Newbie Mixes start at 8 PM on a Friday, and from what I understand scrims and league matches are also typically held at night. Is there anything for people to play on like, 3 PM on a Saturday?
I’m a newbie to competitive TF2 and every time I click competitive theres no available matches, is it broken now?
I've been really struggling to get into comp, mostly due to the fact that I live in the Philippines and the competitive scene (or rather, the TF2 scene) here is non-existent. I tried newbie.tf but when I tried to join their North America server I had well over 200 ping... I couldn't find any other way to actually get into comp as a beginner, and all the other places where I could, were too far away for me to actually play in.
From what I understand, generally when you have ad you want to wait until you have uber to be able to capitalize off of it, and when you have disad you want to play more aggressive with sacs to try to even the ubers or get an advantage. Wouldn't it be better to play further back with ad to minimize the chance of a drop?
Hello everyone. I am looking to play in Amateur level Highlander. I have one previous season of experience in the Newcomer division of Highlander, though this was back in 2023, and as Soldier. I am now looking to play as Spy, since that's my main. I wanted to know how easy or hard it might be for me to find a team for the next season.
For the record this is not intended to be a looking for team post. I just wanted to know how easy or hard of a time I will have finding one.
Originally posted on TF2 Esports
The 11th rendition of the Nations Cup officially starts today so it is due time to give an introduction to the teams attending. With many returning and even new faces, this years cup is looking to be one of the most stacked in its history. Multiple continents have representatives from obvious ones such as North America and Europe to Africa and this time around even Asia.
The group stages will be held in a 3 round, Swiss format where only the last placed team will be eliminated with the extra group being the exception as all their teams are automatically in the playoff stage. This format means that most teams do not have to fear elimination yet.
Before we dive into the team's competing this year, there are a few notable squads missing despite the high attendance:
Hungary, Israel and Spain; who have had strong squads with multiple Premiership level players within their ranks will be missing this year. Alongside them, the Greek squad led by theos and menex will be missing due to lack of time and players; additionally Latvia and Estonia will also be missing with notable players such as varnu and Clark.
The US is bringing their top level squad mainly consisting of members of Like A G6. On paper they are by far the strongest team and will be coming into this cup as clear favorites. Each member of team are equally proven at the highest level of the game and there are no weak links. The only possible thorn in their side may be the time zones and servers, however recent rule changes have lessened the blow dealt by these potential issues.
2. Team France
Last year's champions will be coming into this tournament as second favorites. With years of experience together; squads capable of winning premiership they will be looking to retain their title and stop the US and potentially England to win it all. Similarly to the US and others around their level, they show no signs of weakness in any role but the questions is whether they can prove the superiority of the European philosophy or will they fall short.
3. England
Players to watch: ry4n
England, the more successful rival of France in this competition will be coming to this tournament with a squad full of experience. Whether they will be able to break into the top 2 is hard to say but they will be at their utmost to give the top 2 a run for their money. While I do not view them as a team to win it all this year, they are the most likely to do so aside from the top 2 and I expect them to try to prove this prediction wrong. Ry4n might prove to be the key for England to do so; his explosive roamer game play could turn games on their head in the favor of England.
4. Canada
Players to watch: exile, saxophone
Canada is in a similar boat as England, bringing a ton of experience with a squad chalked full of invite level players combined with the leadership of exile are serious business. Add solid invite level scouts and a medic, great soldiers such as saxophone who has proved himself in FroyoTech and you have a recipe for a serious contender. Although on paper some could argue that this squad is stronger than England right now, do not forget to account for the time zone and server disadvantage. Canada will go far in this tournament but I can see them fall short at the final hurdle or even be upset by one of the two following teams on this list.
5. Poland
Players to watch: alov
This might come off as a wild prediction to some but I see Poland as the European equivalent of Canada. A strong squad consisting of Premiership and Division 1 level players that is capable of catching the top dogs off guard. The weakness of their team lies in their lack of top premiership experience but they make up for that with their cohesion. I predict them to be stronger than the rest below but also not yet at the level of those above. On DM heavy maps they will be capable of winning maps against the top teams. They are definitely dark horses this year, the questions is whether alov will be capable of pulling together this squad to cause the upsets needed or if they will fall short to the rest below.
