TF2 has a very fair F2P system. All maps and game modes can be played by anyone for free. You get the default set of weapons that comes with every class and can get the rest through unlocking achievements, getting them through free weapon drops, crafting them, trading them or completing contracts (you can also buy them from the in game store but don't do that). If you want to make your characters beautiful with weapon skins, hats or other cosmetics you typically have to pay money or trade for them with another player.
Valve and the TF2 team also continue to expand the lore of the Team Fortress world by making videos and comics.
Classes
Scout
The glass cannon. Scouts are extremely dangerous in the right hands, but very squishy.
Advantages - Fastest movement speed, double jump, very powerful primary, excels in 1v1 combat
Drawbacks - Low health, can't deal with crowds very well
[Hard] Counter - Engineer Sentry Guns
Soldier
The man's man, man! Soldiers are the jacks of all trades.
Advantages - Second highest health, powerful primary, high mobility via rocket jumps
Drawbacks - Slow walk speed
[Soft] Counter - Pyro airblasts
Pyro
The mysterious comedy sidekick. Pyros are close-range fighters that excel at ambushes and herding enemies.
Advantages - Highly versatile primary that can ignite enemies and reflected projectiles back at would-be attackers. Can extinguish allies with an airblast. Great for spy-checking.
Drawbacks - Poor at mid and long range combat
[Soft] Counters - Heavies, Well-placed Engineer Sentry Guns
Demoman
KABOOM! The guy you'll learn to hate.
Advantages - Demoman excels at dealing explosive damage at mid-to-long range. He also has a vast array of power melee weapons at his disposal. If there's something that needs doing, from destroying a sentry nest, to killing large numbers of enemies, a good demoman can probably get it done.
Drawbacks - Poor at close-ish range. Since they have no hit scan weapons, demomen need to lead their targets and account for latency when doing so.
[Hard] Counter - Scout
Special Note: Includes weapons that makes him into the melee focused Demoknight class.
Heavy
The ugly one! Heavies are the tanks of the team.
Advantages - Highest Health, Most powerful primary weapons
Drawbacks - Slow movement speed, Primary weapon needs to be revved before it can fire
[Hard] Counters - Sniper Headshots, Spy Backstabs
Engineer
The smart one. Engineer focuses of area denial for enemies and creating a forward base (or defensive line) for allies.
Advantages - No need to aim, sentry guns will do all the work for you! Build tools such as teleporters and dispensers to aid your teammates.
Drawbacks - Low health. Unappreciative, unhelpful teammates
[Hard] Counters - Demoman, Spy Sapper
Special Note: Has the Gunslinger, a weapon that gives him extra HP and replaces the normal sentries with fast building mini-sentries, allowing for a more aggressive playstyle subclass
Medic
Teamwork, personified. The medic does little killing himself, but greatly increases the effectiveness of teammates.
Advantages - Overheal: increase a patient's max health by 50% temporarily. Ubercharge: After building a charge, the Medic grants himself and his patient invulnerability for 8 seconds. The medic also has the second fastest movement speed.
Drawbacks - Medics are a bright white target to anyone who spots them. A smart enemy will always aim for the other team's medics. Medics themselves are also not very good at direct combat.
[Hard] Counter - Sniper headshots
Sniper
The point-and-clicker. Snipers generally hang back and pick enemies off from a distance. Direct combat is something they try to avoid when possible.
Advantages - The only long-range class in the game. Sniper headshots can kill any class in a single shot.
Drawbacks - Low-health. Poor at mid-to-close range combat. Complaints from teammates that you have too many snipers (and spies).
[Hard] Counter - Spy Backstab, Enemy Snipers
Special Note: Has the huntsman, a bow and arrow that allows for closer range subclass
Spy
The sneaky one. Spies have an array for tricks to fool their enemies and catch them off-guard.
Advantages - The spy can disguise as other classes, both enemy and friendly. He can also use his watch to turn completely invisible for a short time. Using his knife, a successful backstab will instantly kill any enemy.
Drawbacks - Low-health. Relatively weak in direct combat. Other players can't see your stylish hats when you're disguised or cloaked.
[Hard] Counter - Pyros
[Soft] Counter - Scouts
What's going on with TF2 right now?
Currently no major events are happening in TF2 since Jungle Inferno ended Feb 11. If you bought a Jungle Inferno pass you'll be able to continue working on contracts and getting rewards.What's next for TF2?
Valve shipped a competitive focused update in March. Now all we know to expect is a Heavy focused update, with new weapons and a class re-balance, since he lost the Meet Your Match war and Pyro already got his update.
Why do so many people still love TF2 after all these years?
Valve did an amazing job when designing this game and the community is still dedicated and active. This video can do a better job of explaining it than I can:
Special thanks to Yeef who wrote up the class descriptions.
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