Team Fortress 2/Unused Assets/Unused Textures

This is a sub-page of Team Fortress 2/Unused Assets.

1 Cosmetics
2 Items
- 2.1 Special Crate
- 2.2 Backpack Icon Model Textures
3 Characters/Game Modes
4 Weapons
5 Maps/Objects
6 Overlays/Decals
- 6.1 Unused RED Team logo textures
7 Menu Backgrounds
- 7.1 Meet Your Match
- 7.2 Update-Specific Backgrounds
8 Unused Warpaints
- 8.1 Unused Concealed Killer Warpaints
- 8.2 Unused Warbird Collection Warpaints

Cosmetics

Filled MvM Powerup Canteens

Several unused backpack icons for filled power up canteens can be found within materials/backpack/player/items/mvm_loot/all_class.

mvm_flask_ammo_large
mvm_flask_build_large
mvm_flask_krit_large
mvm_flask_tele_large
mvm_flask_uber_large

119th Update Badges Hidden Text

In the texture files for the Grizzled Veteran (gold), Soldier of Fortune (silver) and Mercenary (bronze) badges from the 119th Update, when viewing the alpha channel the text "EMPLOYEE CLASS" can be seen in the same location as the existing medals' name text.

When viewing the model in HLMV, under certain lighting conditions the text can be faintly seen under the existing name text. It is much easier to see on the Grizzled Veteran and Soldier of Fortune skins. It is almost impossible to see on the Mercenary skin due to the darker alpha channel of the texture.

It is unknown whether the text is placeholder text that was originally used when the textures were designed, or if it was the original text that was to be on the badge. Either way, it was left in the alpha channel. The text is not present in the alpha channel of the texture for the Primeval Warrior (platinum) badge, which was added a few patches later.

Up close view of the text under certain lighting conditions.
Grizzled Veteran texture alpha channel.
Soldier of Fortune texture alpha channel.
Mercenary texture alpha channel.

Unused Duck Journal Texture

After the End of the Line update, a Duck Journal was added that would track Duck XP and Duckstreaks from special Ducks that would drop when players were killed up until January 5th, 2015. There is a texture for the Duck Journal in the files not implemented in the model. It appears to be paintable, and has hidden text reading "LETS EAT!!!", which is a reference to Chica the Chicken, a character from the game Five Nights at Freddy's. Apart from potential copyright concerns, it's unknown why it wasn't included.

The texture was removed from the game files a few days after its addition, on the December 12, 2014 patch. However, the bump map and phong exponent textures still remain in the game files.

Unused Fresh Brewed Victory Textures

There are some unused/alternate textures for the Fresh Brewed Victory taunt, including a coffee bean texture (with a Windows mouse cursor on it...) and two tin can textures.

coffee.vtf
whoopass_can.vtf
whoopass_can2.vtf

Note on Pocket Pauling Texture

While not technically unused, there is a low-resolution note on the Pocket Pauling clipboard that's impossible to read in-game, which reads: "Scout is the best of the Teufort nine and he definitely deserves a pay rise and all the chicks in the world." Make of that what you will...

Most Wanted Notepad Names

The model used in the Sniper's Most Wanted taunt show off a list of names, and although it's hard to read the list while in-game, the names are much clearer on the texture. The majority of the names are either taken from TF2 Community Contributors in the Facepunch Community or are references to Valve-owned Properties.

