Created by Bad Robot, of all companies
Ready for another off-the-wall Team Fortress 2 update? After the addition of bumper cars from last Halloween, it seems anything is possible with this game. Now the multiplayer shooter is getting another shot in the arm with a sporty new game mode.
The most recent update is a new mode called PASS Time, which is currently in beta. It’s kind of like Team Fortress 2 mixed with soccer or basketball. The objective of PASS Time is to score goals by carrying a ball known as the “jack” into the enemy base and tossing it into a glowing hole. The player carrying the jack cannot use weapons, but they get a few bonuses such as health regeneration, temporary invulnerability, and a speed boost. Everyone else still has their weapons, so they can shoot down the other team as usual or melee the player with the jack to steal the ball. The jack can also be passed and intercepted, so teamwork and strategy is key.
Interestingly, the idea for this new mode came from Bad Robot Productions, the film and television company owned by J.J. Abrams, and was co-developed by Escalation Studios. It’s weird to think of Team Fortress 2 content coming from the company that made Lost, Cloverfield, and the new Star Trek movies, but here we are! What an intriguing partnership.
PASS Time actually looks really fun, and after playing Rocket League obsessively over the past few weeks, I’m more than okay with seeing sports and first-person shooters coming together. Maybe I’ll finally jump back into Team Fortress 2 again after nearly a year-long hiatus to check it out!
[Thanks, JBroXNari99!]
