Team Fortress 2 Classified boasts over 10,000 concurrent players as the mod resurrects a long-forgotten Counter-Strike game mode and actually makes it fun

Team Fortress 2 Classified, formerly known as TF2 Classic, is now out on Steam, rebranded, reimagined, and just as fun. It’s a call to the elder days of Team Fortress 2, based on its “original inspirations and tone” that utilizes cancelled content, introduces new features, polishes old ones, and offers a new perspective on the TF2 experience.

And boy, do people seem to love it. During its peak hours on release day, Jan. 30, TF2C (as I will refer to it from now on) saw some 9,395 join in on the fun (thanks SteamDB), experiencing new game modes, weapons, and a new form of Team Fortress 2 gameplay.

One game mode that was reinvented and resurrected for the sake of TF2C is the VIP mode, an old, long-forgotten and quite frankly terrible game mode from the late 90s and early 2000s that first appeared in Counter-Strike and its subsequent versions. The last time we saw this mode in a Valve game was CS 1.6, where it was called “assassination scenario,” or “as” for short.

The sole map made for it was as_oilrig, something you probably played the crap out of as a kid (I sure did), even if it sucked through and through.

The gist of the mode was that one player was the VIP, a lightly armed and not-so-well-armored character that basically had a USP and little else to protect themselves, while others on the CT team were their bodyguards. The CTs had to bring the VIP to an extraction zone to win the round, or eliminate all the Ts in the process. On the other hand, the Ts had to either kill the VIP or prevent his extraction by the time the round timer struck zero.

A fun concept, but not pulled off well. The bomb defusal scenario was much, much more popular already by the time 1.6 came out, with the game’s map pool comprised primarily of “de” maps and some “cs” (hostage scenario) maps as well.

But TF2C looked at that mode and thought: “Well, this seems fun, why don’t we try to make it better?” And they sure did. They made an entirely new character, The Civilian, who fits perfectly in tone, behavior, and style into the TF2 environment.

They equipped him with an umbrella that he can bash others over the head with, made killing him more of a challenge, and turned the bodyguard-assassin dichotomy into an actual battle that wasn’t as one-sided as the Terrorists were in 1.6.

So much time and care were put into refining the mode and retrofitting it into the TF2 gameplay loop, where it’s quite similar to how the Payload mode works, only that the Payload is a living, thinking human being.

I like how they didn’t just make a game mode, they put out videos and trailers with The Civilian as the main character, giving him as much lore and background and identity as the other characters in the game have (themselves given depth through the Meet the Team videos from back in the day). It’s so incredible how a community-made mod can be so true-to-nature with its additions.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to hop into TF2C, please do so. The team had to jump through many hoops to get to where it is, and given how some other major Valve-game mods fared, it’s a miracle it’s gotten to this point.

The post Team Fortress 2 Classified boasts over 10,000 concurrent players as the mod resurrects a long-forgotten Counter-Strike game mode and actually makes it fun appeared first on Destructoid.

The Future Stars Academy Evolution allows you to get two superstars for your Ultimate Team squad in FC 26.

The evolution can be done twice, and both chances are available for free. There are certain restrictions that determine which items can be used. You can completely change the look and feel of these cards with dedicated position, roles, and playstyle upgrades.

Let’s look at how you can make the most of these evolutions in Ultimate Team.

All FC 26 Future Stars Academy Evolution requirements

The Future Stars Academy allows you to evolve two cards. We can already complete the full range of evolutions once, and the second opportunity should arrive soon as part of a new objective set.

The requirements are simple: they must be born on or after Jan. 30, 2004, and their overall rating must not be above 84.

All FC 26 Future Stars Academy Evolution upgrades

Once you’ve put a card of your choice through the Future Stars Academy Contract Evolution, you can put it through one of the three following upgrades. Your decision will be based on the position of your Academy card (attackers, defenders, and midfielders).

