Citadel
Citadel | |
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Basic Information | |
Map type: | Payload |
File name: | pl_citadel
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Released: | July 24, 2025 Patch (Summer 2025 Update) |
Developer(s): | Evan "Defcon" LeBlanc Nickolas "KrazyZark" Fenech Sarexicus Freyja Ficool2 |
Map Info | |
Environment: | Town |
Setting: | Daylight, overcast |
Hazards: | Pitfalls, Crushing, Payload Cart explosion |
Deep Water: | Yes |
Map Items | |
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Map Photos | |
Map overview | |
Map Stamp | |
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Supporters Leaderboard |
“ | We're gonna need a bigger cart...
— Citadel publicity blurb
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” |
Citadel is a community-created single-stage Payload map released during the Summer 2025 Update. It is set inside of a picturesque coastal village which RED had taken over with the intent to repurpose its giant Gothic Cathedral into a lightning rod; one that BLU must destroy.
Instead of using a normal cart for this task, BLU instead has access to a large treaded tank which allows Engineers on both teams to construct their buildings on top of it. Demoman can also also place stickybombs on top of the tank. The map additionally contains braziers and torches, which Huntsman Snipers can use to light their arrows on fire.
The setup timer is 1 minute and 10 seconds.
Citadel was contributed to the Steam Workshop.
Contents
Locations
The following locations are described from the BLU perspective.
Checkpoint A
The cart starts below the first BLU spawn, with its exit boarded off. When setup ends, it must first punch through the barrier before it can proceed to the first checkpoint.
- Chapel: BLU initially spawns here. A medium sized building featuring several exits, including the boarded off crypt housing the cart.
- Muddy Beach: A muddy, rocky beach stretches from the first BLU spawn until the Spiral Staircase building. The water is deep enough to extinguish players.
- First Shortcut: The closest building to BLU spawn. It is a small, stone house with a rooster weather vane on top of it. It has a locked passage that opens up after checkpoint A is captured, allowing BLU to cut down their travel time.
- Spiral Staircase: Located to the left is a large circular tower containing a spiral staircase.
- Arch: Connecting the two aforementioned buildings is a stone arch under which the cart passes on its way to checkpoint A
- Inn: Located behind the Spiral Staircase is a wide, two-story house sitting right next to the first checkpoint.
Checkpoint B
- Humboldt's Pharmacy: A small building on the right that becomes unlocked when checkpoint A is captured. It leads to the Village Walls.
- Village Walls: The edge of the map is encircled by defensive walls that stretch all the way to checkpoint D. A deadly pitfall lies beyond them.
- Alchemist: Next to Humboldt's Pharmacy is a slightly larger building that also leads to the Village Walls. A medium health pack can be found behind it.
- Gable House: This large structure, adjacent to the Alchemist, acts as the second BLU spawn once Checkpoint B is captured. It also has an upper floor containing health and ammo.
- Bell Tower: Opposite the Gable House is a tall but thin tower with a yellow bell at its top.
Checkpoint C
- Tunnel: After securing checkpoint B, the cart enters a tunnel that leads it to the Drawbridge.
- Second Shortcut: Connected to the Tunnel's right side is a large, two-story structure with a one-way gate. It only becomes unlocked after checkpoint B's capture.
- Giant Lantern: Meanwhile, on the Tunnel's left is a circular tower containing a huge lantern hanging from its ceiling. In the middle of the tower is also a pitfall, surrounded by a spiraling staircase.
- Drawbridge: After exiting the Tunnel, the cart comes to a complete stop in front of a tall, stone wall. In order to proceed, the cart must first wait for a wooden drawbridge to slowly lower until it is fully extended, allowing the cart to cross over a shallow stream and reach the third checkpoint. Players standing under the Drawbridge while it is lowering risk getting crushed.
- Stream: A shallow stream can be found below the Drawbridge. It flows from left to right, eventually running off into the pitfall.
- Cliffside Flank: While waiting for the Drawbridge to lower, players can use an opening in the wall's right most side in order to reach checkpoint C sooner.
- Third BLU spawn: After checkpoint C's capture, the BLU spawn is moved to a room located on the Drawbridge's left.
Checkpoint D
- Pedway: With checkpoint C secured, the cart passes underneath a pedestrian bridge connecting the two neighboring buildings.
- Antenna Building: Located on the right is an inaccessible house with a large antenna on its roof. From said antenna extends a thick black cable that connects to the Gothic Cathedral.
- Side Entrance: Hole in the Gothic Cathedral's northern wall, through which the cart enters and where checkpoint D is also located.
Checkpoint E
- Gothic Cathedral: Located all the way at the top of the map and housing both the final checkpoint and the RED spawn is an enormous cathedral. Its central part has been turned into a makeshift lightning rod, with a tall metallic tower puncturing through its roof and sticking out into the sky. The usual benches have been removed and replaced with various servers and computers, while large cables used to power the rod are strewn about the place. In the cathedral's left side is a hole through which the cart enters it. Directly beneath the lightning rod is checkpoint E.
