Valve sends word that the free Team Fortress 2: Gold Rush update has been released on Steam for owners of TF2.

Valve, creators of award-winning games and leading technologies, today announced a series of events for the title PC Gamer and Gamespy.com named 2007’s Multiplayer Game of the Year, Team Fortress 2.

First, the Team Fortress 2: Gold Rush Update (www.steamgames.com/goldrush) is now available, free to owners of Team Fortress 2 via Steam, a leading online platform for PC games with over 15 million accounts worldwide. The Gold Rush Update introduces the new Gold Rush map and Payload gameplay style, the first set of
unlockable weapons, and a new set of achievements for the Medic.

Valve also announced a worldwide Team Fortress 2 Free Weekend will begin Friday at noon PDT, and will include access to the new content released today in the TF2: Gold Rush Update. Using the functionality made available through Steam and Steamworks, all of the files needed to join the Free Weekend are available for pre-loading now. "Since Valve released Team Fortress Classic nine years ago this month as a free add-on for Half-Life owners, Valve has continuously looked for new ways to support the players of its online games," said Gabe Newell, president and co-founder of Valve. "Following in that tradition, today owners of all PC versions of Team Fortress 2 will automatically receive a free update containing new gameplay, weapons, and achievements by connecting to Steam, a platform built for gamers and creators of online games."

The Free Weekend is open to players around the world, and there is no obligation to purchase to participate; all that is needed is a Steam account to join. To start pre-loading everything you need to play on Friday and learn more about Team Fortress 2, please visit www.steamgames.com/goldrush