Future Stars Academy Debut Attackers

Level 1 upgrades

• Overall: +40|86
• Sprint Speed: +40|82
• Strength: +40|75
• Volleys: +40|80
• Composure: +40|78

Level 2 upgrades

• Balance: +40|80
• Long Shots: +40|80
• Reactions: +40|78
• Shot Power: +40|82
• Vision: +40|78

Level 3 upgrades

• Aggression: +40|75
• Ball control: +40|82
• Positioning: +40|84
• Short Passing: +40|82
• Free Kick: +40|78

Level 4 upgrades

• Acceleration: +40|82
• Heading Acc.: +40|76
• Long Passing: +40|76
• Penalties: +40|80
• Stamina: +40|80

Level 5 upgrades

• Agility: +40|80
• Curve: +40|78
• Dribbling: +40|82
• Finishing: +40|84
• Jumping: +40|75

Level 1 upgrade requirements

• Play 2 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.

Level 2 upgrade requirements

• Play 2 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.

Level 3 upgrade requirements

• Play 2 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.

Level 4 upgrade requirements

• Play 2 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.

Level 5 upgrade requirements

• Play 2 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.

Future Stars Academy Debut Midfielders

Level 1 upgrades

• Overall: +40|86
• Acceleration: +20|80
• Agility: +40|82
• Reactions: +40|80
• Sprint Speed: +20|80
• Vision: +20|81

Level 2 upgrades

• Defending: +20|75
• Acceleration: +20|80
• Aggression: +40|75
• Balance: +40|82
• Curve: +40|80
• Sprint Speed: +20|80

Level 3 upgrades

• Ball control: +40|82
• Dribbling: +40|82
• Short Passing: +40|83
• Free Kick: +40|80
• Stamina: +40|82
• Vision: +20|81

Level 4 upgrades

• Shooting: +20|75
• Crossing: +40|82
• Jumping: +40|75
• Long Passing: +40|83
• Strength: +40|75
• Composure: +40

Level 1 upgrade requirements

• Play 2 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.

Level 2 upgrade requirements

• Win 2 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.

Level 3 upgrade requirements

• Play 3 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.

Level 4 upgrade requirements

• Play 3 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.

Future Stars Academy Debut Defenders

Level 1 upgrades

• Overall: +40|86
• Acceleration: +40|75
• Def. Aware: +40|83
• Sprint Speed: +40|75
• Stand Tackle: +40|84
• Stamina: +40|75

Level 2 upgrades

• Aggression: +40|83
• Agility: +40|73
• Curve: +40|70
• Dribbling: +40|74
• Long Shots: +40|65
• Strength: +40|81

Level 3 upgrades

• Balance: +40|73
• Interceptions: +40|83
• Long Passing: +40|78
• Reactions: +40|83
• Short Passing: +40|79
• Composure: +40

Level 4 upgrades

• Ball control: +40|72
• Heading Acc.: 40|80
• Jumping: +40|83
• Shot Power: +40|75
• Slide Tackle: +40|84
• Vision: +40|65

Level 1 upgrade requirements

• Play 3 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.

Level 2 upgrade requirements

• Play 3 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.

Level 3 upgrade requirements

• Play 2 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.

Level 4 upgrade requirements

• Win 2 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.

Once done, the next set of upgrades allows you to improve the cards based on their positional speciality.

All FC 26 Future Stars Academy First XI Evolution upgrades

Future Stars Academy RW/LW XI

Level 1 upgrades

• Overall: +2|88
• Crossing: +15|85
• Long Passing: +10|80
• Short Passing: +10|84
• Free Kick: +10|80
• Vision: +10|84

Level 2 upgrades

• Physical: +10|80
• Acceleration: +15|92
• Balance: +15|88
• Reactions: +10|87
• Sprint Speed: +15|92
• Composure: +10|87

Level 3 upgrades

• Agility: +15|90
• Ball control: +10|90
• Curve: +15|82
• Dribbling: +15|90
• Penalties: +10|82

Level 4 upgrades

• Finishing: +10|87
• Long Shots: +15|86
• Positioning: +15|87
• Shot Power: +10|86
• Volleys: +10|84

Future Stars Academy LM/RM XI

Level 1 upgrades

• Overall: +2|88
• Ball control: +15|87
• Dribbling: +15|88
• Reactions: +10|87
• Stamina: +15

Level 2 upgrades

• Balance: +15|88
• Crossing: +15|89
• Long Passing: +15|88
• Penalties: +10|84
• Strength: +10|81
• Vision: +15|89

Level 3 upgrades

• Aggression: +10|81
• Agility: +15|89
• Curve: +15|89
• Free Kick: +10|86
• Shot Power: +10|86
• Volleys: +10|85