- RED Spawn: During setup, RED spawns in the back of the large Gothic Cathedral, facing towards an exit that leads to checkpoint A. After A's capture, RED is still in the cathedral, but the exit to checkpoint A is closed and RED now faces B exit. RED's spawn is also unchanged when checkpoint C is captured, but RED's exit to it is now closed and RED now spawns facing an exit to checkpoint D. Finally, after checkpoint D gets captured, the exit to C is also closed, leaving RED with only those exits that lead to checkpoints E and D.
- Main Entrance: The main entrance of the Cathedral, although not the way through which the cart enters it. Found in front of it is a large health pack right besides the cliff's edge.
- North Transept Arm: Cutting through the eastern part of the cathedral is a large transept. Its northern arm serves as a shortcut for the third BLU spawn.
- South Transept Arm: Directly opposite it, on the other side of the final checkpoint, is the southern arm. This one contains the last two remaining exits for the RED spawn.
- Flying Buttress: The cathedral is flanked on both sides with a flying buttress system, a series of arches and pillars that adorn the cathedral's side walls. Beneath the arches is a piece of roofing which can be stood upon.
- Upper Catwalks: Next to the roofs are the cathedral's windows, many of which open, allowing players to access the Upper Catwalks that overlook the cathedral's floors and the final checkpoint.
- Apse Catwalk: Located behind the final checkpoint is an elevated catwalk following the apse of the cathedral.
- Observation Room: Connected to the Apse Catwalk is a small room with windows observing the final checkpoint.
- Final checkpoint: Once the cart reaches the final checkpoint, it turns into a control point that BLU must capture in order to detonate the cart and destroy the lightning rod.
Strategy
![]() | “Sun Tzu's got nothing on us!” This map's Community strategy page is a stub. As such, it is not complete. You can help the Team Fortress Wiki Community Strategy Project by expanding it. Notes: None added |
Update history
- Added Citadel to the game
- VScript stability improvements.
- Adjusted Payload collision.
- Reduced radius of Payload spawn exit explosion.
- Updated various decorative particles to not render on low graphics settings.
- Further adjustments to Payload collision.
- Adjusted cover near first checkpoint gate.
- Made drawbridge less prone to crushing players while opening.
- Fixed some projectiles colliding with the bounding box of
func_brush
entities. - Fixed an exploit that allowed buildings to be placed under terrain.
- Fixed an exploit that allowed BLU players to enter RED spawn.
- Improved navmesh. (community fix from Koi)
- Visual fixes and adjustments.
- Clipping adjustments.
Changelog
- Payload can no longer be pushed or obstructed by players directly in front of it
- Fixed RED players being able to obstruct the payload before it had left spawn
- Expanded cliffside balcony overlooking the A gate
- Increased width of A tower basement stairs
- Increased time added when A is captured from 3 minutes to 4
- Increased RED respawn wave time on A from 6 to 7
- Fixed an unintended jumping route on the B castle wall flank
- Added a window connecting the lower floor of the C gatehouse to the drawbridge
- Removed access to the highest level of the C drawbridge wall
- Increased RED respawn wave time on C from 5 to 6
- Added opening in E cliffside rooftop
- Adjusted position of RED spawn points on E
- Fixed part of RED spawn not being covered by func_respawnroom
- Clipping fixes and adjustments
- Visual fixes and adjustments
- Pickup adjustments
Changelog (May 31, 2025)
- Stickybombs now stick to the payload
- Improved accuracy of payload collision
- Fixed a bug that prevented the payload from moving
- Fixed a bug that caused the payload to spin when not being pushed or receding
- Slightly expanded the payload buildable area to make placing teleporters easier
- Slightly adjusted shape of the payload capture zone
- Increased RED respawn wave time on A and B from 7 to 8
- Decreased BLU respawn wave time on A, B, C, and E from 5 to 3
- Increased time added when A is captured from 4 minutes to 5
- Reopened access to upper level of C drawbridge wall
- Added an interior stairwell to upper level of C drawbridge wall
- Various adjustments to C gatehouse to accommodate routing changes
- Removed window connecting lower floor of the C gatehouse to the drawbridge
- Added wooden planks crossing river on C
- Adjusted cover placement on C and D
- Increased RED respawn wave time on C from 6 to 7
- Increased time added when D is captured from 2 minutes to 3
- Increased RED respawn wave time on E from 8 to 9
- Clipping fixes and adjustments
- Visual fixes and adjustments
- Pickup adjustments
Changelog (June 25, 2025)
- Various routing and cover adjustments throughout the map
- Slightly expanded cliffside balcony overlooking the A gate
- Added a doorway connecting the A gate and tower basement
- Blocked access to B castle wall flank until A is captured
- Moved lower entrance to C tower closer to the drawbridge
- Removed locked door from C drawbridge inner stairwell
- Reintroduced ramp up to C drawbridge tower
- Decreased RED respawn wave time on C from 7 to 6
- Reduced length of D checkpoint/E entrance archway
- Increased time added when D is captured from 3 minutes to 4
- Added a dropdown from E roof to interior upper lobby
- Decreased final point capture time from 7 seconds to 5
- Clipping fixes and adjustments
- Visual fixes and adjustments
- Optimization improvements
- Pickup adjustments
Unused content
- The tank has an unused RED team variant.
- There is an unused main menu image featuring a BLU Engineer with a Sentry Gun on the tank.
Gallery
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