If you were hoping that Valve would have at least one major update for their popular multiplayer shooter Team Fortress 2 before the end of the year, you will be disappointed. According to a chat with Valve's Doug Lombardi at Shacknews, other matters will keep Valve from releasing any more major updates to the game for the rest of 2008.

The obvious culprit is Left 4 Dead, Valve's upcoming zombie shooter that has been taking up a lot of the developer's attention lately. Lombardi states, "But we're going to keep evolving TF2. Once Left 4 Dead wraps, you'll hear us clamoring more about [the next TF2 update]." So far Valve has released not only new maps and gameplay modes but new unlockable weapons and achievements for three of the game's nine character classes (Pyro, Medic and Heavy). You can check out our comprehensive look at those three character updates right here at Big Download.