Matterhorn
| Matterhorn | |
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| Basic Information | |
| Map type: | Payload Race |
| File name: | plr_matterhorn
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| Released: | December 9, 2025 Patch (Smissmas 2025) |
| Developer(s): | João "Hoppkins" Marcos Neal "Blade x64" Smart Renato "Corvalho" Gomes Szabó "Maxxy" Attila Maksim "Velly" Streltsov Torkil "TheLazerSofa" Malvik Bidtnes MisanthЯope Rotemhecht Al "Square" Rodgers Chickenman |
| Map Info | |
| Environment: | Alpine / Snow |
| Setting: | Daylight |
| Hazards: | Pitfall, crushing, banana peel, avalanche, Payload cart explosion, Shake. |
| Map Items | |
 Health Kits:
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 ×4 •  ×7 •  ×2
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 Ammo Boxes:
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 ×4 •  ×8
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| Map Photos | |
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| Map overview | |
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| Map Stamp | |
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| Supporters Leaderboard | |
Matterhorn is a community-created Payload Race map released during the Smissmas 2025 update. RED and BLU are fighting inside the Grand Alpiner Lounge, a luxurious Swiss ski resort that has been abandoned due to excessive snowfall. The final stretch of the tracks involves a horizontal lift which takes the carts to their final destination at the top of the resort.
If only one team's cart is on the Final Elevator, the cart falls back downhill whenever it is not being actively pushed, crushing anyone in its path. However, loading both carts on the lift engages a counterweight mechanic. The two carts are linked together: pushing one of the them up causes the other one to be moved down (assuming nobody is pushing the other cart). Additionally, the cart that is being pushed upwards gets a minor speed boost as long as the other cart is being dragged backwards (this is displayed in the HUD by a team-coloured arrow next to the cart). Once the falling cart reaches the bottom of the lift, the climbing cart loses its speed boost. This only applies if just one of the carts is being pushed. Pushing both carts at the same time has no additional effects and behaves as normal. If one cart is being pushed freely, while the other cart is contested, then the first cart gets the counterweight speed boost but the other cart stays in place and does not move backwards. If neither cart is being pushed, they both become locked in place regardless of where they are along the lift and won't slide back down.
When one team wins, the explosion triggers an avalanche of snow from further up the mountain. This map has unique defeat and victory themes.
The setup timer is 10 seconds.
Matterhorn was contributed to the Steam Workshop.
Locations
- Spawns: Each team spawns within an outdoor dining area partially covered in collapsed snow, with four different exits to choose from. Also found in the area is a team-aligned Demoman wearing the B.M.O.C.. The Demoman is sitting motionless at one of the tables, occasionally mumbling to himself, with bubbles rising from his head. Playing in the background of each spawn is polka music with plenty of yodeling.
- Terrace: Taking the left/right spawn exit brings one to a concrete platform overlooking the cart's starting position.
- Cart start: The cart's starting position is just outside the Resort, positioned atop a perch that hangs directly above a lethal pitfall. Found besides the cart is a medium health and ammo pack and a staircase descending down to the Resort's lowest level. In front of the carts is the entrance to the Lobby.
RED Spawn.
BLU Spawn.
The BLU Terrace.
The BLU cart's start.
The RED cart's start.
- Ski Resort: The main centerpiece of the map. It is an enormous, multi-story building inside of/on top of which most of the action takes place. The entirety of the Resort's roof is accessible, with some part's even allowing for the construction of buildings. Extending from the building's left/right side is an inactive ski lift that descends down into the pitfall. On the building's right/left side, at the top of the Final Elevator, is the point the teams need to capture.
- Hot Tub: Found on a perch bordering the map's pitfall is a hot tub filled with steaming water. Behind the Hot Tub is a doorway leading to the First Roof Access.
- Ski Lift Deck: Directly below the Hot Tub, on the Ski Resort's lowest level, is another wooden perch hanging over the pitfall featuring a large health pack with two small ammo packs. In front of the health pack is a slippery banana peel.
- Lobby: The first part of the Resort which the carts enter. It is a luxurious room, decorated with paintings, chandeliers, and fireplaces. It contains a point where the two carts cross tracks. On both sides of the room are openings and staircases that lead elsewhere, while a floor in the left/right of the Lobby leads down a ramp to the Ski Lift Deck and its large health pack.
- First Roof Access: In between the Hot Tub and the Lobby is a claustrophobic space containing stairs leading to the Resort's roof. This room is on a higher level than the Lobby, overlooking it from an opening in the wall that requires advanced jumping techniques (at minimum a Force-a-Nature jump) to access.
- Library: Connected to the Lobby via two large openings in the wall are two spacious areas featuring a tall ceiling and bookshelves. The two Libraries are positioned in such a way that they sandwich the Final Elevator in between them. Additionally, the Library is also the place where the cart does a 180 degree turn and begins descending downwards to the base of the Elevator.
- Wine Cellar: On the side of the Library facing towards the team's spawn is an opening in the wall leading to the Wine Cellar, a minor area that contains one of the exits from the Spawn in the form of a vertical dropdown.
