List of references

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Bill's Hat, a reference to the game Left 4 Dead.

Due to the comedic style of Team Fortress 2 as well as Valve's humor, the game includes references, usually in a humorous fashion. There are many different types, from games to movies. Jokes that have developed within the game and its community have been included. Below are references that are not specific to one class.

Class-specific references

Achievements

General

A Fresh Pair of Eyes
A Fresh Pair of Eyes
Dominate a player using the Pyrovision Goggles and earn your own pair!

Reward: Pyrovision Goggles


A Fresh Pair of Eyes references the practice or effect of bringing in a new person to help solve a problem; the idea being that someone less familiar with the situation has a fresh pair of eyes that might see things that the rest of the team doesn't.


BFF²
BFF²
Have 2 BEST FRIENDS at the same time.


Best Friends Forever, often shortened to BFF, is a somewhat outdated term for a close friendship used by younger teenagers.


Grey Matter
Grey Matter
Get 25 Headshots as a Sniper.


Grey matter is a major component of the central nervous system. The highest concentration of grey matter is found in the brain.


Mass Hysteria
Mass Hysteria
Have 6 teammates using Pyrovision at the same time.


Mass hysteria is the spontaneous manifestation of similar hysterical symptoms by more than one person.


Riftwalker
Riftwalker
Kill an enemy within 5 seconds of you traveling through an Engineer's teleporter.


In science fiction, teleportation devices are often stated to use technology which creates a rift in space, allowing a person to travel through it and out the other end while virtually no time passes in between, hence the name 'Riftwalker.'


The Great Deflate
The Great Deflate
Kill 79 enemies who have the Balloonicorn pets.


The Great Debate was a debate between two influential astronomers which took place in 1920, and concerned the nature of spiral nebulae and the size of the universe.

Astro-chievements

Escape Ferocity
Escape Ferocity
Kill an enemy who has damaged the Australium carrier in the last 3 seconds.


Escape velocity is the speed needed to "break free" from a gravitational field without further propulsion.


Lift-offed
Lift-offed
Push a player into the rocket's exhaust path at the end of the round.


"Liftoff" refers to the moment at which a vehicle such as an aeroplane, helicopter, or more appropriately, a rocket, leaves the ground.
Someone who is said to have been "offed" has been murdered.


Plan Nine to Outer Space
Plan Nine to Outer Space
Launch the rocket as all 9 classes.


Plan Nine from Outer Space is a 1959 sci-fi film notorious for its poor quality.


Rocket Booster
Rocket Booster
Win a round after the enemy team has opened the rocket lid.


A rocket booster is a component inside the engine of a rocket which provides additional thrust on takeoff, and is usually jettisoned when no longer required.


The Fight Stuff
The Fight Stuff
Win 138 Rounds.


The Right Stuff is a 1979 book about the U.S. manned space program. It was adapted into a film in 1983.


Cap-ogee
Cap-ogee
Win a round with at least 5 teammates on the elevator.


The apogee is the point where a satellite is the farthest away from Earth. For example, the Moon's apogee is 405,000 km away from Earth.


Space Camp
Space Camp
Kill an enemy within the broken crate area while they attempt to pick up the neutral Australium.


A Space Camp is a summer camp designed to teach young people about various aspects of astronomy and space exploration.


Flight Crew
Flight Crew
Play in a game with five or more players from your Friends list.


The flight crew are the personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight.


Mission Control
Mission Control
Pick up the Australium from its home position and capture it without dropping it.


As they are so complex, all aerospace flights require a mission control center from where support personnel monitor all aspects of the mission.

Foundry achievements

Real Steal
Real Steal
Win a round in which the enemy team has attempted to capture your final control point.


Real Steel is a 2011 science-fiction sports film, set in a future where human boxers have been replaced by robots.


Terminated, Too
Terminated, Too
Kill a player by pushing them into the cauldron fire.


This is a reference to the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day and its final scene.


Claim Jumper
Claim Jumper
Capture a control point within 12 seconds after exiting a teleporter.