Name	Explanation
S. Nipe	A reference to Sn1pe, the co-contributor of the Most Wanted taunt.
S. Quare	References user Square, who is known for contributing many items including the Scorch Shot, the Tools of the Trade, the Heavy Lifter and more.
A. Pesquera	References user Druida, who co-contributed the Back Scatter.
P. OGO	References user POGO, who contributed the Bigg Mann on Campus, Bozo's Bouffant, and assisted in creating the Robotic Boogaloo update.
S. Greg	References user Serious Greg, known for contributing numerous items including the Eye-Catcher, the Skullcap, and the Facepeeler.
N. Demente	References user NeoDement, contributor of items such as the Wiki Cap, the Cute Suit, Level Three Chin and numerous items featured in the Robotic Boogaloo update.
N. OizBlaz	This is a reference to user Noizeblaze, who contributed the Juggernaut Jacket, Borscht Belt, and the Winter Wonderland Wrap.
N. D. Wise	This is referencing the user Napy Da Wise, known for contributing items such as the Deep Cover Operator, Fashionable Maniac, and the Merc's Muffler.
Z. Smith	References user Sexy Robot, who's known for contributing the Panic Attack, Flying Guillotine, Pocket Momma; and was also one of the modellers working on the End of the Line update.
V. Hideous	This is a reference to user Hideous, who contributed items such as the Western Wear, Graybanns, and Well-Rounded Rifleman.
D. Conagher	This is the name of The Engineer, Dell Conagher.
W. Overbeck	This is the name of William "Bill" Overbeck from Left 4 Dead.
G. Freemann	This is the TF2-ified variation for the name of Gordon Freeman from the Half-Life series.
A. Vance	This is the name of Alyx Vance from the Half-Life series.
G. Newell	This is referencing Gabe Newell, Valve's co-founder.
D Tickler	It's exactly what you think it is...
Mundy,	The Sniper's real name, which was first revealed as Mister Mundy in the Meet the Director comic. This name is written on the sides of the pages, making it even harder to see than normal.

A clearer look at the names on the texture.

Items

Special Crate

A backpack icon for an unused "special" crate variant can be found in the game files.

Special Crate backpack icon.

Backpack Icon Model Textures

Several textures for the models that were used to create backpack icons for certain items were accidentally released in the game files early on.

Based on these textures being for models that were used to create backpack icons for items, it is theorized that the relevant models for these textures are in the Source Developer Repository, and that these textures were initially meant to only be available through the repository until they were accidentally included in the game files. Backing this theory up, recent Source Developer Repository leaks have shown that assets related to crafting items and other crate keys are in the repository.

Bundle Textures

Present in materials\models\player\items\crafting are several textures for a model used in the backpack icons of several item bundles from the Mann-Conomy Update. The model is not available to the public, but the textures made their way into the game for unknown reasons. Most likely, the model would have just used all of these textures as skins, to make the process of backpack icon creation for bundles as easy as possible.

Polycount Pack bundle texture.
The Special Delivery bundle texture.
The Tank Buster bundle texture.
The Gas Jockey's Gear bundle texture.
The Croc-o-Style bundle texture.
The Saharan Spy bundle texture.

The backpack icons for the bundles give an idea of what the model would have looked like.

Polycount Pack bundle backpack icon.
The Special Delivery bundle backpack icon.
The Tank Buster bundle backpack icon.
The Gas Jockey's Gear bundle backpack icon.
The Croc-o-Style bundle backpack icon.
The Saharan Spy bundle backpack icon.

Mann Co. Crate, Chain and Key Textures

Also present in materials\models\player\items\crafting are the textures for models for the Mann Co. Supply Crate model, the chain model for the crate, and the Mann Co. Supply Crate Key.

Texture for the Mann Co. Supply Crate Key model.
Texture for the Mann Co. Supply Crate model.
Texture for the Mann Co. Supply Crate's chain model.

And once again, the backpack icons shed some light on what the model looked like.

Backpack icon for the Mann Co. Supply Crate Key.
Backpack icon for the Mann Co. Supply Crate.

Paint Can

Finally, present in materials\models\player\items\crafting as well, is the texture for the model used in creating the backpack icons for the Paint Cans. This texture appears to be the default texture for the model, as the default backpack icon for the paint can features paint that is a similar-looking brown to that of the texture. Textures for the other paint can colors are not present in the files.

The brown paint can appears to be the "default" version in the item schema. Whether the paint can model itself uses multiple skins for each colored version, or the $color2 VMT parameter to change the color of the brown paint portions of the texture is not yet known as the model is not publicly available.

