Getting into Competitive TF2
You've played Team Fortress 2 for a while now - but have you heard of competitive TF2? It's alive, welcoming, and far more approachable than it looks. This page takes you from "I play casual TF2" to "I'm rostered in a league." No prior experience required.
Guides
Written for players starting out - read them in any order.
The combo and the flank, every role's job, rollouts and loadouts.
What each of the nine classes does, and how a Highlander team fits together.
How a season works, finding a team, trials, scrims and etiquette.
Settings, launch options, configs, HUDs, demos and voice comms.
Free servers (serveme.tf, TF2-QuickServer, Matcha), connect strings, RCON and every league's configs.
When to take a fight, the advantages that matter and playing the clock.
The two formats
Competitive TF2 runs on two main formats. Both are great places to start - pick whichever sounds more fun.
Sixes (6v6)
6 players · the classic format
Fast, aggressive and the most widely played format worldwide. A locked core of six classes with off-classes used situationally.
Highlander (9v9)
9 players · one of every class
One of each of the nine classes per team. Often the easiest on-ramp - you can main your favourite class and lean on your team.
Other formats
6v6 and Highlander are where almost everyone plays. The smaller formats have loyal communities that run their own cups - and they are a low-pressure way to sharpen your aim and game sense.
4v4
4v4King of the Hill with four different classes per team - and Heavy plus Medic together is banned. Usually Medic, Demoman, Soldier and Scout; a Pyro or Sniper comes out to break a deadlock, and some Medics swap to Heavy.
koth_product_finalkoth_warmtic_rc4Ultiduo
2v2A Soldier and a Medic against the same. Rounds are won by holding a single King of the Hill point until your 5-minute clock runs out.
ultiduo_balookoth_ultiduo_r_b7BBall
2v2Two Soldiers against two on a basketball court: grab the ball and drop it in the enemy hoop - or kill the carrier to steal it. First to the score limit, or ahead when time runs out, wins.
ctf_ballinctf_bball_stadium_a3Two players, one arena, full health: the first to 20 kills wins. Every community MGE server runs it, and mge.tf hosts 1v1 and 2v2 tournaments.
Prolander
7v7Seven players and never two on the same class - you can switch, but not stack. RGL trialled it as a third format, but it never really caught on; you'll mostly see it in the odd cup.
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Learn from videos
Community tutorials, from what competitive TF2 even is to watching top players think out loud. All free on YouTube - pick a tab and start anywhere.
What comp is, how the formats work, the slang, and how to pick a class and get started.
Leagues, regions & divisions
All leagues
Skill divisions
Each league sorts teams into skill tiers, from the top down. New players start at the bottom - that's by design.
- Premier / Invite
- High / Div 1
- Main / Div 2
- Mid / Div 3
- Low / Div 4+
- Open / Amateur
- Newcomer - Start here
Jargon buster
The scene has its own vocabulary. Here's the slang you'll hear in PUGs and Discords, decoded.