Getting Started

Competitive Team Fortress 2 can be an immensely fruitful and enriching experience. It can be deeply rewarding to hone mechanical skill, coordinated team-play and strategic understanding. However, if a player is starting from scratch, it might seem daunting to grasp the vast discrepancy between how competitive TF2 and casual is played. This page aims to help integrate new players into the competitive scene by introducing them to the basics of competitive TF2.

Where to start

First of all, consider choosing a primary competitive format or class you want to start learning. While it is not obligatory to stick to one format or class, and there are numerous players that play different classes and formats, it is advised for newcomers to stick with one until they have grasped the basics of the game as the gameplay of different classes in different game modes vary to great degrees.

The basics

It is recommended to be familiar with the metagame, how it works, what you should do and why you should do it. You should consult our Mechanics page which has a very comprehensive explanation of these. Furthermore, our glossary page has a detailed compendium of expressions commonly used.

Watching competitive

Watching and learning from top players and teams is an invaluable way to rapidly improve at the game.

Competitive matches at the top levels are often cast by organizations such as TeamFortressTV, RGL or KritzKast. These casts provide a valuable resource for newbies eager to learn a game mode and understand its meta, as well as to pick up general strategies on a particular map.

Point of View (POV) demos are uploaded by some players onto their respective YouTube channels. New players may also gain insights into how a particular class is played on a particular map by watching top-level POVs. Not all players upload their POV demos online, and thus, players might find their demos manually by searching their profile on demos.tf. In addition, ETF2L features a Demo archive of top players that new players can download for their reference.

Some popular channels that cover matches are:

• TeamFortress.TV
• RGL
• KritzKast

A vast number of useful competitive video guides from various sources are available at mapreview.tf.

Leagues and Tournaments

Depending on your region, there are various different leagues that host different formats. All major leagues are free-to-play for most skill divisions; some feature an entry fee and a prize pool for the highest division. All leagues offer entry-level divisions for players with little to no experience. RGL has a newcomer division for both HL and 6v6 specifically targeted towards newer players, and ETF2L features an open division for the same purpose. Regardless of prior game experience, it is recommended for players new to competitive Team Fortress 2 to play at least a season in the open division (or equivalent) in order to gain a fundamental understanding of how competitive TF2 functions.

Europe

• ETF2L — Highlander / 6v6
• UGC — Highlander / 6v6 / 4v4 / Ultiduo

North America

• RGL — Highlander / 6v6 / 7v7
• UGC — Highlander / 6v6 / 4v4 / Ultiduo

South America

• UGC — Highlander / 6v6 / 4v4 / Ultiduo

Asia

• AsiaFortress — 6v6
• UGC — 4v4 / Ultiduo
• ATF2L — Highlander / 6v6

Oceania

• ozfortress — Highlander / 6v6 / Ultiduo

Game Customization and Optimization

Given the suboptimal default settings of stock TF2, competitive players often customize their game to maximise game performance. All players are highly recommended to pick up a Custom HUD and a performance config. Additionally, certain scripts such as null-movement scripts and quick build scripts are helpful in providing a soft advantage by optimising players' gameplay.

Getting Gamplay Experience

There are numerous avenues to gain firsthand competitive TF2 experience that does not require joining a dedicated team. TF2 Center provides players of varying skill levels from North America and Europe with entry-level competitive games. While, in terms of quality, it pales in comparison to other dedicated Pick-Up Game (PUG) servers, it serves as an entry to each gamemode.

The next bar would be to participate in region-sepcific PUGs. Due to the transient nature of most PUG servers, it is suggested that new players join their region's official league Discord servers (which may be found on their website) to inquire about these newbie-oriented PUG servers.

Other Guides

There are some existing guides made by other community members or organizations that also cover some of the basics of competitive TF2. They also contain very relevant information, so it would be wise to take a look at these:

• Introduction to Competitive TF2 by RGL
• 6v6 Newcomer Guide by ETF2L
• 6v6 New Player's Guide by AsiaFortress
• Introduction to European Highlander
• Guide to Highlander by Blitztank
• Guide to getting into competitive TF2 by Cocktorpedo