Within Steam, when viewing painted items in a player's inventory or on the Steam Community Market, occasionally a display bug can occur where a recolored version of just the paint portion of the model appears over top of the item in question. This seems to be due to how Steam handles the item icons for the paint cans, using the "default" brown can as the base image and applying a color-swapped paint overlay on top to represent the actual color.

Paint Can model texture.
Paint Can backpack icon.
Paint Can paint overlay bug in action.

Characters/Game Modes

Skeletons

The models models\bots\skeleton_sniper\skeleton_sniper.mdl and skeleton_sniper_boss\skeleton_sniper_boss.mdl both only use 4 skins on their models; Red, Blue, Green and Orange. The Red, Blue and Green skins are all used in normal gameplay. Red and Blue being team-based for the Halloween spell player-spawned Skeletons, and the Green being for neutral Skeletons. The Orange skin however is not used. The textures materials\models\bots\skeleton\hwn_skeleton.vtf, and hwn_skeleton_purple.vtf also exist in the game's files, but go entirely unused by the model and game.

Plain skeleton.
Orange skeleton.
Purple skeleton.

RED MvM Robot Textures

The "Mann Vs. Machine" game mode drops the RED team into a tower-defense scenario against an insanely-large horde of BLU robots (though, confusingly, the bots are canonically on the "gray" team, and BLU is supposed to be just as much a victim of their onslaught as RED). All of the robots that are modeled after the player classes have complete standard and Ubercharged textures for being on the RED team (the RED team skin being the default), as well as RED skins for all their giblets, even though they are always on BLU. The textures are "used" when a RED player's model is replaced by a robot model due to a rare bug, but there is no official way to make RED robots appear. Both the normal robot models, and the "boss" variants for certain classes (Scout, Soldier, Pyro, Demoman and Heavy) all have these unused RED skins.

RED Scout Robot
RED Soldier Robot
RED Pyro Robot
RED Demoman Robot
RED Heavy Robot
RED Engineer Robot
RED Medic Robot
RED Sniper Robot
RED Spy Robot

In addition to there being unused RED versions of the robots in Mann VS Machine, there are also unused RED versions of their exclusive Romevision cosmetics.

Female Head Texture

Discovered around May 22nd, 2009 (a day after the Sniper vs Spy update was released), this is a very odd texture that sparked up the "Is the Pyro female?" debate on a few forums. This texture was found in Team Fortress 2's GCF files for a short period of time before being removed. The VTF file itself was incredibly high resolution, coming in at 2048x2048. It was located in materials\models\player\shared_parts\head\female before it was removed.

female_head_black.vtf

(Source: "Pyro MIGHT actually be female after all" - Facepunch)

Minimap Icons

Found in the materials\sprites\minimap_icons folder are 7 minimap icons, potentially remnants of the scrapped commander system.

RED Player icon.
BLU Player icon.
RED Camera icon.
BLU Camera icon.
Spectator Camera icon.
Dead Player icon.
Voice Chat icon.

Old Random Class Icon

An unused icon for the Random Class option that depicts a pictogram of a man. Interestingly, this icon is actually used, alongside a matching "inactive" version, in the June 2007 build.

Unused Random class selection icon.
Inactive Random class selection icon, found in the June 2007 build leak.

Cash Pile

A placeholder texture for a model which no longer exists found in the "models/items" folder. Maybe it was used while developing Mann vs. Machine.

cash_pile.vtf

Unused Game Mode Textures

Alongside the other Casual game mode options, graphics for the Special Delivery and Arena game modes exist. However, the only official Special Delivery map, Doomsday, is placed in the Misc. category, leaving that graphic unused. An equivalent graphic exists for Arena. Unlike Special Delivery, the Arena game mode has nearly a dozen maps to choose from, some being converted from other gametypes such as Capture Point or King Of The Hill. In the end, it also goes unused.

Special Delivery mode.
Arena mode.