- Second Roof Access: A wooden catwalk that hugs the back wall and ascends to an elevated area directly above the Final Elevator. Located here is a medium ammo pack sandwiched in between two small health packs, as well as another staircase that exits out onto the Roof.
- Final Elevators/Lifts: Taking up the entire middle section of the Ski Resort are two highly inclined slopes with a horizontal platform each which the carts are supposed to board in order to be taken to the top. The base of the Lift is found at the Resort's lowers level, near the Ski Lift Deck, and it extends throughout the entire length of the Resort, eventually exiting it all together on its back side.
The Ski Resort.
The pitfall that the Ski Resort borders.
The Hot Tub.
The Ski Lift Deck.
The Lobby.
The First Roof Access.
The RED Library; seen also are the stairs to the Second Roof Access.
The BLU Library; passage on the right leads to the Wine Cellars.
The BLU Wine Cellar.
The stairs to the Second Roof Access.
First and Second Roof access points lined up.
The Ski Resort's bottom floor.
BLU Final Elevator.
RED Final Elevator; as seen from the top of the Silo.
BLU cart ascending to the top.
- Attic: A small staircase that connects the spawn's middle exit with either the Roof or the Backyard.
- Backyard: An outdoor space found in between the Ski Resort and the Silo. It is almost entirely enclosed by the two Elevators that pass over it.
- Silo: The tallest building of the map. It is the ultimate destination of the Final Elevators. Players are required to push the cart until it reaches the very top of this building, at which point the cart detonates, destroying the giant counterweight wheel and causing an avalanche.
- Dining Area: In the back of the Silo building is a dining area containing a large health pack.
The BLU Attic.
The Backyard; Final Elevator passing overhead.
The Silo.
Silo's interior.
The Dining Area.
The front desk, with a sign on it with German text.
BLU cart exploding...
RED cart exploding...
...and the subsequent avalanche they cause.
Strategy
 | “Sun Tzu's got nothing on us!” This map's Community strategy page is a stub. As such, it is not complete. You can help the Team Fortress Wiki Community Strategy Project by expanding it. Notes: None added |
Update history
December 9, 2025 Patch (Smissmas 2025)
- Added Matterhorn to the game.
- Fixed hole in spawn barrier (thanks Ctena!).
- Fixed a desync issue with lifts (thanks Skin King!).
- Disabled team swap on new round.
- Clipping improvements.
- Bread optimization.
Changelog
- HUD prototype for counterweight mechanic
- Lift now uses overloaded mode when counterweight hits bottom
- Smoothed out tracks
Changelog (October 30, 2024)
- Reduced track length, spawntimes, and rollback speed.
- Removed interior bridge.
- Added lower entrance to final tower.
- Moved several connectors.
Changelog (November 14, 2024)
- We focused this last two days in massive upgrade for optmization(sic)
- Updated particles where we reduced drasticly(sic) the entities distribution
- Fixed some wrong lighting regarding props not properly shaded
- Changed some textures that would looking out of place
- Logic Fixed to ensure the counterweight system work properly
- Added fade in some smaller props to avoid too much cluster on screen far away
- Fixed some VMT issue that were causing massive lag spikes on the map looking at the wheels
- Packed trees and windows and some windows together to make fps stable
- Snow Particle now get destroyed when they touch the roofs of the house
- Fixed the problem where houses would not play the particle of the chimney
- Reworked fog to be more winter alike
- Fixed Collision Regarding the Main Pole on the middle
- Hired a new accordion player on spawn to actually do his job
- The elevator is announced when is activated
- Thanks to Ficool and Midlou for spotting some stuff.
- Extra stuff:
- The cart decided to also be festive this year
- The demoman in spawn now have yellow bubbles
- We polished some decorations to look smooth
- Xmas Rockets are now visible
- Mercs now scream when avalanche is coming down
- Arrows now ignite on the fireplace
Bugs
- The B.M.O.C. of the Demoman in BLU spawn is misaligned.
Trivia
- Hiding in an out-of-bounds area beyond the pitfall is a Yeti, camouflaged behind a tree.
- Matterhorn is the name of a real-life mountain between Italy and Switzerland.
- The sign inside the hotel at the top of the lift hills says "Leider haben wir nur 12 Zimmer zur Verfügung," which translates from German as "Unfortunately, we only have 12 rooms available."
Gallery
Drunk Demoman in BLU spawn.
Drunk Demoman in RED spawn.
The out-of-bounds yeti.
Ski map of the Matterhorn resort.
Bad advice poster.
Yeti warning.
A variant of Cracky Pop.
A sign explaining the counterweight mechanic.
Steam Workshop thumbnail for Matterhorn.
- Payload Carts
The RED payload being pushed on the map.
The BLU payload being pushed on the map.
- HUD
HUD when no cart is moving on the lift.
HUD when one cart is moving on the lift.
HUD when both carts are moving on the lift (one up, one down).
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