What Is Open Fortress?

Updated

Open Fortress is a fan-made modification of Team Fortress 2 that reimagines the game as a 1970s-styled deathmatch shooter. It is not a Valve product — the site states plainly that Open Fortress is a fan creation and is not affiliated with Valve Corporation. If you already own or can run Team Fortress 2, Open Fortress is aimed at you as an alternative way to play that universe with a retro-shooter feel.

What the project actually is

Open Fortress is built on top of Team Fortress 2 rather than being a standalone commercial game. Its own description frames the goal as envisioning "the future of Team Fortress 2 as seventies-styled deathmatch mayhem," and it invites players to "bunny hop your way into the new age of retro shooters."

Two things follow from that framing:

  • It is a total-conversion-style experience. The source material is TF2, but the intended feel is seventies deathmatch, not the standard TF2 match format.
  • Movement is a headline feature. Bunny hopping is called out directly in the project's own description, which signals that movement mechanics matter as much as shooting.

Who it is for

Open Fortress suits players who:

  • Already play Team Fortress 2 and want a different take on its classes, weapons, or movement.
  • Enjoy retro shooters and movement-heavy deathmatch rather than objective-based team play.
  • Are comfortable with fan projects that are explicitly unaffiliated with the original publisher.

It is a poor fit if you want an officially supported Valve product, or if you need a game with no dependency on TF2.

How to get it

The site's navigation lists a Download entry alongside Home, FAQ, Blog, Credits, and Contribute, and there is also an Alpha link and a Wishlist Now call to action. The practical path is:

  1. Go to openfortress.fun.
  2. Use the Download link to get the current build.
  3. Check the FAQ page for setup requirements and known issues before installing.
  4. Use Contribute if you want to help with the project.

Because the site labels a build as Alpha, expect an in-progress release rather than a finished product. The FAQ is the right place to confirm current requirements, since those details are maintained there rather than in the site's top-level description.

What to keep in mind

  • Trademarks belong to Valve. Steam, the Steam logo, Valve, and the Valve logo are Valve Corporation trademarks or registered trademarks. Open Fortress uses that ecosystem but is not part of it.
  • No pricing information is stated on the page. Nothing in the available material says whether the download is free, paid, or gated behind a login, so check the Download and FAQ pages directly rather than assuming.
  • Alpha status means change. Features, requirements, and availability can shift between builds.

If you want a seventies-flavored, movement-focused deathmatch built on TF2's foundation and you are fine with an alpha-stage fan project, start at the Download page and read the FAQ first.