Unusual

See also: Particle effects

Unusual Team Captain
Level 28 Hat
★ Unusual Effect: Burning Flames
Our lawyers say 'YES! YES!'

“

There is nothing unusual about this man's head! Click to listen — The Soldier on Unusual Hats

”

The Unusual quality is an item quality used on cosmetic items, taunts, and weapons. Unusual quality items have special particle effects attached to them, and are considered to be some of the rarest items in Team Fortress 2. There are currently 631 cosmetics that can have one of 307 total effects, 106 taunts that can have one of 155 total effects, and 44 weapons that can have one of 5 effects. Unusual items can primarily be obtained through opening Mann Co. Supply Crates and cases. There is a less than 1% chance of obtaining an Unusual quality item through crates and cases. Unusual quality items can be obtained in any crate or case, but the effect pools may vary depending on the crate or case series.

The hexadecimal color code for Unusual items is #8650AC.

Unusual effects

Standard Series

Standard Unusual effects can be found in specific crate series and all case series.

Series 1

The first series of standard Unusual effects was added in the Mann-Conomy Update. They can be obtained in crates Series #1 through Series #25, Series #88 through Series #103, any Unlocked Cosmetic Crate, and any cosmetic case. If obtained through a crate, the hat may be any hat from any Mann Co. Supply Crate. If obtained through a case or an unlocked cosmetic crate, the hat will be exclusive to that case or crate.

Series 1 Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Green Confetti	Purple Confetti	Haunted Ghosts	Green Energy	Purple Energy	Circling TF Logo
	Massed Flies	Burning Flames	Scorching Flames	Searing Plasma	Vivid Plasma	Sunbeams
	Circling Peace Sign	Circling Heart

Series 2

The second series of standard Unusual effects was added in the August 18, 2011 Patch. They can be obtained in crates Series #26 through Series #57, Series #88 through Series #103, any Unlocked Cosmetic Crate, and any cosmetic case. If obtained through a crate, the hat may be any hat from any Mann Co. Supply Crate. If obtained through a case or an unlocked cosmetic crate, the hat will be exclusive to that case or crate.

Series 2 Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Stormy Storm	Blizzardy Storm	Nuts n' Bolts	Orbiting Planets	Orbiting Fire	Bubbling
	Smoking	Steaming

Series 3

The third series of standard Unusual effects was added in the June 19, 2013 Patch. They can be obtained in crates Series #59 through Series #86, Series #88 through Series #103, any Unlocked Cosmetic Crate, and any cosmetic case. If obtained through a crate, the hat may be any hat from any Mann Co. Supply Crate. If obtained through a case or an unlocked cosmetic crate, the hat will be exclusive to that case or crate.

Series 3 Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Kill-a-Watt	Terror-Watt	Cloud 9	RED	BLU	Dead Presidents
				Aces High
	Miami Nights	Disco Beat Down

Summer Series

Summer Unusual effects can be found in specific Summer cases.

Summer 2020 Pack

The first Summer series of Unusual effects was added in the Summer 2020 Pack update. They can be obtained by opening a Summer 2020 Cosmetic Case.

Summer 2020 Pack Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Verdatica	Aromatica	Chromatica	Prismatica	Bee Swarm	Frisky Fireflies
	Smoldering Spirits	Wandering Wisps	Kaleidoscope

Summer 2021 Pack

The second Summer series of Unusual effects was added in the Summer 2021 Pack update. They can be obtained by opening a Summer 2021 Cosmetic Case.

Summer 2021 Pack Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Resonation	Aggradation	Lucidation	Stunning	Ardentum Saturnalis	Fragrancium Elementalis
	RED	BLU	Perennial Petals	Flavorsome Sunset	Raspberry Bloom	Iridescence
	Reverium Irregularis

Scream Fortress Series

Scream Fortress Unusual effects can be found in specific Scream Fortress crates and cases.

Very Scary Halloween Special

The first Scream Fortress series of Unusual Effects was added in the Very Scary Halloween Special. They could be obtained in any crate during the event.

Very Scary Halloween Special Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Flaming Lantern	Cloudy Moon	Cauldron Bubbles	Eerie Orbiting Fire

Spectral Halloween Special

The second Scream Fortress series of Unusual Effects was added in the Spectral Halloween Special. They could be obtained in any crate during the event.

Spectral Halloween Special Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Knifestorm	Misty Skull	Harvest Moon	It's a Secret to Everybody	Stormy 13th Hour

Scream Fortress V

The third Scream Fortress series of Unusual effects was added in the Scream Fortress V update. They could be obtained in any crate during the event.