6. Germany
Players to watch: voxtec, Gazy
The feared scout duo of voxi and Gazi are back to haunt the teams of the nation cup. This team has the experience and players to go far but the lack of activity in recent years can bite them in the back. However, without a clear candidate to play demo this year, danny might have to take the role up meaning that the soldier spots are put into question. Despite this, recent scrim results show that there is potential in this squad but whether they are a stronger dark horse than Poland is yet to be known.
Players to watch: LUKASTANK, snh, kejhalb
Czechia is arguably one of the most improved nations in recent times. While always having a few highly capable players in their ranks, this year it seems Czechia might be going in with one of their strongest and most balanced squads yet. Snh, renowned for his DM ability and Prem experience is one of the most dangerous scouts to come up against forming a strong potential duo with kejhalb who is a proven talent at the top of Division 1. LUKASTANK's firepower will elevate this team to a level Czechia might not have been at yet in the history of this tournament and even with class changes they can find good replacements to fight. This year they might not have to rely so hard on Witness Gaming's demo ace meaning they might be able to make a big dent in the competition above with more tools at their arsenal.
8. Sweden
Players to watch: balder, hugee, johnsoldat, sail
Sweden is looking like a strong squad this year with a stacked core. The team does not lack experience but still has ways to improve. The squad made the choice to have balder player roamer which might surprise some but those familiar with the European scene know that with the emergence of sail and john, Sweden has strong choices for scouts this time around in the two up and comers of sail and john. This mix seems to be doing well as they were performed well against Finland in a recent scrim game where hugee has proved again how vital his demo is to teams success.
9. Finland
Players to watch: amppis, junnu, aph
Under the leadership of amppis and ALX, the Finns are looking to leave a mark this Nations Cup. The return of the highly skilled scout duo of junnu and aph will be vital to their success and with the veteran leadership on their side they have the potential to reach the level to contend with the big dogs. However, recent scrim results suggest that there are still things to work on but they would be disappointed to go out early in the playoffs.
10. England B
Players to watch: auto, Warped
The second English team looks like an interesting experiment where auto will be leading the team on scout. The team will be fielding a strong soldier duo too in Warped and PeterDC. The rest of the team consists of other high division players but in combination with their Premiership teammates expect them to cause plenty of trouble. Only question in this team is whether auto’s scout is up for the challenge against the better teams. Only time will tell, but this looks like a very promising roster with lots of potential.
11. Denmark
Players to watch: smile, Blanc
The Danes are coming into this tournament with a mixed squad. The team features experienced and established members in Blanc and smile, but also players like Malte who has been making waves climbing the ladder in recent times. The squad will be looking to strengthen with other returning faces such as Jamaal and the reliable medic Dr.Phil. This team faces possible uncertainty in the scout roles so tackling this issue will be the most vital to their success.
12. Alps United
The team representing the Alpine nations of Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein are fielding a strong roster that may surprise some teams. The emerging andi, who seems to be capable of playing any class at a top level and jekeb who has been steadily grinding his way to the top divisons on roamer and is known for their consistency are a duo to fear. Add june to the mix, who has been arguably one of the best if not the best medics in Europe you have a strong team. The question is whether the rest of the team can pick up their pace but I am sure there will be no problems on that front.
13. Netherlands
The Dutch will want nothing less than their usual deep runs in the playoffs however this time around this may prove to be a harder task as many teams have strengthened this year. The team has a strong, consistent duo in yak and Jordy who will provide leadership and damage on projectiles classes. With Kars behind yak, the Dutch will have a stable combo that will be hard to find cracks on. Only time will tell whether this will be enough for an other deep run into the playoffs.
14. Russia
Players to watch: utka, Mon, pluxa
The Russians will be bringing their aggressive play to the cup with a refreshed roster from last year, mainly consisting of the players of team GREMLINS in the ongoing 6s season. This could prove to be a big advantage for them as they can get to speed in no time compared to others but there is also a chance that burn out and other issues could crawl in. The GREMLINS picked up the pace in the latter half of the season so the momentum might already be with the Russians to cause upsets. The scout duo of utka and M0n if not kept in check will control games and the unpredictability that is the Russian soldier game can not be underestimated either.