Level 4 upgrades

• Pace :+10|90
• Finishing: +10|85
• Long Shots: +10|85
• Positioning: +10|85
• Short Passing: +15|88
• Composure: +10|87

Future Stars Academy CM/CDM XI

Level 1 upgrades

• Overall: +2|88
• Heading Acc.: +15|88
• Jumping: +10|88
• Slide Tackle: +15|89

Level 2 upgrades

• Passing: +8|84
• Aggression: +10|83
• Agility: +10|88
• Composure: +10|85

Level 3 upgrades

• Def. Aware: +15|90
• Reactions: +10|88
• Stand Tackle: +15|88
• Strength: +10|85

Level 4 upgrades

• Pace: +8|84
• Shooting: +10|82
• Balance: +10|86
• Interceptions: +15|90
• Stamina: +15|90

Future Stars Academy CB XI

Level 1 upgrades

• Overall: +2|88
• Slide Tackle: +15|88
• Stand Tackle: +15|90
• Stamina: +10|87

Level 2 upgrades

• Acceleration: +10|85
• Aggression: +10|87
• Interceptions: +15|88
• Jumping: +10|87
• Long Passing: +10|85

Level 3 upgrades

• Def. Aware: +15|90
• Reactions: +15|86
• Short Passing: +10|86
• Strength: +10

Level 4 upgrades

• Heading Acc.: +15|88
• Short Passing: +5|86
• Sprint Speed: +10|87
• Vision: +10|85
• Composure: +10|86

Future Stars Academy ST XI

Level 1 upgrades

• Overall: +2|88
• Finishing: +15|90
• Positioning: +10|91
• Volleys: +10|83

Level 2 upgrades

• Aggression: +15|80
• Agility: +10|88
• Jumping: +15|85
• Stamina: +15|85
• Composure: +15|87

Level 3 upgrades

• Pace: +10|90
• Passing: +8|82
• Ball control: +10|85
• Reactions: +10|86
• Strength: +15|83

Level 4 upgrades

• Balance: +10|87
• Dribbling: +10|89
• Long Shots: +10|88
• Penalties: +10|90
• Shot Power: +15

Future Stars Academy CM/CAM XI

Level 1 upgrades

• Overall: +2|88
• Shooting: +10|86
• Short Passing: +15|92
• Vision: +10|90

Level 2 upgrades

• Aggression:+10|78
• Agility: +15|88
• Jumping: +10|79
• Stamina: +15|85
• Composure: +15

Level 3 upgrades

• Pace: +8|86
• Ball control: +10|87
• Curve: +10|85
• Reactions: +10|88
• Strength: +10|78

Level 4 upgrades

• Balance: +15|88
• Crossing: +10|90
• Dribbling: +15|88
• Long Passing: +15|90
• Free Kick: +10|88

Future Stars Academy LB/RB XI

Level 1 upgrades

• Overall: +2|88
• Crossing: +15|90
• Long Passing: +15|89
• Short Passing: +15|87
• Sprint Speed: +15|90
• Vision: +15|86

Level 2 upgrades

• Agility: +15|88
• Balance: +15|88
• Ball control: +15|86
• Curve: +15|89
• Dribbling: +15|86
• Reactions: +15|86

Level 3 upgrades

• Heading Acc: +10|84
• Interceptions: +15|86
• Def. Aware: +15|86
• Slide Tackle: +15|86
• Stand Tackle: +15|86
• Composure: +15|86

Level 4 upgrades

• Acceleration: +15|92
• Aggression: +15|85
• Jumping: +10|84
• Stamina: +15|87
• Strength: +15|84

All First XI evolutions require you to play five matches and win five matches, spread across the four different tasks.

Best players for the Future Stars Academy Contract Evolution

Here are some of the best players to consider for the Academy evolution.

• Patrick Dorgu TOTW
• Lennart Karl TOTW
• Lewis Miley TOTW
• Senny Mayulu TOTW
• Gavi TOTW
• Lucas Bergvall TOTW
• Vicky Lopez
• Yan Diomande
• Wolff Ultimate Scream

You’ll have to put all the cards through multiple Roles and Playstyle+ evolutions, which will depend on your personal preferences. Before that, don’t forget to put your chosen cards in the Future Stars Club Legend Academy Evolutions to take them all the way up to 90 overall.

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