Scream Fortress V Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Arcana	Spellbound	Chiroptera Venenata	Poisoned Shadows	Something Burning This Way Comes	Hellfire
	Darkblaze	Demonflame

Scream Fortress VI

The fourth Scream Fortress series of Unusual effects was added in the Scream Fortress VI update. They could be obtained in any crate or audition reel during the event. The cosmetic effects can still be obtained by opening an Unlocked Creepy Crate.

Scream Fortress VI Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Bonzo the All-Gnawing	Amaranthine	Stare from Beyond	The Ooze	Ghastly Ghosts Jr	Haunted Phantasm Jr
Taunt effects
	Haunted Phantasm	Ghastly Ghosts

Scream Fortress VII

The fifth Scream Fortress series of Unusual effects was added in the Scream Fortress VII update. They can be obtained by opening a Gargoyle Case.

Scream Fortress VII Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Death by Disco	It's a Mystery to Everyone	It's a Puzzle to Me	Ether Trail	Nether Trail	Ancient Eldritch
	Eldritch Flame

Scream Fortress VIII

The sixth Scream Fortress series of Unusual effects was added in the Scream Fortress VIII update. They could be obtained in any crate, case, or Unusualifier during the event. The cosmetic effects can still be obtained by opening a Creepy Crawly Case.

Scream Fortress VIII Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Neutron Star	Tesla Coil	Starstorm Insomnia	Starstorm Slumber
Taunt effects
	Hellish Inferno	Spectral Swirl	Infernal Flames	Infernal Smoke

Scream Fortress X

The seventh Scream Fortress series of Unusual effects was added in the Scream Fortress X update. They could be obtained in any case or Unusualifier during the event. The cosmetic effects can still be obtained by opening a Violet Vermin Case.

Scream Fortress X Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Brain Drain	Open Mind	Head of Steam	Galactic Gateway	The Eldritch Opening	The Dark Doorway
	Ring of Fire	Vicious Circle	White Lightning	Omniscient Orb	Clairvoyance
Taunt effects
	Acidic Bubbles of Envy	Flammable Bubbles of Attraction	Poisonous Bubbles of Regret	Roaring Rockets	Spooky Night	Ominous Night

Scream Fortress XI

The eighth Scream Fortress series of Unusual effects was added in the Scream Fortress XI update. They could be obtained in any case or Unusualifier during the event. The cosmetic effects can still be obtained by opening a Spooky Spoils Case.

Scream Fortress XI Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Fifth Dimension	Vicious Vortex	Menacing Miasma	Abyssal Aura	Wicked Wood	Ghastly Grove
	Mystical Medley	Ethereal Essence	Twisted Radiance	Violet Vortex	Verdant Vortex	Valiant Vortex
Taunt effects
	Bewitched	Accursed	Enchanted	Static Mist	Eerie Lightning	Terrifying Thunder
	Jarate Shock	Nether Void

Scream Fortress XII

The ninth Scream Fortress series of Unusual effects was added in the Scream Fortress XII update. They could be obtained in any case or Unusualifier during the event. The cosmetic effects can still be obtained by opening a Wicked Windfall Case.

Scream Fortress XII Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Green Giggler	Laugh-O-Lantern	Plum Prankster	Pyroland Nightmare	Gravelly Ghoul	Vexed Volcanics
	Gourdian Angel	Pumpkin Party
Taunt effects
	Spectral Escort	Astral Presence	RED	BLU	Emerald Allurement	Pyrophoric Personality
			Arcane Assistance
	Spellbound Aspect	Static Shock	Veno Shock	Toxic Terrors	Arachnid Assault	Creepy Crawlies

Scream Fortress XIII

The tenth Scream Fortress series of Unusual effects was added in the Scream Fortress XIII update. They could be obtained in any case or Unusualifier during the event. The cosmetic effects can still be obtained by opening a Crimson Cache Case.

Scream Fortress XIII Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Tempered Thorns	Devilish Diablo	Severed Serration	Shrieking Shades	RED	BLU
					Restless Wraiths
	Infernal Wraith	Phantom Crown	Ancient Specter	Viridescent Peeper	Eyes of Molten	Ominous Stare
	Pumpkin Moon	Frantic Spooker	Frightened Poltergeist	Energetic Haunter
Taunt effects
	Spectral Shackles	Cursed Confinement	RED	BLU	Hollow Flourish	Magic Shuffle
			Cavalier de Carte
	Vigorous Pulse	Thundering Spirit	Galvanic Defiance	Wispy Halos	Nether Wisps	Aurora Borealis
	Aurora Australis	Aurora Polaris

Smissmas Series

Smissmas Unusual effects can be found in specific Smissmas cases.