A "claim jumper" is someone who illegally occupies or profits from a property to which another has a legal claim.


The Crucible
The Crucible
Win 137 Rounds.


In any year of the World Snooker Championship, held in the Crucible Theater in Sheffield, England, the winner (or the runner-up) can play a cumulative total of no more than 137 frames over all five rounds.


Raze the Roof
Raze the Roof
Kill two people on the roof of the center control point in a single life.


Raise the roof means to create an uproar or make a resounding noise. Additionally, the phrase names the gestures similar to that shown in the icon; one instance being a dancing motion whereby the dancer pushes both hands up in the air with their palms open and facing upwards.
To "raze" a building is to demolish it.


Dead Heat
Dead Heat
Play through a back-and-forth battle for 15 control point captures.


A "dead heat" in a sporting event describes a situation in which both teams are so evenly matched that neither can achieve a decisive victory.


Foundry Force Five
Foundry Force Five
Play in a game with five or more players from your Friends list.


Family Force 5 is a Christian crunk rock band from Georgia, USA.


Two Minute Warring
Two Minute Warring
Be part of a team that wins within two minutes.


In the National Football League, a "two-minute warning" is given when two minutes of game time remain on the game clock during each half of the game.

Halloween achievements

Attack o' Lantern
Attack o' Lantern
Cause the deaths of 5 players by exploding nearby pumpkin bombs.


A jack-o'-lantern is a hollowed-out pumpkin with a face carved in its front and a light source placed inside.


Candy Coroner
Candy Coroner
Collect 20 Halloween pumpkins from dead players to unlock a hat.

Reward: Mildly Disturbing Halloween Mask


A coroner is a government official who examines autopsy reports and rules on cause of death.
Candy corn is a type of candy often given out during Halloween.


Costume Contest
Costume Contest
Kill a Spy disguised as your current class.


A costume contest is a competition in which participants try to determine who has the best Halloween costume.


Optical Defusion
Optical Defusion
Kill MONOCULUS!

Reward: MONOCULUS!


Optical Diffusion, the scattering of light, is an important game technology, such as in the Source Phong shader on the Valve Developer Community. However, the purposeful misspelling suggests that by defeating the Optical organ, the player is defusing an explosive situation.


Sackston Hale
Sackston Hale
Craft the Saxton Hale Mask.


In the TF2 universe, Saxton Hale is the President and CEO of Mann Co.


Scared Stiff
Scared Stiff
Kill a player scared by a ghost.


For someone to be "scared stiff", he/she must be so afraid of something he/she is unable to move. However, the term stiff may also refer to a human corpse; so, killing a scared player results in a Scared Stiff.



Sleepy Holl0WND
Sleepy Holl0WND
Kill the Horseless Headless Horsemann.

Reward: Horseless Headless Horsemann's Head


The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a short story by Washington Irving in which a young schoolteacher named Ichabod Crane is pursued by a ghost known as the Headless Horseman on an autumn night.
"0wnd" is an Internet slang term used to refer to someone who has been defeated in a game, usually by a large margin.

Mann vs. Machievements

Balls-E
Balls-E
Destroy the tank during the final seconds of the bomb being deployed.


WALL-E is a 2008 animated sci-fi/romance film about robots.
A "ballsy" person is one who is tough or courageous.


Brotherhood of Steel
Brotherhood of Steel
Complete a mission with 5 people on your Friends List.


The Brotherhood of Steel is one of many factions seen in the Fallout series of role-playing games.


Chippin' In
Chippin' In
As a team, pit 10 guys in a single wave in Mannhattan.


Chippin' In means throwing in or contributing to a collective or team effort. Chippin' In also means knocking something into a hole. Additionally, the pit on this map is Captain Dan's wood chipper.


Ctrl + Assault + Delete
Ctrl + Assault + Delete
Destroy a sentry buster before it reaches its target.


Control-Alt-Delete is a keyboard command used to bring up the task manager in Windows, or otherwise used to restart a PC computer. This particular combination of keys is chosen due to generally being the least susceptible to ghosting.


