload	pl_snowycoast
Vanguard		Control Point	cp_vanguard

Tweaked Classes

Class	Changes
Pyro	Added: Extinguishing a teammate will now return 20 health to the Pyro.
	Changed: The base Flamethrower's damage fall off over distance has been decreased, resulting in higher damage output at range
	Changed: Consecutive Airblasts will no longer prevent enemies from air-strafing until they touch the ground
Demoman	Added: Charging now removes debuffs from the Demoknight (Bleed, Fire, Mad Milk, Jarate)
	Changed: Shield bash now deals damage at all ranges, scaled by distance
	Changed: Melee damage boost after shield bash is based on amount of charge consumed. Now provides mini-crit at 25% depleted, and full crit at 60% depleted.
	Changed: All Swords now have a slower deploy and holster speed compared to base weapons in addition to their increased melee range
Engineer	Changed: Sentry Guns brought into a respawn room no longer detonate outside of Mann vs. Machine
	Added: After removing a Sapper from a Sentry Gun, there is now a 0.5s delay before the sentry is active again
Medic	Added: Medics now have slightly higher health regeneration when healing a hurt patient
	Changed: During setup time, ÜberCharge build rate is now increased by 3x
Spy	Added: The HUD 'Cloak' meter now displays 'MOTION' and 'FEIGN' when Cloak and Dagger and Dead Ringer are equipped respectively
All classes	Added: Upon spawning, friendly players (including disguised Spies) will show an outline for 10 seconds
	Changed: Base weapon switch speed changed from 0.67 seconds to 0.5 seconds