Smissmas 2019

The first Smissmas series of Unusual effects was added in the Smissmas 2019 update. They could be obtained in any case or Unusualifier during the event. The cosmetic effects can still be obtained by opening a Winter 2019 Cosmetic Case.

Smissmas 2019 Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Sparkling Lights	Frozen Icefall	Fragmented Gluons	Fragmented Quarks	Fragmented Photons	RED
						Defragmenting Reality
	BLU	Fragmenting Reality	Refragmenting Reality	Snowfallen	Snowblinded	RED
	Defragmenting Reality					Pyroland Daydream
	BLU
	Pyroland Daydream
Taunt effects
	Good-Hearted Goodies	Wintery Wisp	Arctic Aurora	Winter Spirit	Festive Spirit	Magical Spirit

Smissmas 2020

The second Smissmas series of Unusual effects was added in the Smissmas 2020 update. They could be obtained in any case or Unusualifier during the event. The cosmetic effects can still be obtained by opening a Winter 2020 Cosmetic Case.

Smissmas 2020 Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Frozen Fractals	Lavender Landfall	Special Snowfall	Divine Desire	Distant Dream	Violent Wintertide
	Blighted Snowstorm	Pale Nimbus	Genus Plasmos	Serenus Lumen	Ventum Maris	RED
						Mirthful Mistletoe
	BLU
	Mirthful Mistletoe
Taunt effects
	Delightful Star	Frosted Star	Apotheosis	Ascension	RED	BLU
					Reindoonicorn Rancher
	Twinkling Lights	Shimmering Lights

Smissmas 2021

The third Smissmas series of Unusual effects was added in the Smissmas 2021 update. They can currently be obtained in any case or Unusualifier during the event.

Smissmas 2021 Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Smissmas Tree	Hospitable Festivity	RED	BLU	Sparkling Spruce	Glittering Juniper
			Condescending Embrace
	Prismatic Pine	Spiraling Lights	Twisting Lights	Stardust Pathway	Flurry Rush	RED
						Spark of Smissmas
	BLU	Polar Forecast	Shining Stag	Holiday Horns	RED	BLU
	Spark of Smissmas				Ardent Antlers
	Festive Lights
Taunt effects
	Amethyst Winds	Golden Gusts	RED	BLU	Minty Cypress	Pristine Pine
			Smissmas Swirls
	RED	BLU	RED	BLU	Golden Glimmer	Frosty Silver
	Sparkly Spruce		Festive Fever
	RED	BLU	Sublime Snowstorm
	Glamorous Dazzle

Miscellaneous Series

Miscellaneous Unusual effects are standalone and are not connected to any holiday.

Community Sparkle

An exclusive type of Unusual effect was added in the First Community Contribution Update meant for outstanding community members. It is automatically applied to Community and Self-Made items.

Community Sparkle Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects		Taunt effects		Weapon effects
	Community Sparkle		Community Sparkle		Community Sparkle

Robotic Boogaloo

An exclusive series of Unusual effects was added in the Robotic Boogaloo update. They can be obtained by opening a Robo Community Crate.

Robotic Boogaloo Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Phosphorous	Sulphurous	Memory Leak	Overclocked	Electrostatic	Power Surge
	Anti-Freeze	Time Warp	Green Black Hole	Roboactive

Love & War Update

An exclusive series of Unusual effects was added in the Love & War Update. They can be obtained through the Mann Co. Audition Reel, Mann Co. Director's Cut Reel and Unusualifiers.

Love & War Update Unusual effects
Taunt effects
	RED	BLU	Holy Grail	'72	Fountain of Delight	Screaming Tiger
	Showstopper
	Skill Gotten Gains	Midnight Whirlwind	Silver Cyclone	Mega Strike

End of the Line Update

An exclusive series of Unusual effects was added in the End of the Line Update. They can be obtained by opening an End of the Line Community Crate.

End of the Line Update Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Frostbite	Molten Mallard	Morning Glory	Death at Dusk

Gun Mettle Update

An exclusive series of Unusual effects was added in the Gun Mettle Update. They can be obtained through Decorated and War Paint cases.

Gun Mettle Update Unusual effects
Weapon effects
	Hot	Isotope	Cool	Energy Orb Removed from all Unusual pools

Invasion Community Update

An exclusive series of Unusual effects was added in the Invasion Community Update. They can be obtained through either a Confidential Collection Case or a Quarantined Collection Case.