Unused Normal Map for Spy

Within the files of Team Fortress 2, there is an unused normal map texture, materials\models\player\spy\spy_refractnormal.vtf. This normal map does not resemble the base Spy textures, which led to some confusion as to what it was based on. A while before the Postal 3 source code leak that contained the June 25th, 2007 TF2 build occurred, a smaller leak of a few early player textures happened in private Discord servers which resulted in a very early Spy texture leaking. While its legitimacy is unconfirmed, it is still interesting as the class emblem on its shoulder is highly similar to the Team Fortress Classic symbol for the Scout. The UV layout however, is identical to the layout seen in spy_refractnormal.vtf which could indicate its legitimacy.

As of July 2023, thanks to the Source Repository leak, both textures are confirmed legitimate.

spy_refractnormal.vtf
The very early Spy texture from the spy_normal.psd in Source Asset Repository.

Weapons

Bucket Icons

To do:
Every bucket icon in the game files are unused as the game now references the backpack icons instead. Fill this out with the rest of the icons.

All of the stock weapons' bucket icons go unused ever since Valve changed to using backpack icons for the weapon selection screen.

Fists bucket icon for RED team. What's interesting is that the fists aren't team-coloured.
Ditto, for BLU team.
Bat bucket icon for BLU team. Here it's the same case as the fists.
Ditto, for RED team.
Sniper Rifle bucket icon.
Bonesaw bucket icon.
Rocket Launcher bucket icon.
Bottle bucket icon for BLU team.
Ditto, for RED team.
Fireaxe bucket icon.

"Rifle" texture

A blank texture for a "rifle" can be found at materials\models\weapons\w_scattergun.

Fire Retardant Suit Backpack Icon

The backpack icon for the Fire Retardant Suit has existed in the game's files, but has gone unused, for years. This weapon was apparently tested during the 2009 Closed Beta and somehow or another, its backpack icon ended up being shipped.

Fire Retardant Suit bucket icon.

Unused Pilot Light for the Flamethrower

Alongside the one used in-game, there is an unused pilot light for the Flamethrower that gives it a more orange color. The file specifically being called "pilotlight_motion_red" may hint at the pilot light being team colored depending on what team you're on. This is further supported by there being a unused vmt associated with it in the files.

The one that goes unused in-game.
The one used in-game for reference.
What it looks like in-game.

Unused Thermal Thruster Texture

There is an unused Thermal Thruster texture which turns it pink and decorates it with yellow and light blue markings and smiley faces. The texture doesn't fully match up with the current model of the Thermal Thruster, with only the thrusters being correctly textured, meaning it may have been made for an earlier version of the model. It's possible that it was intended to be seen when the player was in Pyrovision mode, but since there's no BLU counterpart, it was likely scrapped quite early in development.

The raw texture file for the Pink Thruster, entitled c_rocketpack_fun.
Back.
Right.
Front.
Left.

Unused Hot Hand Skins

The Hot Hand, a melee weapon for the Pyro, has two unused skins. These skins use color tinting to recolor the weapon.

Hot Hand (Default used texture)
Hot Hand (Level 1)
Hot Hand (Level 2)

Unused Chargin' Targe Textures

The Chargin' Targe, a shield weapon for the Demoman, once used RED and BLU team textures. However, this was changed to a neutral yellow texture for easier identification in the 119th Update, leaving the original skins unused (although the original BLU texture is still used for the backpack icon). On top of this, there is another unused BLU texture named c_targe_blue.vtf that is effectively the same texture but with a lighter palette.

Original RED skin (front).
Original BLU skin (front).
Unused BLU skin (front).
Original RED skin (back).
Original BLU skin (back).
Unused BLU skin (back).
Original RED texture.
Original BLU texture.
Unused BLU texture.

Temporary Dispenser Screen

There is a placeholder screen for the Dispenser in the files. It's a simple blue texture with many lines of numbers on it, along with a repeated message saying it's temporary, just so you know for sure. And yes, the weird brown bits are part of the texture.

The Dispenser Screen.

Kill Icons

There are many unused kill icons, several of which actually were used in the game at one point...and some for weapons that have never been in the game at all.

