Valve has publicly acknowledged Team Fortress 2 bot issues following a community-led peaceful protest on social media, promising that the team is "working to improve things". While that's music to the ears of some, for others, it's far too soon to call it a win.
Fans gathered through #SaveTF2 on various social media channels to share wholesome messages about why the long-running FPS game means so much to them – the hope being that it would prompt a response from Valve. People spoke about the friends they have made in the community, how the game has helped them learn English, and more. Several prominent influencers like Elliott' Muselk' Watkins and Seán' Jacksepticeye' McLoughlin supported the protest alongside the voice actor for TF2's Medic, Robin Atkin Downes. Heck, even a popular Twitter account dedicated to Animal Crossing's Froggy Chair showed up.
Everyone eventually got their wish when Valve used Team Fortress 2's Twitter account to acknowledge their concerns. "TF2 community, we hear you!" the developer says. "We love this game and know you do, too. We see how large this issue has become and are working to improve things."
TF2 community, we hear you! We love this game and know you do, too. We see how large this issue has become and are working to improve things.May 26, 2022
Plenty of fans are delighted. Frankly, there are many cursed images and memes shared in the celebration that aren't appropriate to share, though you can check the replies to Valve's tweet if you're morbidly curious. We even got an anime-style video of TF2's characters fighting against bots; if you want a sense of the vibe right now that won't get you in trouble if someone chances upon your monitor or phone.
LETS GOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/H4rSCiXe2XMay 26, 2022
However, Valve's statement hasn't convinced other fans that Team Fortress 2 will change for the better just yet. One of the more popular replies to the developer's tweet points out that Team Fortress 2's issues have been around for years. "Thanks for acknowledging the outcry, but these issues have been reported for years and met with complete silence," Twitch streamer RTDaniel says. "How can we have faith that they're now being addressed? What should we expect to see you do after all this time?"
Another fan points to Respawn's ongoing struggles with Titanfall, which has seen a slew of DDOS attacks over the years. The pair of games are unrelated to each other past the sharing of the same initials, though the point does speak to the challenge of combating bugs, exploits, and bad actors, especially in older games.
While Team Fortress 2 has been battling bots for years now, the issue has re-emerged recently following a player-led campaign to get the attention of the broader media and Valve. It did the trick, too, as various outlets have reported on the issue, which also led the Medic's voice actor to reach out to Valve.
It remains to be seen if Valve can overturn years of bot issues, though things are certainly moving in a positive direction thanks to #SaveTF2.
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