If you are really want to join right now I have stated in that post why I'd like to open testing only in CIS region, but if everything is ok to you already, then contact me by writing comments below that post or by email [email protected] - I'll send you a key to join right now.

Thank you for taking an interest in the project! ːsteamhappyː

Team Frontress has already started attracting attention from players. The community is still relatively small, but at this stage it is more than enough to begin proper testing, continue development, and gradually grow the project.

Right now, I am looking for alpha testers to help test one of the game's core systems: matchmaking.

The original Valve Game Coordinator used by TF2 is not publicly available as open-source software. Because of this, Team Frontress is being built around its own infrastructure, including integrations, hooks, replacements, and low-level changes designed to reproduce the functionality we need from the GC and connect the game to our own backend.

This is the system that needs testing right now.

Main changes in the current build:

• The standard matchmaking system and the required parts of Valve GC functionality have been replaced with our own Team Frontress implementation;
• The main menu has been redesigned to support the new systems;
• A number of low-level changes and integrations have been added to connect the game client to our infrastructure.

How matchmaking currently works

The backend is based partly on the work of two well-known TF2 community projects: tf2pickup and serveme.tf.

Our GC compatibility layer receives a request from the game client, creates a match through tf2pickup, requests an appropriate game server through the serveme infrastructure, and then sends the required connection information back to the client.

At this stage, we need to test the entire chain:

• Match creation and matchmaking;
• Lobby creation and management;
• Game server allocation;
• Player connections;
• Communication between the client, our GC layer, tf2pickup, and serveme;
• Error handling, cancellations, and unusual edge cases.

For this phase, I have primarily invited players from the CIS region. During such an early stage of development, having a smaller group with easier communication makes it much easier to collect detailed feedback and react quickly when something breaks.

Once the core systems become stable enough, I would like to expand testing to a much wider international audience — with a more complete version of the game, additional systems, servers, and more content already available.

The current project roadmap looks roughly like this:

• Test matchmaking and Steam integrations, including lobbies, inventory, VAC, and other Steam services;
• Prepare a local demo showcasing the core Team Frontress concept for Steam Next Fest;
• Continue development of the main gameplay systems;
• Gradually expand the testing pool as more features and content become available;
• Improve and expand the server infrastructure;
• Improve the Steam page and other marketing materials.

Team Frontress is still in an early stage of development, so bugs, unfinished features, and temporary solutions should be expected. That is exactly why feedback from alpha testers is especially valuable right now.

If you encounter a bug, unusual matchmaking behavior, connection issues, or simply want to share your impressions, please let me know.

Thank you for helping Team Frontress grow! ːsteamhappyː