Team Fortress 2 Major Update on Its Way, Adds Competitive Mode

Team Fortress 2 is set to receive the Meet Your Match update, which adds matchmaking and several new modes and maps. Competitive Mode, which has been in testing for a while, is included, in addition to an upgrade to Quickplay.

Competitive Mode is a ranked game mode that doesn't have random critical hits and features all nine classes in a 6-versus-6 match. You'll play against players in your own rank, earn medals for playing well, and be able to track your stats. Additionally, your rank will be determined by your match-to-match performance, and playing with lower-ranking friends won't hurt your rank. You can read more about Competitive here.

For those wanting to play more casually, there's an appropriately named mode just for you. You'll start a 12-versus-12 match against players with similar skill. Auto-balancing is no longer present, which means you'll play the entire match alongside the team you started with. You'll also be able to level up by playing the game--the more you play, the more your level increases.

The game mode Pass Time is leaving beta and will make its official release with the Meet Your Match update. In Pass Time, players must grab the Jack and throw it into the opposing team's goal. The Jack can be passed between players and seen through walls. The team with the most points when time runs out wins. Two Pass Time-related achievements are also on their way.

On top of the new modes, three community-created maps will be released. The three maps include Sunshine and Metalworks, which both house the Control Point mode, and a new Payload arena called Swiftwater.

No date has been announced for the Meet Your Match update's release. We also don't know everything there is to know about the Meet Your Match update, but more is expected to be announced tomorrow. GameSpot will keep you updated as more information is revealed.