Mann Co. Supply Crates are tool items obtainable through the item drop system. They are shown as open-style wooden shipping crates, wrapped in chains held with a large padlock. Mann Co. Supply Crates can be opened with the use of a Mann Co. Supply Crate Key. Anything unboxed using an untradable key will become tradable on the date the key was supposed to become tradable.
When a crate is opened, a five second timer ticks down, alongside a sound effect of chains jangling and wood creaking. Once opened to the tune of a cheering crowd, identical to when an achievement is unlocked, the player will receive one of a set of items which are listed in the crate's description and are dependent on its series. This item is announced to the server in a similar format to regular dropped items. The crate and key are removed from the player's inventory and replaced with the uncrated item.
While Mann Co. Supply Crates are obtained through the item drop system, they do not add to the total cap of items a player can obtain each week. Furthermore, crate drops are completely independent from weapon or hat drop rates.[1]Scorched Crates were an exception as they were not dropped, and could have been the only item inside a Pile of Ash.
Though the notion and concept of a crate suggests that the contents should be predetermined, Robin Walker has confirmed the mechanics are such that item drop is determined at the point of opening the crate; moreover, items are not mapped to crates and thus there is no distinction to be made between two crates of identical series.
Note: Rare item statistics assume drop rates are equal regardless of series. It is also assumed that the series of the crates are dropping in a uniform distribution.
Active series
The following crates are currently available via the item drop system:
Series #58 – RoboCrate
RoboCrate
Level 13 Crate Series #58 This crate is special.
Its contents are unknown and requires a RoboCrate Key to unlock.
The RoboCrate contains Unusual effects that will only come from this crate.
Added to the game files in the April 23, 2013 Patch. Added to drop in the April 25, 2013 item schema update. The RoboCrate Key that opens this crate was released in the May 17, 2013 Patch as part of the Robotic Boogaloo community update. Unlike previous event crates, RoboCrates do not expire although it is stated that they will become rare drops after the 3rd of June. The RoboCrate has a unique sound effect played while being opened, identical to that of a Tank Robot deploying its bomb in Mann vs. Machine mode.
All items in the following list have a same chance of drop, except Pallet of Crates which can also be added to any item found inside.
These particular crates are given to players much less frequently than a normal Mann Co. Supply Crate. Unlike event crates, it has no special key or expiration time.
Weapons obtained from this crate will have the Strange quality.
Retired series
The crates in this section can no longer be found via the item drop system; however, any existing ones can still be traded, gifted, or opened with a Mann Co. Supply Crate Key unless expired.
This crate contains Festive versions of signature weapons from each class. The Festive versions feature decorative Smissmas lights wrapped around each weapon.
On January 03, 2013, these crates expired and were removed from player backpacks.
Weapons obtained from this crate will have the Strange quality.
Series #48 – Fall Crate
Fall Crate
Level 10 Crate Series #48 This crate's contents are unknown and only Fall Keys fit the lock.
A sense of community can be felt emanating from the inside.
After 9/20/2012 this crate will disappear.
Added to the game in the September 4, 2012 Patch. A Fall Key was required to open this crate. All unopened Fall Crates disappeared after September 21, 2012.
Weapons obtained from this crate will have the Strange quality.
Series #46 – Scorched Crate
Scorched Crate
Level 10 Crate Series #46 This crate's contents are unknown and only Scorched Keys fit the lock. It feels strangely warm to the touch. After 7/11/2012 this crate will disappear.
These particular crates are given to players much less frequently than a normal Mann Co. Supply Crate. Unlike event crates, it has no special key or expiration time.
This crate contains Festive versions of signature weapons from each class. The Festive versions feature decorative Smissmas lights wrapped around each weapon.
On January 1, 2012, these crates expired and were removed from player backpacks.
These particular crates were given to players much less frequently than a normal Mann Co. Supply Crate. Unlike event crates, it had no special key or expiration time.
Weapons obtained from this crate will have the Strange quality.
Series #22 – Refreshing Summer Cooler
Refreshing Summer Cooler
Level 10 Crate Series #22 The cooler's contents are unknown and normal keys don't fit the lock. You'd better hold onto it. There will probably be a way to open it later. The cooler contains an item, but it isn't clear what. The cooler will disappear on July 11th, so you should open it before it's gone!
Mann Co. Supply Crate Series #1 and #2 no longer drop in game. (People with Series #1 and #2 crates still had the attributes set to #1 and #2, but they took on the schema ID of Series #3 and #4 crates, respectively.)
[Undocumented] Changed the Mann Co. Supply Crate's names to include their series number.
Unused content
An unused 'Special Crate' backpack icon exists in the GCF.
Bugs
Attempting to open a crate whilst disconnecting from a server will result in the timer being set to 1,000 seconds.
Crates with expiration dates, such as the Festive Winter Crate and the Refreshing Summer Cooler Crate, will not disappear until Team Fortress 2 is started up after trading for them.
Trivia
Although Valve modeled the padlocked chain for the icon, the padlocked box can't be found in the game files; its textures, however, can be found. The crate itself uses a model that appears to be the same as models/props_hydro/barrel_crate_half.mdl.