Deus Ex Machina
Deus Ex Machina
Defeat a wave in an advanced difficulty mission without dying once.


A deus ex machina, literally "god out of the machine", is a plot device that suddenly and abruptly solves a story's seemingly unsolvable problem.


Do Androids Dream?
Do Androids Dream?
As a Scout, use the Sandman to mark 15 robots for death in a single wave.


Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a 1968 science-fiction novel about a bounty hunter who is charged with "retiring" escaped androids.


Engine Block
Engine Block
Prevent the bomb from ever reaching an alarm zone during the final wave of an advanced difficulty mission.


An engine block is a metal block that contains an internal combustion engine's cylinders.


.executioner
.executioner
In a single wave, kill 15 bomb-carrying robots in a row before they level up.


.exe is the filename extension Windows and MS-DOS use for a program (an executable file).


Fast Cache
Fast Cache
Pick up a credit pile that is about to expire.


In computing, a cache is a temporary place to store information, to make retrieving the same information later faster.
The term "fast cash" refers to a quick way to make money.


Frags to Riches
Frags to Riches
Earn all credit bonuses in an advanced difficulty mission.


To say someone has gone from "rags to riches" means he/she has come from a state of poverty to a state of wealth, usually in a relatively short time.
In online games, the term "frag" is synonymous with "kill".


German Engineering
German Engineering
Use a canteen charged with 'ÜberCharge' to destroy 15 robots.


"German engineering" is a buzzword used in recent Volkswagen advertisements.


Ghost in the Machine
Ghost in the Machine
Use a canteen charged with 'Teleport to Spawn' and then kill the bomb carrier within 5 seconds.


Ghost in the Machine is a 1993 film about a serial killer whose mind is transferred to a computer and goes on a murder spree.


Hack of All Trades
Hack of All Trades
Play an entire mission as a single class, and do this for every class.


A "jack of all trades" is a person who is competent with many skills.


Hard Reset
Hard Reset
As a Pyro, reset the bomb 3 times in a single wave.


A hard reset is a forced shutdown and reboot to a system by hardware means, usually done by pressing a reset button.


Heavy Mettle
Heavy Mettle
During a wave, use rage as a Heavy to push a robot about to deliver the bomb.


"Heavy metal" is a term that commonly refers to a metallic element that is toxic and typically has a high density.


Kritical Terror
Kritical Terror
Use a canteen charged with 'Crit Boost' to destroy a giant robot.


A critical error is an error that is serious enough to make the program or operating system cease to run properly, causing the computer to freeze or restart.


Negative Charge
Negative Charge
Kill 5 Medics that are ready to deploy an ÜberCharge in a wave.


A particle with a negative charge has an abundance of electrons in its outer atomic shell.



This achievement is associated with Captain Dan's wood chipper -- the sign above the chipper states that the company’s wood pulp is “Now legal to eat”. Microcrystalline cellulose is a term for refined wood pulp, which is used as a thickener in soup and as an excipient in other food products. With proper labeling, wood pulp is legal to eat.
Ooohh Ooh Ahh Ahhhh! is a stereotypical vocalization made by banana-littering giant gorillas, such as those that have famously run loose in Mannhattan.


Palace-Aid
Palace-Aid
Kill a tank before it crashes through the barrier in Rottenburg.


A palisade is a defensive fence or wall made by setting wooden stakes, posts, or trunks in the ground. This is a classically expedient and less than permanent construction; but building one could aide in the defense of a stone palace, a relatively permanent installation.


Raid Array
Raid Array
Complete the Crash Course, Doe's Drill, and Mann-euvers missions.


RAID is a storage technology that spreads storage across multiple disk drives for performance or security.


Real Steal
Real Steal
As an Engineer, escape with your sentry as a sentry buster is about to detonate.


Real Steel is a 2011 science-fiction sports film, set in a future where human boxers have been replaced by robots.


Silicon Slaughter
Silicon Slaughter
Destroy 100,000 robots.