Invasion Community Update Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	Abduction	Atomic	Subatomic	Electric Hat Protector	Magnetic Hat Protector	Voltaic Hat Protector
	Galactic Codex	Ancient Codex	Nebula

Other Unusual Items

Two special items of Unusual quality were introduced in the Scream Fortress Update: the Haunted Metal Scrap and Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker. The Haunted Metal Scrap is given to any player who has taken part in defeating the Horseless Headless Horsemann with a melee weapon during a Halloween event. The Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker can be obtained by crafting, and is statistically identical to the Eyelander. Despite having the Unusual quality, these items have no unique particle effects.

Unusual Haunted Metal Scrap Level 4 Craft Item This scrap metal was taken from the Horseless Headless Horsemann. It whispers faintly...'heads'... ( Achievement Item: Not Tradable or Marketable )

Unusual Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker Level 1 - 100 Axe This weapon has a large melee range and deploys and holsters slower No random critical hits -25 max health on wearer Cursed by dark spirits similar to those that dwell within the Eyelander. ( Not Tradable or Marketable )

Unused content

Unused Unusual effects

These effects either currently or previously existed in the game's files, but were left unused. They are named by their internal filenames, as they have no official names. Please note that certain effects have been modified to display correctly.

Currently unused effects

These effects currently exist in the files of the game, and aren't used anywhere.

Currently unused Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	AAA_AAA	balloon	beams1_newstyle	beany_green	beany_hearts	beany_target
	beany_tf	circling_glow	circling_skull	crisp_spotlights_cones03	halo	orbit
	orbit_fullmoon_cloudy	sparkler_green	sparkler_orange	sparkles1	sparkles2	sparkles3
	spray_confetti	storm_blood	stormcloud	symbols_parents_ice	test

Removed unused effects

These effects previously existed in the files of the game, but have since been removed.

Removed Unusual effects
Cosmetic effects
	orbit_shells

Update history

September 30, 2010 Patch (Mann-Conomy Update)

• [Undocumented] Unusual quality introduced.
• [Undocumented] Added the following Gen 1 effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Burning Flames, Circling Heart, Circling Peace Sign, Circling TF Logo, Green Confetti, Green Energy, Haunted Ghosts, Massed Flies, Purple Confetti, Purple Energy, Scorching Flames, Searing Plasma, Sunbeams, Vivid Plasma

August 18, 2011 Patch (Manno-Technology Bundle)

• [Undocumented] Added the following Gen 2 effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Blizzardy Storm, Bubbling, Nuts n' Bolts, Orbiting Fire, Orbiting Planets, Smoking, Steaming, Stormy Storm

August 23, 2011 Patch

• Fixed the sunbeams hat effect

October 27, 2011 Patch (Very Scary Halloween Special)

• Any unusual hats uncrated during the event will be Halloween-themed
• [Undocumented] Added the following Very Scary Halloween Special effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Cauldron Bubbles, Cloudy Moon, Eerie Orbiting Fire, Flaming Lantern
• [Undocumented] Added the unused Orbiting Shells Unusual effect.

October 26, 2012 Patch (Spectral Halloween Special)

• [Undocumented] Added the following Spectral Halloween Special effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Harvest Moon, It's A Secret To Everybody, Knifestorm, Misty Skull, Stormy 13th Hour

May 17, 2013 Patch #1 (Robotic Boogaloo)

• [Undocumented] Added the following Robotic Boogaloo effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Anti-Freeze, Electrostatic, Green Black Hole, Memory Leak, Overclocked, Phosphorous, Power Surge, Roboactive, Sulphurous, Time Warp

June 5, 2013 Patch

• Unusual effects:
  • Attachment point and offset for particle effects on unusual hats can now be adjusted from the character loadout screen
  • Fixed a bug that would cause unusual effects to float in the air over dead players
  • Fixed a bug that would cause unusual effects to show incorrectly sometimes when spectating other players

June 19, 2013 Patch

• [Undocumented] Added the following Gen 3 effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Aces High, Cloud 9, Dead Presidents, Disco Beat Down, Kill-a-Watt, Miami Nights, Terror-Watt

July 11, 2013 Patch

• Fixed Disco Beat Down unusual effect showing through walls

October 29, 2013 Patch (Scream Fortress 2013)

