Setup time
| “ | Mission begins in thirty seconds.
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— The Administrator
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Setup time is the interval before a match begins. It typically consists of a period of 60 seconds where players prepare for the match. During setup time, gates restrict players from moving into the main map area, and damaging other players before the match begins. In addition, ÜberCharge build rate is increased to a fixed 2.5% per second.
Players on the offensive team (BLU) will use setup time to prepare ÜberCharges and coordinate their attack plan with their team, while the defensive side (RED) will do the same, as well as construct Sentry Guns and other buildings. The game also allows for a 30 second period once when the server first loads the map (called "waiting for players" mode), which allows players to finish joining the server before the match fully begins.
Setup time is commonly used on maps where the offensive team would gain a significant advantage by starting the match immediately. For example, in Payload, BLU's spawn room is often right next to the cart, allowing them to push it even as far as the first cap point before RED would arrive to defend. The standard time period is also not restricted to simply 60 seconds. Some maps such as pl_thundermountain use an extended period of time, and Well uses a mere 15 second period of setup time.
Arena and King of the Hill game modes also use a similar time interval. The central control point is unavailable for capture for a short amount of time, however, players are not restricted from moving freely or killing each other.
Maps that use setup time
- For a full list of all official maps, see List of maps.
- All Payload and Payload Race maps
- Control Point maps
Related achievements
Scout
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Medic
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Update history
- The Medic's Medi Gun now charges at an increased rate during Setup time, to remove the need for self-damage grinding