Silicon is a chemical element commonly used in the manufacture of electronic devices.


Sly Voltage
Sly Voltage
As a Spy, sap 10 robots at once.


"High voltage" refers to voltage in circuits that poses safety issues.


Spam Blocker
Spam Blocker
During a wave, defend the hatch 10 times from robots about to deliver a bomb.


Spam is a common term for junk mail. Spam blockers are programs that filter spam out of one's inbox.


Spark Plugger
Spark Plugger
As a Sniper, kill 4 enemies simultaneously.


A spark plug is a device that delivers electric current to a car's engine in order to ignite it.


Steel Fragnolias
Steel Fragnolias
Complete all waves successfully in a mission.

Reward: Power Up Canteen


Steel Magnolias is a 1989 comedy film about a group of women described as delicate as magnolias, but tough as steel.
In online games, the term "frag" is synonymous with "kill".


T-1000000
T-1000000
Collect 1,000,000 credits in your career.


The T-1000000 is from the Universal Studios park attraction T2 3-D: Battle Across Time and is a metal spider-like version of the T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgment Day.


Turbocharger
Turbocharger
Buff 4 or more teammates as a Soldier at the same time in a single wave.


A Turbocharger is a device which delivers compressed air to an engine to allow more power to be produced.


Undelete
Undelete
During a wave, use a canteen charged with 'Instant Building Upgrade' to build a new sentry gun within 3 seconds of your previous sentry gun's destruction.


To undelete a computer file is to undo a delete of the file.


Vial Sharing
Vial Sharing
As a Medic, share your canteen 5 times in a single wave.


File sharing is a method of transferring data over the Internet. It is often misused for illegal purposes.


Wage Against the Machine
Wage Against the Machine
Earn a credit bonus at the end of a wave.


Rage Against the Machine is a rock band from Los Angeles, California, USA.

Snakewater achievements

Log Jammin
Log Jammin
Kill 15 enemies in the rafters above the central capture point.


In the Coen Brothers film The Big Lebowski, Logjammin' is the title of a pornographic movie in which the character Bunny Lebowski starred.

Weapons

Conscientious Objector
Conscientious Objector
We gave peace a chance. It didn't work.


A conscientious objector is someone who refuses military service for ideological reasons.
The description of the weapon references Give Peace a Chance, a song by John Lennon.


Frying Pan
Frying Pan


The Frying Pan is a melee weapon used by the survivors in Left 4 Dead 2.


Half-Zatoichi
Half-Zatoichi
Soldiers and Demos
Can duel with katanas
For a one-hit kill


The Half-Zatoichi is a reference to a long running Japanese fictional character, Zatoichi, that is a blind swordsman. The name comes from the Demoman's missing eye, making him half blind, and the Soldier having his helmet over his eyes as opposed to being completely blind, and therefore "half" Zatoichi.


Saxxy
Saxxy
Winner: [Category] [Year] Imbued with an ancient power.


The Annual Saxxy Award is a reference to the annual Academy Award, having similar prize statuettes and opening songs.

Cosmetic items

Alien Swarm Parasite
Alien Swarm Parasite
This cute little guy was once the scourge of humanity in another time and place. Now he's content to ride on your head and keep the sun off.


This is a stylized version of an enemy parasite from Alien Swarm.


Aperture Labs Hard Hat
Aperture Labs Hard Hat
Produce-powered personal illumination and cranial safety apparatus. NOT FOR USE OUTSIDE OFFICIAL APERTURE FACILITIES.


This cosmetic is a reference to the "Potato Clock" or "Potato Battery", a popular science fair project where a potato is used to power a clock or other electronic appliance and a running joke in Portal 2.


Athletic Supporter
Athletic Supporter
[Insert Favorite Regional Team Here]


The Athletic Supporter sports the Monday Night Combat logo on the front.
"Athletic supporter" is an alternate name for a jockstrap.


