This game is still some of the most fun you can have online. It's so mechanically unique and fun that I'd be hard pressed to find any other game to match it. You'll have to spend hundreds if not thousands of hours to become relatively good at just one of many available skill sets that the game offers and you'll have fun during the whole journey.

Valve, you created a timeless masterpiece that influenced an entire genre of video games. This is one of your most recognizable and beloved products that you ever created. Even if you truly believe that it's not worth your time anymore, at least openly say so. Don't keep a relatively large and utterly loyal playerbase in a foolish state of suspense (I'm looking at your 2022 tweet) where you keep everything running like a solution is coming and then all that we get is more community maps and micro-transactions. The game is infested with bots and cheaters who sometimes stay unbanned for months. How is it possible that community servers can run a simple plugin to reduce cheating, but a multi-billion dollar company can't be bothered to do anything?

If you're a new player who wants to give this game a try, stick to community servers. For better, it's not what casual matchmaking currently is. For worse, it's not what casual matchmaking (and quickplay before it) used to be.

Jan. 2017 review:
I can't say valve is doing their job properly over the last 2 years with this game, and i don't mean to sound ungrateful, but prioritizing weapon skins/hats/taunts over needed changes is just milking money. Another thing that annoys me is the way Valve handles things that need to change, at least by community standards. The game can have a problem, but valve will avoid it and rather start working on something new to add, which will be broken again. I can understand the pressure of having a small team working on the game and making mistakes, but this has been the repeating formula for 2 years now? I can safely say the community backlash is justified.

Nontheless, ignoring all the things valve does nowadays with this game, it's still something playable and enjoyable. Until i find a day when joining a public server and shooting/burning/exploding/smacking people for hours doesn't make me happy, i won't stop playing the game. And that is what matters the most to me.

This game is still some of the most fun you can have online. It's so mechanically unique and fun that I'd be hard pressed to find any other game to match it. You'll have to spend hundreds if not thousands of hours to become relatively good at just one of many available skill sets that the game offers and you'll have fun during the whole journey. Valve, you created a timeless masterpiece that influenced an entire genre of video games. This is one of your most recognizable and beloved products that you ever created. Even if you truly believe that it's not worth your time anymore, at least openly say so. Don't keep a relatively large and utterly loyal playerbase in a foolish state of suspense (I'm looking at your 2022 tweet) where you keep everything running like a solution is coming and then all that we get is more community maps and micro-transactions. The game is infested with bots and cheaters who sometimes stay unbanned for months. How is it possible that community servers can run a simple plugin to reduce cheating, but a multi-billion dollar company can't be bothered to do anything? If you're a new player who wants to give this game a try, stick to community servers. For better, it's not what casual matchmaking currently is. For worse, it's not what casual matchmaking (and quickplay before it) used to be. Jan. 2017 review: I can't say valve is doing their job properly over the last 2 years with this game, and i don't mean to sound ungrateful, but prioritizing weapon skins/hats/taunts over needed changes is just milking money. Another thing that annoys me is the way Valve handles things that need to change, at least by community standards. The game can have a problem, but valve will avoid it and rather start working on something new to add, which will be broken again. I can understand the pressure of having a small team working on the game and making mistakes, but this has been the repeating formula for 2 years now? I can safely say the community backlash is justified. Nontheless, ignoring all the things valve does nowadays with this game, it's still something playable and enjoyable. Until i find a day when joining a public server and shooting/burning/exploding/smacking people for hours doesn't make me happy, i won't stop playing the game. And that is what matters the most to me.