15. Turkiye
Players to watch: mak, demirbilek, tantwo
Arguably the most improved nation in the region in the past year is Turkiye. Yalin having taken multiple players under his wings has shown how capable this nation is and with mak coming in, Turkey looks like a threat. However, recent scrim result show that yalin might not be playing which can be a blow to their ambitions; yet the results show good signs and momentum. The up and comers of demirbilek and tantwo will be looking to prove themselves and teams should not look down on them especially with the experienced mak leading them.
16. Habibis United
Players to watch: EoN, Cento, Orange-Juice
The Middle-Eastern stack is looking better than ever this year and under the leadership of EoN they will have the opportunity to prove their worth. The team is filled with mechanically strong players on projectile classes in yusef and Cento, with the latter being able to play scout at a high level too if needed. The scout positions will give opportunities to up and coming talent as Orange and hev are expected to be playing. I see the former as one of the most talented scout players coming up in the European scene so I can’t wait to see him perform! They play the Netherlands in their first swiss game which should showcase the real level of this squad.
17. Norway
Players to watch: Agen, zambz, Storm
Norway is in an interesting spot as their team feels less strong as before but what they have compared to others around these ranks is experience and players who can carry. It is hard to judge this squad as their composition can be one of many combinations. Their challenge is to figure out what works best but once that is done they will have more than a fighting chance to climb the ranks.
18. Portugal
Players to watch: haunts, Doraemon, racecar
The Portuguese squad is a consistently strong contender and with players like haunts anything is possible for these lot. Doraemon and racecar has repsecively been climbing ranks in recent times and their impact on the team can be an important factor this year. The rest of the is filled with experience players who may not be in their prime but are able to work together efficiently and close out their games. The Portuguese have a recipe for a great run this year, let’s see if they can live up to it.
19. Russia B
Players to watch: WiseGenie, laiky, dastron
Not far behind in overall skill to their main team, the second Russian team will be bringing a similar playstyle to the table. The squad consisting of some former members of the main time in WiseGenie and feevz are not to be messed with as teams that look down on them might find themselves out DM’d quickly. The team will be supported by laiky, who’s consistency could prove key to their success. The always grinding dastron will be back on his legacy demo to dish out the damage needed for this team. There is great potential here and one could argue they could surpass their main team with some lucky draws.
20. Serbo-Croatia
Players to watch: Manky, oriano, ivan (ex Going Postal)
With the absence of buud, Luka and even Endrit, the Balkan stack is weakened and go from a major contender to an outside one in my books. While the team does not lack the experience, the missing firepower of the former three will be missed. The returning Manky’s task will be important as bringing up their lower div players to their level could pose difficult but with ivan’s and oriano’s help this team can shine.
21. Scotland
Players to watch: lander, Uncle Sam, row
The Scottish team finds itself in a position where despite missing one or two of their better players in ruad and whip, they have a very well balanced team. Each role has plenty of consistency in this team and no off-classing will be required to fill a strong team. All eyes should be on the spine of this team, the combo of sam, lander and row as together they are a formidable bunch. The biggest challenge ahead of them might not be their opponents but keeping their cool.
22. Ireland
Players to watch: silves, DigyB
The Irish squad unlike the Scottish seemingly will have very big highs and in their squads and some lows. With silves and DigyB on the squad the soldier spots are more than sorted but unless they found good scouts to fill the team they could be in trouble. Now that deli and Aelkyr are added to the roster there is potential to see one of the big guns swap to scout which would lead to an exciting team composition. With Scotland being their first opponent, they can prove to everyone that even this mixed roster is capable to compete with stronger competition.
23. Team Germany B
Players to watch: nicco, CAR DOOR, lacurio
The second German team looks like a solid team at their level that can make games difficult for even stronger opponents. With nicco and CAR DOOR having plenty of experience with high level competition, this bunch seem like one that could turn the odds in their favor with some good calls and maybe some unorthodox strategies that CAR DOOR has plenty of experience with from his time with the infamous demoknight team. The downfall of this team could lie in the skill gap between their players but this does not look like a hard problem to overcome.