• Enabled Halloween themed Unusual Effects to be found from Mann Co Supply Crates
• [Undocumented] Added the following Scream Fortress 2013 effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Arcana, Chiroptera Venenata, Darkblaze, Demonflame, Hellfire, Poisoned Shadows, Something Burning This Way Comes, Spellbound

December 20, 2013 Patch (Smissmas 2013)

• Unusual effect positioning can now be adjusted for all Cosmetic-slot items
• Unusual Circling Effects have been given a new origin
• Unusual effects for all Cosmetic-slot items are now visible in the loadout panel and character HUD

June 18, 2014 Patch (Love & War Update)

• Added the Mann Co. Audition Reel. Contains taunts and a rare chance at an unusual taunt
• Updated Mann Co. Crates to display which Unusual Series they can potentially output
• [Undocumented] Added the following Love & War effects:
  • Taunt effects: '72, Fountain of Delight, Holy Grail, Mega Strike, Midnight Whirlwind, Screaming Tiger, Showstopper, Silver Cyclone, Skill Gotten Gains

October 29, 2014 Patch (Scream Fortress 2014)

• During Scream Fortress VI:
  • All Unusual hats and taunts that are unboxed during the event will receive Halloween-themed Unusual effects
• [Undocumented] Added the following Scream Fortress 2014 effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Amaranthine, Bonzo The All-Gnawing, Ghastly Ghosts Jr, Haunted Phantasm Jr, Stare From Beyond, The Ooze
  • Taunt effects: Ghastly Ghosts, Haunted Phantasm

November 4, 2014 Patch

• [Undocumented] Renamed two Unusual effects
  • Haunted Phantasm Jr to Ghastly Ghosts Jr
  • Attrib_Particle86 to Haunted Phantasm Jr

December 8, 2014 Patch #1 (End of the Line Update)

• [Undocumented] Added the following End of the Line Update effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Death at Dusk, Frostbite, Molten Mallard, Morning Glory

January 9, 2015 Patch

• Fixed the Mega Strike unusual taunt effect showing through walls

February 18, 2015 Patch

• Fixed some Unusual particle effects not drawing correctly

July 2, 2015 Patch (Gun Mettle Update)

• Fixed not seeing unusual effects during demo playback and while connected to SourceTV
• Crate descriptions now display a checkmark beside listed potential items that the player already owns at least one of, regardless of quality and discounting Stock weapons. Possessing an unusual displays a star instead of a checkmark.
  • This also applies to Decorated weapon descriptions, showing which weapons of that collection the player has in their backpack.
• [Undocumented] Added the following Gun Mettle Update effects:
  • Weapon effects: Cool, Energy Orb, Hot, Isotope

August 18, 2015 Patch #1

• Fixed character loadout menus so they display the particle effects for all equipped Unusual items

October 6, 2015 Patch (Invasion Community Update)

• [Undocumented] Added the following Invasion Community Update effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Abduction, Ancient Codex, Atomic, Electric Hat Protector, Galactic Codex, Magnetic Hat Protector, Nebula, Subatomic, Voltaic Hat Protector

October 12, 2015 Patch

• Fixed Unusual versions of the Taunt: Burstchester not displaying their Unusual effects

October 28, 2015 Patch (Scream Fortress 2015)

• Mann Co Supply Crates will have a chance for a classic Halloween Unusual effect
• [Undocumented] Added the following Scream Fortress 2015 effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Ancient Eldritch, Death by Disco, Eldritch Flame, Ether Trail, It's a mystery to everyone, It's a puzzle to me, Nether Trail

October 29, 2015 Patch

• Fixed the Invasion Unusual effect "Subatomic" being off-center

December 17, 2015 Patch (Tough Break Update)

• Fixed a bug where Unusual Slider was not properly saving

July 28, 2016 Patch

• Fixed not seeing particle effects for Unusual versions of Baseball Bill's Sports Shine, Ritzy Rick's Hair Fixative, and Texas Slim's Dome Shine

October 21, 2016 Patch (Scream Fortress 2016)

• Added a taunt Unusualifier
  • A new tool that will Unusualify the specified taunt with the Unusual effect listed in the tool's description
  • Can be found as a random bonus item when opening a Creepy Crawly Case
• Added 8 new community-created Unusual effects
  • 4 new effects for Unusual hats
  • 4 new effects for Unusual taunts
• The chance to receive an Unusual item from a case opening has been increased during the event
• All cases and Mann Co. Supply Crates will grant Halloween 2016 Unusual effects instead of their normal Unusual effects
• [Undocumented] Added the following Scream Fortress 2016 effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Neutron Star, Starstorm Insomnia, Starstorm Slumber, Tesla Coil
  • Taunt effects: Hellish Inferno, Infernal Flames, Infernal Smoke, Spectral Swirl

