Team Fortress 2 Receives Update That Overhauls Matchmaking

Valve's popular free-to-play shooter Team Fortress 2 has received a surprise update. While the patch doesn't seem to include any new content, like Jungle Inferno did, this new update does include a bevy of changes to competitive mode as well as balance changes to weapons.

Competitive Revamp [text from Valve]

• The matchmaking system used for Competitive Mode has been overhauled. Players will now be ranked using a model based on the Glicko rating system used in CS:GO.
• The old 18 Competitive ranks have been consolidated into 13 new ranks. You can view the new ranks on the updated Competitive FAQ page (http://www.teamfortress.com/meetyourmatch/faq/)
• Competitive ranks have been reset and players must win 10 matches to earn a new Competitive rank
  • Note: The previous system started everyone at Rank 1, and required – in most cases – considerable time for players to reach a rank that properly reflected their performance. The new system – by way of placement matches – considerably shortens the time required to reach an appropriate rank
• The requirements to access Competitive Mode have changed: If you do not own a Competitive Matchmaking Pass, you must now be at least Casual level 3 in addition to being a Premium user and having a valid phone number associated with your account.

This update also fixes a number of bugs. You can read the whole list here.

For more on Team Fortress 2, check out our list of the best updates for the game.