24. Romania
Similarly to Ireland, Romania finds itself in a strange situation. Once one of the strongest nations in this competition, the Romanians are seemingly in a time of transition with only iusti and potentially Demos still being left from the old guard. Despite this, the new talent coming from this nation has been making strides and they are a team that may surprise some and even completely prove these rankings wrong. Let’s hope they do so as this squad looks to be a fun one to watch!
Players to watch: cz731, def, kapustak, spajro
The Czech B team is a mix of established high division players in spajro, def and kapustak and some new talent in cz, blecha and co. Whether the experience spine of the will actually play is up in the air but together they could more than capable of pushing through to playoffs and could come up with different team compositions when time calls for it.
26. Ukraine
Players to watch: slowtown, boshy, Doge
With the late addition of boshy, the Ukrainians have climbed the spots in these rankings. While the jumping legend will make a huge difference, the certain lack of firepower on scouts could be a potential cause for this team to fall short. Thankfully for Ukraine, they have players in slowtown and Doge who are more than capable to make up for this difference and who knows, maybe a new scout talent emerges under their leadership.
27. England C
Players to watch: Loopy, Vclox_
The last English team to be playing this cup is full of fun players to watch. Loopy and Vclox_ will be the two team will have to rely on the most to bring them the results but with yoot potentially being part of the spine of this team, they could very punch above their weight. Importantly to them, they seem like a friend team so they will gel well together and morale will never be an issue which could end up being a unique advantage against competition of their level.
28. Belgium
Players to watch: acanta, Dwapking
It is hard to judge who could be playing for Belgium this year but in recent years their team has not been able to break out of group stages, sometimes coming close a surprise result against better opponents I do not see this changing much this year. This year however, they will likely be guaranteed a spot in the playoffs so the group stages games could be the key to build their momentum and consistency and if all goes well they may just make it further than usual.
29. Slovenia
Players to watch: pijacka, korra, smelly
Slovenia is still yet to achieve their first win in Nations Cup history and this year it looks like they might have the opportunity. With pijacka on scout and korra and smelly on soldiers, they might just have what it takes. A favorable draw against Kazakhstan might just be what it takes to finnaly get a win. If this does not happen, they need to make sure they win as many rounds as they can as they can make all the difference in making it out of the Swiss stage.
30. Singapore
Players to watch: n4ver
A team that is very hard to judge but with some research one may find that this squad may not be the best Singapore can offer. However names like n4ver should not be looked down upon as they intend to lead a team to prove that the Asian scene is more capable than we may think. A statement from this team would not only be a huge win for their nation but maybe the Asian scene as a whole. I would love to see them make this statement and I wish them the best of luck to proving their given ranking wrong!
31. Belarus
Players to watch: elegardo, s0ha
Belarus might be one of those nation that may put up an unexpected fight. While their squad does not consist any hight div players, this nation has been on a slow come up and they very well could top their best result yet which is a 3-3 draw with Romania back in 2009. Their potential scout duo of elegardo and s0ha could be their key to achieve this goal and with a potential game against Singapore, their qualification to the playoffs could also be possible.
32. Italy
Players to watch: eron
This squad may be disappointing to some as Italy is known for players like ixy and Dejvi. Neither of them will be playing so the role to provide experience will fall on eron who has lots of work to do to make this team competitive against the top 25 teams on this list. Unfortunately for them, the group stage draw was very unfavorable for them and it is hard to see if there are any teams they could really challenge for the last playoff position.
33. Denmark B-Team
The second Danish team find itself in a situation that feels very unlucky to say the least. They have the capability to challenge for a playoff spot however being drawn together with Belgium leaves them no opportunities of failure and it their advancement will likely go down to the wire. As long as Maghreb United ends up playing, they should have nothing to worry about but if they do not then it could look like a really difficult tournament for this team. Guz and Asta will be the main players that could step up and push this team through as they have the most experience among their ranks.
34. Lithuania
Players to watch: hops
With the big dogs of Lithuania seemingly not being active for this year’s cup, the strength of the team has fallen a lot. There luck lies in their draw as they have teams they have a realistic chance against in Denmark B, Maghreb United and maybe even Belgium if do under perform. If by any chance we see a surprise return, they might just be able to win against these teams and make it through.
