The mod formerly known as Team Fortress 2 Classic was always slightly misnamed. It suggested a version of TF2 without the proliferation of cosmetics, a return to the readable silhouettes and basic weapons of its early days, and while it is that it's also a reimagining of TF2 that adds cut content and abandoned ideas from its early development. There's an escort mode with a playable civilian class, four-team modes, jump pads, new weapons like the nail gun, dynamite pack, and tranquilizer gun, and more.
But that's not the reason for its renaming. As the modders explained, "Valve requested a few months ago that we rename our mod, because the name Team Fortress 2 Classic was too similar to their Team Fortress Classic."
"We've learned that various other mods have recently used the word 'classic' in ways that unintentionally made them look like official Valve products, and as a result, Valve had a new policy put in place back in September."
Choosing a new name was "surprisingly difficult" both because they wanted a name that meant they could retain the TF2C abbreviation, and "it quickly became apparent that few options actually embodied what we set out to do better than 'classic' had. Despite disagreements over what 'classic' means, it has historically been a great way for us to set a standard for our mod's design, and has allowed us to maintain coherency between eras of development."
Now they've settled on Team Fortress 2 Classified, they've got another announcement to make: a delay. Where previously TF2C was planned to come out in 2025, it's now been pushed back to January 30, 2026.
"There's a few reasons for this", they said. "The first is that we want a few more weeks of polishing and extensive testing. The second and more important reason is that Steamworks review is a factor that we cannot control. Communication can be slow and inconsistent, and we need padding in our timeline to ensure there are no last minute delays. We want this game to be out as much as you do, but we only have one chance to make a first impression, and we need to do it right. Besides, it wouldn't be an authentic TF2 experience without a bit of Valve time."