Beaten and Bruised
Beaten and Bruised


This item's different appearances for each class are based on the cover of Fight Songs: The Music of Team Fortress 2.
Additionally, the names of the different styles, 'Too Young To Die', 'Hey, Not Too Rough', 'Hurt Me Plenty', 'Ultra-Violence', and 'Nightmare', are based on the difficulty settings of the video game Doom.


Bill's Hat
Bill's Hat
Left 4 You.


This is the beret worn by Vietnam war veteran Bill in Left 4 Dead.


B.M.O.C.
B.M.O.C.
Be the Big Man of Christmas with this fur-fringed pom-pom hat!


The "Big Man of Christmas" is Santa Claus; the abbreviation is a play on the term "Big Man on Campus", a highly respected individual on a college campus.


Bombinomicon
Bombinomicon
"If ye gaze upon one tome-themed badge this year, MAKE IT NOT THIS ONE!" - Merasmus the Magician


The name "Bombinomicon", a portmanteau of Bomb and Necronomicon, is a reference to the fictional grimoire from the works of H. P. Lovecraft. Its appearance is based on the Necronomicon seen in the Evil Dead series of films, which had a face, was bound in flesh, and inked in blood.


Breadcrab
Breadcrab


This item resembles a Headcrab, a creature from the Half-Life video game series.


Brothers in Blues
Brothers in Blues


This item is based on the look of The Blues Brothers in the 1980 film of the same name.


Company Man
Company Man


The logo of Sarif Industries from the Deus Ex series is printed on the front of the cap.


Deep Cover Operator
Deep Cover Operator


This item is a reference to the iconic headwear of Solid Snake and Naked Snake in the "Metal Gear" video game series.


Dr. Whoa
Dr. Whoa


The item is a reference to the Eleventh Doctor from the television series Doctor Who, who wears a similar bow tie.


Ebenezer
Ebenezer
If you are visited by one piece of spectral headwear this night, make it the Ghost of Christmas Hats, donated in true Smissmas spirit by Steam User Jacen.


The Ebenezer's name, as well as its description, is a reference to Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol. The description references the three spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future that visit Ebenezer Scrooge, the main character, during the course of the story.


Ellis' Cap
Ellis' Cap


Ellis wears this cap in Left 4 Dead 2.


Flair!
Flair!
Show enthusiasm! For your favorite things!


The item's name and description are a reference to the film Office Space, in which employees of the restaurant Chotchkie's were required to wear at least "fifteen pieces of flair" (wacky buttons and decals) on their uniforms to demonstrate their enthusiasm.


Full Head of Steam
Full Head of Steam
You never took a break from cp_foundry, and now you can prove it with the actual steam whistle used to call the breaks you never took!


A "Full Head of Steam" refers to a steam boiler (especially a locomotive's) that is "all fired up", "raring to go", and operating at full pressure (also called full head). Wearing a hat with a steam whistle suggests a "Head Full of Steam".
The idiom "full steam ahead" describes a task done with as much enthusiasm as possible, or to go as straight forward as humanly possible.


Hat of Undeniable Wealth And Respect
Hat of Undeniable Wealth And Respect
Earned by completing 28 objectives in 'The Great Steam Treasure Hunt.' Beware the Cephalopod padlock.


The hat is level 28, the same number of objectives required to be completed in The Great Steam Treasure Hunt to earn it.


Human Cannonball
Human Cannonball
Ask any daredevil what they strap onto their heads before getting shot out of a cannon and the answer will be the same: a glassy, unfocused stare from years of head trauma. Head trauma that could have been prevented with this sharp-looking crash helmet.


The human cannonball is a popular circus stunt in which a person is launched from a cannon.


Lo-Fi Longwave
Lo-Fi Longwave
Can't stop the signal.


This hardhat sports the KritzKast logo on the front.
The description is a tagline for pirate radio.


Macho Mann
Macho Mann
Sometimes it really does take a village, people


The name and description of this item refer to Macho Man, a song and album by the band Village People.