November 18, 2016 Patch

• Returned Unusual drop chances and possible particles effects to their original values now that Halloween has ended

November 21, 2016 Patch

• Taunt Unusualifiers apply non-Halloween Unusual effects now that Halloween has ended

June 2, 2017 Patch

• Fixed the Neutron Star unusual effect being occasionally displaced after the player respawns

October 20, 2017 Patch (Jungle Inferno Update)

• [Undocumented] Removed the Energy Orb unusual effect from all decorated cases.

December 1, 2017 Patch

• Fixed rendering issues with the Infernal Flames, Infernal Smoke, Cloudy Moon, It's A Secret To Everybody, Ancient Eldritch, Eldritch Flame, and Death by Disco unusual effects.

December 13, 2017 Patch

• Fixed a rendering issue with the Spectral Swirl unusual effect

December 21, 2017 Patch #1 (Smissmas 2017)

• Fixed a rendering issue with the Misty Skull unusual effect

March 28, 2018 Patch #1

• Fixed the Community Sparkle particle effect not drawing on the viewmodel for players with Community and Self-Made weapons
• Updated the Harvest Moon, Dead Presidents, and Circling Peace Sign unusual effects to fix display problems
• Updated The Jag to fix a problem with the Isotope unusual effect

October 19, 2018 Patch (Scream Fortress 2018)

• Added 17 new community-created Unusual effects
  • 11 new effects for Unusual hats
  • 6 new effects for Unusual taunts
• All cases will grant Halloween 2018 Unusual effects instead of their normal Unusual effects during the event
• [Undocumented] Added the following Scream Fortress 2018 effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Brain Drain, Clairvoyance, Galactic Gateway, Head of Steam, Omniscient Orb, Open Mind, Ring of Fire, The Dark Doorway, The Eldritch Opening, Vicious Circle, White Lightning
  • Taunt effects: Acidic Bubbles of Envy, Flammable Bubbles of Attraction, Ominous Night, Poisonous Bubbles of Regret, Roaring Rockets, Spooky Night

October 25, 2018 Patch

• Updated the Roaring Rockets unusual taunt particle effect

October 30, 2018 Patch

• Updated the Roaring Rockets unusual taunt particle effect

December 19, 2018 Patch (Smissmas 2018)

• Updated the Starstorm Slumber unusual effect to fix a display problem

October 10, 2019 Patch (Scream Fortress 2019)

• Added 20 new community-created Unusual effects
  • 12 new effects for Unusual hats
  • 8 new effects for Unusual taunts
• All cosmetic and taunt Cases will grant Halloween 2019 Unusual effects instead of their normal Unusual effects during the event. This does not include Crates.
• [Undocumented] Added the following Scream Fortress 2019 effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Abyssal Aura, Ethereal Essence, Fifth Dimension, Ghastly Grove, Menacing Miasma, Mystical Medley, Twisted Radiance, Valiant Vortex, Verdant Vortex, Vicious Vortex, Violet Vortex, Wicked Wood
  • Taunt effects: Accursed, Bewitched, Eerie Lightning, Enchanted, Jarate Shock, Nether Void, Static Mist, Terrifying Thunder

December 16, 2019 Patch (Smissmas 2019)

• Added 17 new community-created Unusual effects
  • 11 new effects for Unusual hats
  • 6 new effects for Unusual taunts
• [Undocumented] Added the following Smissmas 2019 effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Defragmenting Reality, Fragmented Gluons, Fragmented Photons, Fragmented Quarks, Fragmenting Reality, Frozen Icefall, Pyroland Daydream, Refragmenting Reality, Snowblinded, Snowfallen, Sparkling Lights
  • Taunt effects: Arctic Aurora, Festive Spirit, Good-Hearted Goodies, Magical Spirit, Winter Spirit, Wintery Wisp

August 21, 2020 Patch (Summer 2020 Pack)

• Added 4 new community-created Unusual effects
• [Undocumented] Added the following Summer 2020 Pack effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Aromatica, Bee Swarm, Chromatica, Frisky Fireflies, Kaleidoscope, Prismatica, Smoldering Spirits, Verdatica, Wandering Wisps

October 1, 2020 Patch (Scream Fortress 2020)

