Lawyer Stuff

Naturally, we really should not have offensive items or hats in the game.

Your item or avatar will be reviewed using the latest technology. Visualize pulleys, levers, and creative labor practices.

HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES?

Think you're good at making TF2 items and avatars? Better even than the people who design the game? Here's the thing: you're probably right. And believe us, this knowledge haunts us every day. Gabe Newell's just an email away, after all. What if you ratted us out?

In exchange for your silence, we are now accepting submissions for fan-designed TF2 items and avatars, immortalizing you in the Team Fortress 2 pantheon forever while keeping our jobs safe. Pending approval, your item will get added to your backpack, and cycled into the random item drops in-game. Blow up stuff using a weapon you created! Kill an enemy, then let him know he died in a hat you designed! Weapons, hats, avatars -- designed by you, used by the entire TF2 community.

Game Balance

"Wait," you might be thinking, "won't this ruin the balance of the game with tons of overpowered weapon designs?" Nope. The contribute feature is exclusively for model design. The TF2 team will take your submitted content and incorporate it into the gameplay in a way that makes the most sense for TF2. (You can submit gameplay ideas for new items, just like you've always been able to, by emailing us or posting them on the TF2 forums.) Whatever the end use turns out to be, rest assured we'll give credit where it's due to the item's creators, and give you a unique version to show off in-game.

Requirements

Items

You must submit all the raw model & texture files for your item. Including the Source engine compilation files for your item is very useful, if you know how to produce them. Including the compiled files themselves is also helpful as it allows us to easily test your item.
Format summary:
- Required:
  - Model source formats: .QL, .OBJ, or .MT
  - Materials source formats: .TGA/.PSD
- Optional Source compilation files:
  - Model compilation format: .DMX, .SMD, .QC (required if your item has jigglebones, or other custom .QC commands)
  - Materials compilation formats: .TXT
- Optional compiled files:
  - Model compiled formats: .MDL and all associated .VTX, .PHY, and .VVD files
  - Materials compiled format: .VTF, .VMT (required if your materials have custom shaders)

Avatars

TF2 Official Group Avatar format: 184x184 pixels, .JPG

Read more about our style guidelines here.

Coming Soon

Community-created avatars and items will eventually be displayed in an online image gallery, letting you view and add comments to the items and avatars you and others have gotten approved. We'll roll out the gallery as the submissions come in, so stay tuned!