Map Maker's Medallion
Map Maker's Medallion


The hammer symbol on this medal is a reference to Valve's map editor, Hammer.
The item is referred to as a "Func_Medal", a reference to the various func-prefixed entities available for use with the Hammer editor.


Marxman
Marxman
Everyone knows laughter is the best medicine. But did you know that laughter is also the best disguise? No? Well, good thing you're not a cop infiltrating the Chinese mafia, then. Oh wait you are. AND NOW YOU'RE DEAD. Look, rookie, these glasses are actually hilarious.


The item is designed to resemble the popular novelty item Groucho glasses, which are based on the comedian Groucho Marx.
The name is a play on the term "marksman", referring to a person who can shoot well.


Max's Severed Head
Max's Severed Head
Expertly crafted headwear from cruelty-free farms in the Philippines. Hollowed-out skull casing wicks moisture away when in the heat of battle.


This item is modeled after the head of Max from Sam & Max. The description is a reference to the first Sam & Max comic, Monkeys Violating the Heavenly Temple, which took place in the Philippines.


Philateler
Philateler
Congratulations on doing more yesterday to support the TF2 map-making community through map stamps than anyone else! Wear this with pride before it changes hands tomorrow!


Philately is the collection and study of postage and imprinted stamps.


Point and Shoot
Point and Shoot
The next time someone accuses you of not being a real wizard because you refuse to (read: can’t) do spells, poke them in the eye with this magically blinding pointy hat and run.


Amadeus, a wizard in Trine 2, wears a hat similar to this. The description references the fact that Amadeus is incapable of conjuring a fireball, a recurring joke in the Trine series.


Proof of Purchase
Proof of Purchase
From another era.


The description references this hat's origins; it is visible on the Human Commando player model from the early "Invasion" version of Team Fortress 2, as well as the files that were leaked in 2003 with Half-Life 2's source code.


Resurrection Associate Pin
Resurrection Associate Pin


This item features Portal's companion cube.
The item is level 13, the same number of games required to be played in the Potato Sack pack to earn it.


Spine-Chilling Skull
Spine-Chilling Skull
Express your undying hatred for the living.


This hat is level 31, referring to Halloween on the 31st of October.


Spiral Sallet
Spiral Sallet
Little known fact: knights in chess travel over other pieces by rocket jumping.


The Spiral Sallet is named after the eponymous hat[1] from Spiral Knights, though it bears more resemblance to the Mighty Cobalt Helm[2]


Spirit of Giving
Spirit of Giving
The more gifts you give away, the bigger your heart will get! Get what gift-givers call "the Smissmas spirit," and what cardiologists call hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.


The item is a reference to the Dr. Seuss story How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, whose title character is born with a heart two sizes too small, but, when he gives Christmas presents to the Whos of Whoville, his heart grows three sizes.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the medical term for thickening and growth of the heart.


Teufort Tooth Kicker
Teufort Tooth Kicker
These steel-toed dogs were scientifically engineered (in a wind tunnel) by America's foremost authorities on mouth-kicking to perfectly fit the inside of an idiot's mouth.


The Capture the Flag map 2Fort is often referred to as "Teufort" in TF2's supplementary material.


Top Notch
Top Notch
Welcome to a secret society so exclusive it makes the Illuminati look like a Costco. How exclusive? You are the only member. This is the only item of its kind in all of existence. So don't craft it, Miney.


The hat adopts the likeness of Markus "Notch" Persson's personal avatar, a drawing of himself in the artistic style of Minecraft, on which he was the lead developer until the game's official release.
Something which is described as being "top notch" is first rate, or excellent.


Towering Pillar of Hats
Towering Pillar of Hats
A-ha-ha! You are as PRESUMPTUOUS as you are POOR and IRISH. Tarnish notte the majesty of my TOWER of HATS.


This hat and its description are references to the hidden Gentle Manne of Leisure page[3] on the Classless Update.


Voodoo Juju
Voodoo Juju
Only the finest leather hats come with tattoos and piercings.


The Voodoo Juju is level 31, referring to Halloween on the 31st of October.