35. Team Kazakhstan
Players to watch: S1rex
There is not much to be said about this besides them being a team of complete newbies. On paper they do not stand a chance against any of the teams in their group and it would take a miracle to see them qualify to the next stage. Unfortunately for them, they can not rely on kumis this time for that extra firepower to maybe take them further but at the very least they will hopefully see this as a great opportunity to grow and learn.
36. Maghreb United
Nothing can be said about this team and whether they will actually compete is still up in the air as they have no players on the roster. Whether the representative of North Africa will compete or not could decide the race for the last spots to qualify in group D. Let’s hope that they can attend and give good competition to the vying to make the playoffs.
The first round of the cup will kickoff with a match up between Habibis United and the Netherlands. Alongside them, the Swedes will meet Turkey in the first round of the Swiss stage.
Theres so many hot garbage cosmetics flating around the economy that only a clean slate would fix it. Obviously you would keep the item servers for tf2 online so nobody loses anything.
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This weekend, fourteen of North America's finest teams make their pilgrimage to Localhost Philadelphia for RGL's third Philly LAN: RGL LAN 2026. With an RGL Invite title on the line, an MGE World Championship up for grabs and plenty of other LAN TF2 fun along the way, the 2026 edition of RGL LAN is certainly not one to miss.
Invite Playoffs
The main event of RGL LAN 2026 will be the Invite Playoffs. The top four teams from the Invite Division of RGL Season 20 will do battle in the usual double elimination bracket all aiming for the ultimate prize of becoming RGL Invite Grand Champions. All matches in said bracket are best-of-three, except the grand final on Sunday evening, which is a best-of-five where the team coming from the upper bracket has a one-map advantage.
Follow Invite Playoffs on Challonge
Sixes Open Cup
The Sixes Open Cup is an open entry cup that will host ten more teams at this year's Philly LAN. The cup will begin with a BO1 round-robin group stage on Saturday, and then a playoff stage on Sunday. The playoff stage will consist of a single BO3 for each team (1st vs 2nd, 3rd vs 4th, etc.) to decide the final placements.
Follow the Sixes Open Cup on RGL
MGE World Championship
Sixes won't be the only battleground in this year's RGL LAN, as the 2026 edition will also be hosting the MGE World Championship, a LAN MGE event with intercontinental competition! For detailed information on this landmark event, see the viewers' guide.
The cash prize pool for the Invite Playoffs will be as follows:
In addition, there will be the following other prizes:
Invite Playoffs:
Sixes Open Cup:
RGL’s 6v6 config and map pool will be used throughout all three tournament sections. The map pool is as follows:
The tournament will be streamed live from Philadelphia on RGL, while a remote secondary stream will be streamed by Fireside Casts.
Primary Stream (RGL)
Saturday, 25th July:
Sunday, 26th July:
Secondary Stream (Fireside Casts)
Saturday, 25th July:
RGL Primary Broadcast
Talent:
Production:
Fireside Casts Secondary Broadcast
Talent:
Production:
Special thanks to exa.
Pack your bags and check in for the ultimate summer vacation. The Team Comtress 2 Summer 2026 Update is here!
The title mostly explains it all. My mouse (iBUYPOWER Chimera M7 RGB Mouse) apparently has no built-in acceleration. But, when I swap back and forth between Mastercomfig's Flat Mouse addon to test out its apparent 0 acceleration, I feel like I notice a difference, but it shouldn't make sense given what I just stated, right?
(Lmk if the post flair is incorrect)
I've always had a curiosity of playing a 6v6 game on Overwatch maps.
I would love to see a server that cycles through all Overwatch maps, 9v9 HL style. (or 6v6 Pick-Up-Game)
Theres an attempt made, but the person behind the project hasnt been posting any updates, nor do i see maps on the Workshop.
What do y'all think? Or are TF2 maps superior? (Process, Metalworks, Sunshine, etc.)
It's time for a rematch. Welcome to the Team Comtress 2 Rematch Update. Matchmaking, rebuilt from the ground up.
I asked this question on r/tf2, but I got silly answers. I'm looking for serious answers.
What do you think Team Fortress 2 would be called if they settled on a different name for "Team Fortress"?