• Added 19 new community-created Unusual effects
  • 8 new effects for Unusual hats
  • 11 new effects for Unusual taunts
• All cosmetic and taunt Cases will grant Halloween 2020 Unusual effects instead of their normal Unusual effects during the event. This does not include Crates.
• [Undocumented] Added the following Scream Fortress 2020 effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Green Giggler, Laugh-O-Lantern, Plum Prankster, Pyroland Nightmare, Gravelly Ghoul, Vexed Volcanics, Gourdian Angel, Pumpkin Party
  • Taunt effects: Arachnid Assault, Arcane Assistance, Astral Presence, Pyrophoric Personality, Creepy Crawlies, Emerald Allurement, Spectral Escort, Spellbound Aspect, Static Shock, Toxic Terrors, Veno Shock

October 2, 2020 Patch #1

• Updated the timing of the Static Shock and Veno Shock unusual effects

December 3, 2020 Patch (Smissmas 2020)

• Added 19 new community-created Unusual effects
  • 12 new effects for Unusual hats
  • 7 new effects for Unusual taunts
• All cosmetic and taunt cases will grant Smissmas 2020 Unusual effects instead of their normal Unusual effects during the event. This does not include crates.
• [Undocumented] Added the following Smissmas 2020 effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Blighted Snowstorm, Distant Dream, Divine Desire, Frozen Fractals, Genus Plasmos, Lavender Landfall, Mirthful Mistletoe, Pale Nimbus, Serenus Lumen, Special Snowfall, Ventum Maris, Violent Wintertide
  • Taunt effects: Apotheosis, Ascension, Delightful Star, Frosted Star, Reindoonicorn Rancher, Shimmering Lights, Twinkling Lights

June 22, 2021 Patch #1 (Summer 2021 Pack)

• Added 6 new community-created Unusual effects
• Moved materials for the community particle effects into the Effects/workshop sub-folder to distinguish them from Valve materials
• [Undocumented] Added the following Summer 2021 Pack effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Aggradation, Ardentum Saturnalis, Flavorsome Sunset, Fragrancium Elementalis, Iridescence, Lucidation, Perennial Petals, Raspberry Bloom, Resonation, Reverium Irregularis, Stunning
• [Undocumented] Updated the Gravelly Ghoul and Vexed Volcanics Unusual effects.

September 16, 2021 Patch

• Updated the Resonation, Aggradation, and Lucidation unusual effects to fix a problem when taunting

October 5, 2021 Patch (Scream Fortress 2021)

• Added 28 new community-created Unusual effects
  • 15 new effects for Unusual hats
  • 13 new effects for Unusual taunts
• All cosmetic and taunt Cases will grant Halloween 2021 Unusual effects instead of their normal Unusual effects during the event. This does not include Crates.
• [Undocumented] Added the following Scream Fortress 2021 effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Tempered Thorns, Devilish Diablo, Severed Serration, Shrieking Shades, Restless Wraiths, Infernal Wraith, Phantom Crown, Ancient Specter, Viridescent Peeper, Eyes of Molten, Ominous Stare, Pumpkin Moon, Frantic Spooker, Frightened Poltergeist, Energetic Haunter
  • Taunt effects: Spectral Shackles, Cursed Confinement, Cavalier de Carte, Hollow Flourish, Magic Shuffle, Vigorous Pulse, Thundering Spirit, Galvanic Defiance, Wispy Halos, Nether Wisps, Aurora Borealis, Aurora Australis, Aurora Polaris

October 8, 2021 Patch

• Updated the Shrieking Shades Unusual effect to prevent a naming conflict with another effect
• Updated the Spectral Shackles Unusual effect to fix some material and rendering issues
• Updated the Thundering Spirit Unusual effect to fix a missing glow effect

October 28, 2021 Patch

• Updated border color for Unusual items in the loadout menu

December 2, 2021 Patch (Smissmas 2021)

• Added 27 new community-created Unusual effects
  • 16 new effects for Unusual hats
  • 11 new effects for Unusual taunts
• [Undocumented] Added the following Smissmas 2021 effects:
  • Cosmetic effects: Smissmas Tree, Hospitable Festivity, Condescending Embrace, Sparkling Spruce, Glittering Juniper, Prismatic Pine, Spiraling Lights, Twisting Lights, Stardust Pathway, Flurry Rush, Spark of Smissmas, Polar Forecast, Shining Stag, Holiday Horns, Ardent Antlers, Festive Lights
  • Taunt effects: Amethyst Winds, Golden Gusts, Smissmas Swirls, Minty Cypress, Pristine Pine, Sparkly Spruce, Festive Fever, Golden Glimmer, Frosty Silver, Glamorous Dazzle, Sublime Snowstorm