World Traveler's Hat
World Traveler's Hat
Given to generous souls who have donated to community map makers. The effect will only be visible while on a map that has been donated towards!


Should a player contribute enough to obtain 200 stamps for their World Traveler's Hat, its rank changes to "Unobtainium", a reference to a recurring alloy in science fiction and speculative science.

Bots

Some bots which have names that reference other games include:

  • Aperture Science Prototype XR7 – Aperture Science Laboratories is the main setting for Portal.
  • Black Mesa – The main setting of Half-Life.
  • Boomer Bile – A substance produced by Boomers in the Left 4 Dead series.
  • CEDA –- The Civil Emergency and Defense Agency in the Left 4 Dead series is responsible for control of the Infection.
  • Chell – The name of the protagonist of Portal.
  • Companion Cube – An object in Portal used to solve Test Chamber 17.
  • CrowbarGordon Freeman's melee weapon of choice in the Half-Life series.
  • Delicious Cake – The "reward" of subsequent testing in Portal.
  • Dog – The name of Alyx Vance's pet robot from Half-Life 2.
  • GLaDOS – The main antagonist of Portal.
  • Hostage – A hapless citizen held up by the Terrorist team in Counter-Strike.
  • IvanTheSpaceBiker – A nickname given to the original model of Gordon Freeman in Half-Life.
  • One-Man Cheeseburger Apocalypse – A reference to a quote from Coach in Left 4 Dead 2.
  • Still Alive – The name of the song played during the end credits in Portal.
  • TAAAAANK! – A warning shouted by the Survivors in the Left 4 Dead series when a Tank is spotted.
  • The Combine – The primary antagonists of Half-Life 2 and its episodic sequels.
  • The Freeman – The nickname Gordon Freeman is given by the Vortigaunts of Half-Life 2.
  • The G-Man – A mysterious recurring character in the Half-Life series.
  • WITCH – One of the Special Infected types in the Left 4 Dead series.
  • ZAWMBEEZ – Pronunciation for "zombies", the primary enemies in the Left 4 Dead series.

Responses and sounds

The Soldier and Demoman often reference Greek myth in their taunts of each other, especially concerning the Cyclops.

One of the stock death responses used in Trailer 2 is the infamous Wilhelm Scream, a well known movie sound effect. This was also the death scream used for the Civilian class, when it was originally accessible via console commands.

Haunted Fortress 2, the soundtrack to the Scream Fortress Update, contains screaming sounds used by the Witch Infected from Left 4 Dead.


"Flawless Victory, now do it again!"

This line from the Administrator is a reference to the Mortal Kombat announcer's famous "Flawless Victory!" line.


"Merasmus talks about guns like you ain't got none, mortals! That's because I sold them all! (laughter)"

This line from Merasmus is a reference to Dr. Dre's 1999 single "Forgot About Dre", specifically referencing the lines "Now you wanna run around talkin' 'bout guns like I ain't got none / What, you think I sold 'em all?"


"(attempting a French accent) Bonjour Spy! It ees I, Francis zhe Talking France. I have zhe job for you, yes? Oui? Baguettes? (normal voice) No, it's Miss Pauling, sorry. I do have a job for you. It's not French though, sorry."

This is referencing Francis the Talking France, the judge of the Saxxy entries.

Companies, posters, and signs

Many signs and posters decorating the maps, many depicting businesses in the Team Fortress world, make a wide assortment of references; see List of companies and List of posters.

Other

References in other games

Due to its high popularity, references of Team Fortress 2 can be found in other games as well.

References in other media

  • Erfworld has a character who bears striking similarity to the Engineer, while also referencing the nope.avi community fad.
  • Team Fortress 2 is referenced in the Robot Chicken episode "Choked on Multi-Colored Scarves", which features a sketch in which Robot Chicken's Nerd is depicted as a class.
  • The game is depicted in the Venture Bros. episode "It Happening One Night", in which characters Rusty Venture and Sergeant Hatred are shown playing on Gold Rush.

References

See also