Match outcomes

From TF2 Wiki

There are a number of different possible Match Outcomes in Team Fortress 2, and the conditions may vary depending on the game mode:

Victory/Defeat

The two most common match outcomes are Victory and Defeat, and occur when the team succeeds or fails respectively in their objective:

Game Mode	Win/Loss Conditions
CTF	One team wins upon capturing the intelligence the required number of times. The team that fails to do so first loses.
Control Point (Traditional)	One team wins upon capturing every control point on the map. If they succeed in doing this, the other team loses.
Control Point (Attack Defend)	The attacking team wins upon capturing every control point on the map. The defending team wins by preventing the attacking team from capturing every control point until the timer runs down.
Territorial Control	One team wins upon capturing every control point on the map. If they succeed in doing this, the other team loses. The team that ultimately captures all territories is the overall victor.
Payload	The attacking team wins upon pushing the cart to the final terminus of the map. The defending team wins by preventing the attacking team from moving the cart to the final terminus until the timer runs down.
Payload Race	One team wins upon pushing the cart to the opposing terminus. The team that fails to do so first loses.
Arena	One team wins upon killing all members of the opposing team or by capturing the center control point once the timer runs down. The team that is wiped out or concedes the central point loses.
King of the Hill	One team wins upon capturing the central control point and keeping it for a total of 3 minutes.

Humiliation

Humiliation occurs following a victory. During humiliation, all players on the victorious side receive a 10% increase to their speed and all attacks become critical hits for the purpose of hunting down any surviving opponents unlucky enough to stand in their way. Players on the victorious side are also able to enter enemy resupply areas, though they are still restricted from entering respawn areas on some maps.

During humiliation, the losing side moves slightly slower and is unable to attack or use any secondary abilities, though some weapons fired before the victory occurs may still kill during this time (flamethrower or flare gun fire, grenades, rockets, and huntsman arrows). The players on the losing team go into a 3rd person perspective, showing their class either fleeing, cowering or thoroughly disappointed. The losing team's sentry guns are also deactivated. Spies on the losing team drop their cloaks if they are active, but retain their disguises if they were wearing them during the winning capture, although they are able to use the 'last disguise' button. A Pyro, Heavy (not using the K.G.B.), Scout (using the Sandman), Sniper (using the Huntsman), Demoman (using the Eyelander), Soldier (using the Equalizer) or Spy on the losing team may still kill players on the winning team with their taunt attacks, although these will not count towards the achievements OMGWTFBBQ, Show Trial, Scotch Tap, Out of the Park, Spray of Defeat, Shafted or The Man From P.U.N.C.T.U.R.E..

Sudden Death

Sudden Death mode is activated if neither team scores enough points to win the map and the timer runs out. Sudden death is a server-side CVAR (control variable) and by default is disabled on the PC version.

Like normal rounds, Sudden death still has a time limit, however there are several restrictions. The supply cabinets in the respawn area are locked; when an Engineer dies, all his buildings are destroyed; and no player will respawn after dying. The only way to heal is either from a Medic or a Dispenser as the normal Health items throughout the map are also unavailable.

At the beginning of the Sudden death period, you may still re-select your class as long as you have not left the spawn room yet. If you leave the spawn room, and then choose a new class you will die and have to wait for the sudden death period to expire and the new map to start.

On some servers Sudden death is restricted to one class with Melee weapons only.

(Note that the Arena game mode is very similar to Sudden Death in terms of playstyle.)

Winning

Unlike normal rounds, you can win in one of two ways. Either by completing the original objectives, or by killing all the enemy players. If neither happens before time runs out, the match ends in a stalemate.

Strategy

• Engineers would be wise to build a Dispenser first, and preferably closer to the front lines. This ensures they have a supply of Metal for building other structures, as well as providing healing and ammunition for friendly units (or disguised enemy Spies).

• If on a one class server stick together and attack in packs. Keep your fire button held down and strafe in front of the opposition.

Stalemate

When a round goes into Sudden death, and neither team manages to kill the other or complete the objectives within the final time limit, the game is a Stalemate, and neither team receives a point. This also produces an effect similar to Humiliation, except that both teams lose their weapons and can only run around and taunt until the round ends a few seconds later. It is possible to kill opposing members with taunt attacks but they do not count to achievements. Also, you cannot use taunt attacks unless you were equipped with the weapon or are able to quick switch to the weapon that activates it when stalemate begins.