December 3, 2021 Patch

• Renamed Smissmas Swirl Unusual effect to Spiraling Lights
• Updated Polar Forecast, Spiraling Lights, and Twisting Lights Unusual effects

December 8, 2021 Patch

• Updated the Smissmas Tree Unusual effect to improve performance

December 17, 2021 Patch

• Updated Spark of Smissmas Unusual effect
  • Fixed some slight coloring issues
  • Adjusted lifetime values

December 21, 2021 Patch

• Updated Winter Spirit, Festive Spirit, and Magical Spirit Unusual taunt effects with performance improvements

January 5, 2022 Patch

• Updated Minty Cypress, Pristine Pine, and Sparkly Spruce Unusual taunt effects to improve visibility in bright areas

March 28, 2022 Patch

• Fixed looping particle effects being orphaned when players are killed or force-respawned
• Updated Smissmas Swirls, Amethyst Winds, and Golden Gusts Unusual effects
  • Fixed visibility issues in bright environments
  • Reduced delay before the swirls start in order to accommodate short taunts
• Updated Sparkling Spruce, Glittering Juniper, and Prismatic Pine Unusual effects
  • Raised the default height of the effect in order to prevent clipping issues
• Updated the Sparkling Lights Unusual effect
  • Fixed visibility issues in bright environments
• Updated Condescending Embrace Unusual effect
  • Fixed the effect not moving when taunting

March 29, 2022 Patch

• Fixed particle effects regression when players are killed

Bugs

• With enough player movement, Unusual effects from the Invasion update (Subatomic, Atomic) will become off-center from the player's head.
  • Unusual effects from the End of the Line update (Morning Glory, Death at Dusk, Molten Mallard) also show similar bugs, except parts of the particle effect (sun, duck respectively) drift a huge distance away from the player.
• One end of the particle effect on Kill-a-Watt and Terror-Watt may randomly attach to temporarily random areas of a map, causing the effect to stretch from the point through any walls to the wearer's head.
• Sometimes an Unusual effect floats in the air separated from the player's model instead of sticking to the cosmetic item.
  • This can occur when a player taunts.
  • Effect may also appear on the player's abdomen or chest; it may also disappear along with the cosmetic.
• Sometimes, a weapon Unusual effect can block a player's first person view, only resetting once the player dies or has their loadout refreshed.

Notes

• Community contributors whose Unusual effects are accepted through the Steam Workshop are awarded a Self-Made Unusual Cap.
• Some items with Unusual effects cannot be unboxed, such as the Finder's Fee, the Unusual Cap, items with Community quality, Self-Made items, and the World Traveler's Hat.

Trivia

• The first Unusual hat ever unboxed was a Circling Peace Sign Stout Shako.
• Kill-a-Watt and Terror-Watt's names reference certain measures of electrical power, these being kilowatts and terawatts respectively.
• Dead Presidents' name refers to a slang term used to describe U.S. currency, which comes from the fact that most U.S. banknotes depict deceased presidents.
  • The sprite itself is a United States $100 bill with Saxton Hale's bust on it.
• It's A Secret To Everybody's name is a reference to a popular quote from The Legend of Zelda video game series.
• Stormy 13th Hour's name refers to the "13th stroke of a clock", a phrase used to indicate that previous events should be called into question.
• Chiroptera Venenata's name uses the scientific name for bats, Chiroptera, as well as Venenata - rough Latin for "poisonous animal". This makes Chiroptera Venenata's name roughly translate to "poisonous bat".
• Something Burning This Way Comes' name references the fantasy horror novel Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury; the title is itself a reference to the Shakespeare piece Macbeth, towards a specific line in Act 4, Scene 1.
• Bonzo The All-Gnawing is a miniature version of the tent monster seen in Carnival of Carnage.
• It's a mystery to everyone and It's a puzzle to me both reference an emote from the Something Awful forums of a ghost with the caption "it is a mystery."
• The effects Sulphurous and Phosphorous' names are references to the chemical elements Sulfur (or sulphur) and Phosphorus, respectively.
• The effect Skill Gotten Gains' name is a play on the phrase "ill gotten gains," meaning money obtained through illegal acts.
• The effect Pumpkin Moon is based on the Pumpkin Moon seasonal event in the game Terraria.

See also

• Cosmetic items