Best TF2 Characters for all New Summer 2023 Maps

In the new Summer Update of 2023, the developers of Team Fortress 2 added 14 new maps to the base game. All of these are community-developed maps by various creators which are now being integrated into the base game. While the addition of these maps is great for player engagement, many players are struggling to win on the newly added maps mainly due to improper team composition. If you're having a rough time on these new maps, read our agent composition below and adapt it to your gameplay.

All new maps in Team Fortress 2 - Summer Update 2023

Here are all the new maps added to Team Fortress 2 in the 2023 Summer Update:

• Sharkbay - King of the Hill map
• Rotunda - King of the Hill map
• Phoenix - Payload map
• Cashworks - Payload map
• Venice - Payload map
• Reckoner - 5CP map
• Sulfur - Control Point map
• Hardwood - Control Point map
• Pelican Peak - Capture the Flag map
• Selbyen - Player Destruction map
• Tiny Rock - VSH map
• Distillery - VSH map
• Skirmish - VSH map
• Nucleus - VSH map

Best Team Composition for Each map

SharkBay

Sharkbay is a King of the Hill (KOTH) map. Since the control area is at the top of the ship, characters like Pyro and Engineer can help you acquire the middle part. Along with them, you can also use agents like Soldiers and Scouts to deal poke damage.

Rotunda

Another KOTH to feature along with Sharkbay is Rotunda. Unlike Sharbay, the entire map is inside a closed area, so meta picks like Demoman won't be effective. Stick with something like Medic, Engineer, Pyro, and Heavy to take the control point. Make sure your Medic keeps healing your Heavy or Engineer to fight.

Related: Team Fortress 2 Patch Notes Today (7/13/23)

Phoenix

At first glance, Phoenix looks like an alternate version of Gold Rush. Like Gold Rush, Phoenix also contains various elevated positions in the form of buildings and containers for combat. Any traditional characters that work on Gold Rush, like Spy, Sniper, Scout, Medic, Heavy, and Demoman, will help you capture the payload and push it to the end. Remember to watch out for Scouts or Soldiers who flank behind your blindspot and wipe your team.

Cashworks

Cashworks is a unique map in Team Fortress 2 due to its vertical level design approach. As a result, characters like Spy or Snipers in Payload scenarios may not work out due to the sloping line of sight. Instead, agents like Heavy, Pyro, and Demoman will be the main priority thanks to their AOE-type attacks. Make a Medic stand behind these people and push the payload slowly. 

Venice

Venice is an urban-style payload map with a lot of elevated areas suitable for sniping and spamming AOE-type attacks. Your best bet is to keep a Sniper and AOE-type characters such as Demoman and Soldier on your team to utilize these positions. Use an Engineer or Heavy along with a Medic for pushing the payload. Also, tell one of your teammates to play as Scout or Spy, as the map is long, and you must flank a lot to keep the enemy in the reset loop.

Reckoner

Reckoner is a 5CP default competitive game mode map to feature in the current update. It is a pretty open map with most of the combat section outside and a few closed indoor spots. Any good competitive 6vs6 lineup characters like a Medic, Demoman, Soldiers, and Scouts would help in Capturing Points and winning matches. For indoor engagement, use something like an Engineer to hold flanking spots used by opponent Scouts. 

Sulfur

Sulfur is an indoor-based CP map in TF2. The architecture and the buildings on the map look heavily inspired by Japanese Minka-style houses. Since the map is mainly indoor, holding characters like Engineer, Pyro, or Heavy can be favored along with a Medic. Agents like Scout can also cause a menace if you have mastered the art of entering and leaving a site quickly. 

Hardwood

Hardwood looks like a piece of a section taken right out of the Alan Awake Franchise. The map has an eerie feeling with a countryside setting. About the design, the map has an equal amount of closed and open areas. Characters excelling in closed and long-range combats, like Heavy, Demonman, and Soldiers, are viable picks on the map. Also, you can wonderfully play the role of Spy if you understand the concept of aggressive swapping.

Related: Best TF2 Counters for Every Character

Pelican Peak

Pelican Peak looks very similar to the design and layout of the previous Hardwood map. This CTF map has several elevated positions, making it highly suitable for characters that can participate in long-range battles, like Snipers, Soldiers, and Demonman. To capture flags, use agents like Pyro or Heavy with a Medic.  

Selbyen

One of the most underrated game modes - Player Destruction, is receiving a map in the form of Selbyen. Since the game mode heavily leans on fast-past characters, Scout is a must-pick to collect the dropped items and deposit them in the containers. Also, the map has a lot of small buildings, which can be ideal camping spots for Engineers and Heavy to counter Scouts going here and there.

VSH - Tiny Rock, Distillery, Skirmish, and Nucleus

The newest game mode to debut in the Summer 2023 Update is the VSH or VS Saxton Hale mode. When you hop inside this game mode, the server randomly selects one person as Saxton Hale and the remaining players as soldiers to the Grey Man NPC. The main objective is to kill the player disguised as Saxton Hale. Since it is a hide-and-seek-style game mode, fast-moving agents like Scout, Soldiers, Spy, and Medic can excel on all four maps.

For more on Team Fortress 2, check out Best TF2 Counters for Every Character or Team Fortress 2 Patch Notes Today (7/13/23) on Pro Game Guides.