I have this chat problem in tf2 where i cant see both voicelines and normal chat messages that i send, while i can see what other people type, not only in casual, but also in community servers and a skial server, in the skial server even the skial system messages (usually just talking about fake admins and credits) dont show up (they used to show up before i had this problem). Has anyone had this problem or does anyone know how to fix it. I tried restarting the game but it wont work, checked the settings, nothing happened. How do i fix this its really annoying.
Offclassing and the social aspect around it | Overtime Episode #19
>What is Overtime?
A new podcast has emerged covering the competitive TF2 scene called Overtime, a podcast featuring a mixture of Fireside and EssentialsTF members.
The core members are:
The podcast involves content surrounding all forms of competitive TF2, from community endeavors to silly episodes testing the knowledge of members within the community. It is not strictly about 6s and Highlander, but searches to spread exposure to all facets within the communityWhat is Overtime?A new podcast has emerged covering the competitive TF2 scene called Overtime, a podcast featuring a mixture of Fireside and EssentialsTF members.
Ive been playing Comp TF2 for about a year now, and until now I’ve been using a Razer Naga V2 Pro, however its recently started getting worn out and I can’t RMA it, so I’ve been looking into replacements. I use a lot of binds, especially on Engineer for placing and destroying buildings, and the mouse I’m currently using has teleporter entrance and exit on Mouse 4 and Mouse 5 respectively, while Sentry and Dispenser are on Q and E. I thought about getting the Corsair Ironclaw since it has a lot of programmable buttons, and I could move more of my binds to it. Does anyone have experience with the Corsair Ironclaw and how well it performs for TF2, or does anyone have any good alternative suggestions?
We all know Sticky Jumping doesn't get much use in competitive besides using it to close didtance at the start of a Uber. It's main use is rollouts and simple single sticky jumps to get to next point faster. Sticky Jumping is very practical and must-learn for those purposes alone, but there's a type of Sticky Jump that never gets use in real matches: Sticky Pogos.
Sticky Pogos are not practical in real game as they consume large amounts of health, time and require very percise movement. I'm not encouraging for you to use them in real games. I'm encouraging you to learn them to help your DM skills. "How?" You may ask. Sticky Pogos forces you to get comfortable with the arm-time, speed, offset and time between shots of the Sticky Launcher which comes in extremely handy in DM scenarios.
I got much more comfortable and got a better natural feeling for Stickies after trying to learn Sticky Jumping. This was just anecdotal experience by me. This method of getting comfortable with the Sticky Launcher may not work for you. It benefitted me greatly, though.
I've been on a trolldier kick for the past week or so and something I've noticed that's really been bothering me is what appears to me to be an inconsistency in whether or not the game considers you "airborne from an explosion".
What I'm trying to do is a market garden on flat ground without hitting jump. Theoretically it's definitely possible, a rocket alone with no extra help gives you just enough time to pull your gardener out and swing. I know it's possible because I've done it before, but a lot of the time the game just seemingly refuses to allow it, because it's not considering you airborne from an explosion, despite that being literally the only thing that put you in the air at all. I've tested this on locally hosted maps, and it just won't work. I've even tried dropping off a higher ledge with one of these micro rocket jumps to make absolutely sure I have enough time to swing, and still no dice.
Does anyone here have any remote idea why this is the case and why sometimes it'll relent and let it happen?
​
Hey everyone, my name is Leonard, and I’m currently working on a massive project for my YouTube channel where I plan to play through as many multiplayer games as possible. As many of you know, some of these gems are sadly abandoned or very hard to get running in 2026.
However, I’ve managed to find a 'legacy-style' server for Team Fortress Classic that actually works! I want to record a special 30+ minute video, and I’d love for you to be a part of it. I'm inviting all of you to join me so we can fill the server, have some fun, and capture some classic TFC action.
Since I don't own the original Steam version, I discovered that this server is accessible to others who might be in the same boat, so there's a good chance you can join me!
Server IP: 89.179.240.119:27065
My Nickname: Sgt. Leonard
When: I’m aiming to be on the server starting tomorrow, and I’ll be popping in frequently over the next few days to check the situation.
I'll be hanging out on the server, so just drop in whenever you see me there! Let's get together, relive the nostalgia, and make a great video. Hope to see you all on the battlefield, Sgt. Leonard out!