Team Fortress 2 Short Film Expiration Date Must Be Watched

Team Fortress 2 is about to get a new update called "Love and War" in the near future. They kicked off a week's worth of reveals on the update with a fantastic short film called "Expiration Date."

"Engineer and Medic make an unsettling new discovery while experimenting with the teleporter," says the spoiler-free teaser for the video. "Meanwhile, Scout stops insulting Spy long enough to ask him an embarrassing favor; the Administrator's clerical assistant/cleaner/murder expert Miss Pauling races to bury some incriminating bodies; and Soldier makes a new metal friend."

If you loved the "Meet the..." videos released over the past few years, you'll love "Expiration Date." It's the same wit and imagination as those videos. While the film's a mere 15 minutes, it's a full story arc too.

"Expiration Date" almost feels like a send-off for Team Fortress 2, which was released way back in 2007. However, Valve's not quite ready to retire the game yet. Instead, they're still producing new content. Case in point: "Love and War."

The "Love and War" update will introduce several new taunts to the game. I use the word "taunts" very loosely, as they're actually friendly in nature. For example, you can square dance or conga line with enemies. You can even challenge them to a match of rock paper scissors. Valve also included seven associated Achievements with names like "Party Crasher" and "May I Cut In?"

That's not the extent of the update, though. Valve typically reveals TF2 updates bit-by-bit over the course of a week, with the new content debuting on the last day. If that tradition holds true this time around, players will be diving into the "Love and War" content this weekend.

Team Fortress 2 can be downloaded and played for free through Steam on PC, Mac or Linux. If "Expiration Date" inspired you to make a TF2 movie of your own, you can download the Source Filmmaker tool. That program, also free, lets you use assets from TF2 and other Source Engine games like Half-Life 2 in creating your own movies. Valve gives out Saxxy Awards to the best films made with the toolset.