Team Fortress 2 - Summer 2023 Event is live as it smashes player records

Finally it's here! Valve has updated Team Fortress 2 with a Summer Event for 2023 and it appears to have exploded the player counts. Going from around 100-125 thousand players at time to a record-breaking 253,997 peak as of 2 hours ago. Seems TF2 has plenty of life left in it, if only Valve gave it a bit more regular attention huh?

Here's what's been added for the event:

• Featuring 14 new community maps: Sharkbay, Rotunda, Phoenix, Cashworks, Venice, Reckoner, Sulfur, Hardwood, Pelican Peak, Selbyen, VSH Tiny Rock, VSH Distillery, VSH Skirmish, and VSH Nucleus
• Added the Summer 2023 Cosmetic Case
  • Contains 25 new community-contributed items
• Added 6 new community-contributed taunts to the Mann Co. Store
  • Taunt: Killer Joke
  • Taunt: Star-Spangled Strategy
  • Taunt: The Head Doctor
  • Taunt: Tuefort Tango
  • Taunt: The Road Rager
  • Taunt: The Killer Signature
• Added 20 new community-created Unusual effects
  • 12 new effects for Unusual hats
  • 8 new effects for Unusual taunts
• Added the Summer 2023 War Paint Case
  • Contains 10 new community-created War Paints that make-up the Summer 2023 Collection
  • Has a chance to give a taunt Unusualifier as a bonus item
• All cosmetic and taunt cases will grant Summer 2023 Unusual effects instead of their normal Unusual effects during the Summer event. This does not include crates.

Pictured - the new Reckoner map, taken on Fedora.

Valve said the event will run until September 15th, 2023.

However Valve also did a standard update to the game too including these improvements and fixes:

• Security and stability improvements
• Fixed the Mann vs. Machine upgrade panel closing after receiving a matchmaking party invite
• Fixed an exploit related to the ConTracker and being able to move/shoot while it's deployed
• Fixed the Strange Count Transfer Tool not being able to transfer stats for Sandvich items
• Fixed the Engineer not being able to move for a short period of time after doing The High Five taunt
• Fixed missing No Headphones style for the Universal Translator
• Fixed Engineer teleporter audio that was referencing the dispenser by mistake in Spanish
• Fixed incorrect alpha channels for the Smissmas 2021/2022 Cosmetic Case models
• Fixed the Winter 2019 War Paint Case not being shown in the Mann Co. Store
• Updated/Added some tournament medals
• Updated pl_enclosure_final to fix localization issues
• Updated cp_gravelpit_snowy
  • Boosted volume of snowman explosions
  • Added occluders to C to improve performance
  • Improved clipping
• Updated cp_steel
  • Prop collision cleanup and improved player clipping
  • Explosive splash bug collisions on stairs, props, etc., around the map
  • Spawn point issues (collision, prop blocking, clipping, etc.)
  • Fix Pyro door exploit on A
  • Fix choke and spam issues into Blu & Red spawns
  • Fix Pixel walk collision issues
  • Fixing ceiling clipping and stuck spots including exploits
  • Clean up geometry in spawns, the spawn locations and their exits
  • Fix roof readability issues, with sticky and rocket jumping
  • Fix rare double death bug when falling into pit
  • Fix Cliff stuck spots and ledges in E pit
  • Removed head glitch tele spawn on A-B connector
  • Fix rare overtime cap bug
  • Fix Red team getting stuck in spawn door to A
• Updated cp_mossrock
  • Fixed numerous perch points
  • Fixed players being able to get under Blu spawn
  • Fixed a location where a teleporter could be build out of the map
  • Fixed collision on rock near final point so it is more accurate to the visuals
  • Fixed lots of small visual bugs
  • Fixed some small exploits
  • Improved optimisation

You can play TF2 free on Steam.