I’ve been playing Team Fortress 2 since I was five years old. Now, at 22, I’ve spent nearly two decades with this game, watching it evolve, thrive, and eventually wither under years of neglect. No matter how many games I’ve played since, nothing ever quite captured the same magic—whether it was the perfect class balance, the ridiculous chaos of a 24-player payload match, or just the sheer personality baked into every part of it.

But it’s hard to ignore what TF2 has become. Years of bots, hackers, and Valve’s complete lack of care have worn it down. And while they finally stepped in and cleaned things up, it was far too late. The damage to the community and the game’s reputation is irreversible. So many great players and creators have moved on, and what’s left—while still fun—feels like a shell of what it once was.

Still, I can’t bring myself to say a final goodbye. No matter how bad things got, TF2 was always there, always fun when you found the right match, always worth coming back to, even for just a few rounds of Dustbowl chaos. And eventually, I know I’ll return—to grind out those last few hours and finally hit 2,000 hours played.

Until then, TF2, thanks for everything. You deserved better, but you’ll always be one of the best.

TL;DR:
TF2 was one of the best multiplayer games ever made, but years of neglect did irreversible damage. Valve finally fixed the bots, but too little, too late. I’ll always love it, and eventually, I’ll be back—to hit that 2,000-hour mark.

I’ve been playing Team Fortress 2 since I was five years old. Now, at 22, I’ve spent nearly two decades with this game, watching it evolve, thrive, and eventually wither under years of neglect. No matter how many games I’ve played since, nothing ever quite captured the same magic—whether it was the perfect class balance, the ridiculous chaos of a 24-player payload match, or just the sheer personality baked into every part of it. But it’s hard to ignore what TF2 has become. Years of bots, hackers, and Valve’s complete lack of care have worn it down. And while they finally stepped in and cleaned things up, it was far too late. The damage to the community and the game’s reputation is irreversible. So many great players and creators have moved on, and what’s left—while still fun—feels like a shell of what it once was. Still, I can’t bring myself to say a final goodbye. No matter how bad things got, TF2 was always there, always fun when you found the right match, always worth coming back to, even for just a few rounds of Dustbowl chaos. And eventually, I know I’ll return—to grind out those last few hours and finally hit 2,000 hours played. Until then, TF2, thanks for everything. You deserved better, but you’ll always be one of the best. TL;DR: TF2 was one of the best multiplayer games ever made, but years of neglect did irreversible damage. Valve finally fixed the bots, but too little, too late. I’ll always love it, and eventually, I’ll be back—to hit that 2,000-hour mark.