Valve Might Be Working on a Team Fortress Project — But Don’t Get Too Excited Yet

We're taking a short break from speculating about Half-Life 3 — because it looks like Valve may have another mystery project in the pipeline, and this time, it could be tied to the long-dormant Team Fortress franchise.

Mysterious ‘Tf’ String Discovered in Deadlock Files

Reddit user u/dirtkiller23 recently uncovered a curious new file string labeled “Tf” in the latest Deadlock update. The finding has since been verified by trusted dataminer Tyler McVicker, reigniting hopes that Valve might be cooking up something related to Team Fortress.

The string appears in a Source 2 engine folder, which naturally leads many to believe this could be a Team Fortress project. Some speculate it might be a Source 2 port of Team Fortress 2, similar to the engine upgrades Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 received. However, McVicker has pushed back on that idea, noting that a port would typically be labeled more clearly — something like "Tf_imported" or "Tf_Source_2". Besides, much of that porting work was reportedly completed back in 2014.

Could this be a sequel or a spin-off? Possibly — but at this stage, it’s all pure speculation.

Temper Expectations: Valve’s Track Record Speaks Volumes

As exciting as this discovery is, especially for Team Fortress fans who’ve been waiting nearly two decades for something new, there are plenty of reasons to remain cautious.

Valve is notorious for shelving unannounced projects. Remember Left 4 Dead 3? Or those countless Half-Life 3 iterations? Leaks and file strings rarely guarantee a final release — not unless Valve makes an official announcement.

We’ve seen projects evolve dramatically behind the scenes. Case in point: Deadlock itself started life as Citadel, a project set during the Half-Life universe’s Seven Hour War, according to leaker Gabe Follower. Citadel became Neon Prime, and Neon Prime eventually became Deadlock, shedding its Half-Life roots along the way. The same could happen with whatever “Tf” turns out to be.

Could This Be the Return of Team Fortress?

While we’d love to believe Valve is finally revisiting Team Fortress, it's far too early to say. Nothing is confirmed, and “Tf” might stand for something else entirely. But even the smallest hint has fans buzzing — and understandably so, after years of radio silence.

Until we hear more, consider this a hopeful whisper rather than a promise. For now, we wait — just as we have with every Half-Life breadcrumb, HLX file leak, and long-forgotten Source project.

Still, if Tf does become something real, it could be the return Team Fortress fans have been dreaming of for almost 20 years.