Tweaked Weapons

Class	Weapon	Changes
Scout	Mad Milk	Added: Extinguishing an ally will now reduce the cool down by 20%
	Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol	Changed: Increased health recovered on hit to +5 (from +3)
	Wrap Assassin	Changed: Ornament shatters on all impacts, dealing a small amount of damage in a small radius. Bleed effect still only applies to a target that is struck directly.
		Changed: Increased ball recharge rate by 25%
		Changed: Reduced damage penalty to 65% (from 70%)
Soldier	Beggar's Bazooka	Added: -20% blast radius penalty
	Air Strike	Changed: Reduced blast radius by 20% when rocket jumping (28% reduction when compared to stock)
	Concheror	Changed: Doubled health regeneration rate. Regeneration rate is now decreased if player has been recently damaged.
	B.A.S.E. Jumper	Removed: Hidden property of up draft when on fire
	Market Gardener	Added: 20% slower firing speed
Pyro	Degreaser	Removed: Removed damage penalty
		Changed: No longer boosts all-around switch speed. Instead, boosts switch-to speed by 60% and switch-from speed by 30%.
		Changed: Increased Airblast cost by 25%
		Changed: Increased afterburn penalty to 66% (from 25%)
	Phlogistinator	Removed: 10% damage penalty
		Added: When activating 'MMMPH', the taunting Pyro gains temporary invulnerability and immunity to knockback effects
	Axtinguisher	Changed Now crits all burning enemies (Previous version could only crit from behind and mini-crit from the front)
		Changed Damage penalty has been reduced to 33% (from 50%) and now applies to all enemies, not just non-burning ones
		Added 20% slower firing speed
		Added 75% slower deploy speed
Demoman	Loose Cannon	Changed: Reduced projectile speed (now a visible attribute)
		Changed: Reduced cannon impact damage to 50 (from 60)
		Changed: Damage now scales with distance
		Changed: Reduced knockback from cannon hit. Knockback strength is now similar to airblast.
	Chargin' Targe	Changed: Reduced blast resistance to 30% (from 40%)
		Removed: Removed fire immunity
	Splendid Screen	Added: +50% faster charge recharge rate
		Changed: Increased blast resistance to 20% (from 15%)
	Tide Turner	Changed: Now grants mini-crit instead of full-crit on charge bash
		Changed: Reduced all resistances to 15% (from 25%)
	Quickiebomb Launcher	Changed: Increased fizzle time to 4 seconds (from 2)
	Ullapool Caber	Changed: Increased base melee damage to 55 (from 35)
		Added: 20% slower firing speed
		Added: 100% slower deploy speed
	Claidheamh Mòr	Added: +25 health on kill
		Removed: -15 health penalty on wearer
		Added: 15% damage vulnerability on wearer while weapon is active
		Removed: Removed 0.5 second longer charge duration
	Persian Persuader	Added: Ammo pickups now replenish charge
		Added: Melee hits replenish 20% of your charge meter
		Added: 80% reduced primary and secondary ammo on wearer
		Removed: Ammo pickups granting health instead of ammo
Heavy	Gloves of Running Urgently	Added: 50% slower holster speed
	Fists of Steel	Removed: Slower deploy speed
		Added: 100% slower holster speed
	Warrior's Spirit	Added: +30% damage bonus
		Removed: -20 max health on wearer
		Changed: +10 health on hit to +50 health on kill
		Added: 30% damage vulnerability on wearer while weapon is active
	Eviction Notice	Added: 15% faster movement speed on wearer while weapon is active
		Added: 20% damage vulnerability on wearer while weapon is active
		Changed: Reduced faster firing speed bonus to 40% (from 50%)
Engineer	Rescue Ranger	Changed: Reduced healing per bolt to 60 (from 75)
	Jag	Added: -33% damage penalty against buildings (Now takes 3 hits to destroy a Sapper)
Medic	Crusader's Crossbow	Added: Healing a player with a syringe now grants a small amount of ÜberCharge
	Quick-Fix	Added: Players can no longer capture objectives while under the effects of Quick-Fix ÜberCharge
		Changed: Fixed cases where Quick-Fix ÜberCharged players could still be affected by certain knock-back effects
	Vaccinator	Changed: Increased faster ÜberCharge build rate from 67% (from 50%)
		Changed: Reduced overhealed ÜberCharge build rate penalty to 33% (from 66%) (As this penalty is applied after the base increase, healing an overhealed patient is now 33% more effective)
		Removed: +10% health regeneration on proper resist
	Amputator	Added: Healing done with the taunt now grants small amounts of ÜberCharge
		Changed: Taunt can now be activated by alt-fire
Sniper	Huntsman	Changed: Can be fired while off the ground
	Jarate	Added: Extinguishing an ally now reduces the cooldown by 20%
	Cozy Camper	Changed: Quadrupled health regeneration rate. Regeneration rate is now decreased if player has been recently damaged.
	Cleaner's Carbine	Added: Added 'CRIKEY' meter which is filled by dealing damage
		Changed: Mini-crits are no longer activated by kill, but can instead be activated by alt-fire when the 'CRIKEY' meter is filled
		Changed: Reduced slower firing speed penalty to 20% (from 35%)
Spy	Spy-cicle	Changed: Fire immunity shield no longer appears when fire immunity is triggered
	Dead Ringer	Changed: Increased initial damage reduction when feigning death to 75% (from 50%)
Soldier Pyro	Reserve Shooter	Changed: No longer boosts all-around switch speed, instead boosts switch-to speed by 20% and switch-from speed by 15%
		Changed: No longer mini-crits any airborne target (i.e. jumping). Target must be forced in to the air via blastjump, knockback, airblast, or grapple.
Soldier Demoman	Half-Zatoichi	Changed: Honorbound deals 50 self-damage when holstered before it kills (Before, the weapon would be unable to be holstered if it didn't kill)
		Added: No random crits
		Changed: Now considered a sword (increased holster and deploy time and increased range)
		Changed: 100% life restore on kill changed to 50% health gain on kill that can result in overheal
Soldier Pyro Heavy Engineer	Panic Attack	Changed: No longer auto-fires when fully loaded. Shots can be held and released at will.

Gallery

• 

  In-game notification.

• 

  Screenshot of the Tough Break Update.

• 

  "New! The Alamo in Scenic Teufort, New Mexico"

• 

  "Greetings from Slurry Beach"

• 

  "Bombs delivered by cart, the way they were meant to be, at...Granny's World Headquarters"

• 

  "Visit the Teufort Public Library - Home of the World's Largest Continuously Burning Book Fire!

• 

  "Merasmus's Ancient Sumerican Carnival"

• 

  "Mann Co. Recalled Product Outlet Mall"

• 

  "Poopy Joe's Rapid Descent"

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  "The John Doe Raccoon Sanctuary"

• 

  "Hey Dummy! Visit The Tom Jones Museum

See also

• Tough Break Campaign

External links

• The Tough Break Update