Kill Icon		Description
		Likely implemented early on in development for explosive weapons, this icon has been in the files since the game's release.
		Scoring a headshot with the Ambassador, version 1. This was used in-game from the Sniper vs. Spy Update to the Engineer Update, but was changed to the Sniper Rifle headshot icon for unknown reasons.
		Scoring a headshot with the Ambassador, version 2. This was included in the game's files, but never used in-game, and is only assumed to be related to the Ambassador. When this was initially added to `d_images.vtf` and `dneg_images.vtf`, it was completely black. This was later fixed, but the icon still was never used. See the Oddities section below this box for images of this.
		Scoring a kill with the Blutsauger, but the icon is styled after the unused Blutsauger Dart projectile model. This kill icon was in the game files until the June 19, 2008 Patch (Pyro Update), where it was overwritten by the newly-added Axtinguisher's kill icon.
		A kill icon for killing a laughing player with the Holiday Punch.
		An alternate kill icon for killing a player with the Wrap Assassin's alt-fire bauble.
		An alternate kill icon for the Half-Zatoichi, assumedly designed for when a Half-Zatoichi wielder instantly kills another Half-Zatoichi wielder.
		A kill icon for killing a player via the Third Degree's damage transfer effect.
		This icon appears similar to the standard Level 1 Sentry kill icon with one clear difference: the Sentry appears to have some kind of laser attached to the top. The icon was introduced to the game's files in the May 27, 2010 Patch alongside several other community-submitted killicon additions that did get used. Seeing as a sentry that is remote-controlled by the Wrangler weapon uses laser sighting, it can be assumed that this icon would have been for it when it was released in the Engineer Update, but scrapped in lieu of a picture of the Wrangler itself.
		Scoring a kill with a deflected baseball.
		Scoring a headshot with a deflected arrow.
		Scoring a kill with a deflected flaming arrow.
		Scoring a headshot with a deflected flaming arrow. Two versions exist, one found in `d_images.vtf`/`dneg_images.vtf` and one in `d_images_v2.vtf`/`dneg_images_v2.vtf`. There is a slight difference in width between these icons, and the fire color may also be slightly different.
		Kill icon added with the Engineer Update for scoring a kill with a flaming arrow headshot. Two versions exist, one found in `d_images.vtf`/`dneg_images.vtf` and one in `d_images_v2.vtf`/`dneg_images_v2.vtf`. There is a slight difference in the fire color between them.
		Baleful Beacon kill-icon. Exists in the VPK files, but the weapon does not yet exist in-game.
		Stratonic Swatter kill-icon. Exists in the VPK files, but the weapon does not yet exist in-game.
		Shred Alert kill-icon. Exists in the VPK files. Indicates that the Shred Alert taunt was meant to damage enemies.
		Water Balloon/Paint Bomb kill icon. Weapon does not exist in-game.
		Water Balloon/Paint Bomb kill icon. Weapon does not exist in-game.

Oddities

In early versions of the d_images.vtf and dneg_images.vtf files from around the time when the 2nd version of the Ambassador headshot kill-icon was first added, the icon was completely black compared to the rest of the kill icons on these textures.

Stat Clock Leftovers

There are quite a few leftover textures from the development of the Stat Clock item (used as a visual Strange-quality kill counter on Decorated Weapons), which can be found in the materials\models\weapons\stattrak folder.

A lot of these are directly from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, including all 10 digits (0-9) for both StatTrak firearms (a visible dot-matrix counter) and melee weapons (scratches into the blade of the weapon), normalmaps and all. These were likely used as placeholders for the final Stat Clock's appearance, to ensure the counter worked properly.

What's more interesting, however, is the stuff that isn't in the CS:GO files. Namely a 14-segmented display variant of the StatTrak digits that is green (including the "ERROR USER UNKNOWN" message that appears when you hold someone else's StatTrak weapon in CS:GO), and a stattrak_module_head.vtf texture. This latter texture is the same as the standard StatTrak module's texture, but with "HeadTrak™" as the label instead of "StatTrak™". What its purpose would have been in Counter-Strike is unknown.

ERROR (Frame 1)
USER (Frame 3 - frame 2 is blank)
UNKWN (Frame 4)
"HeadTrak™"

Maps/Objects

Badlands Textures

Within the materials\models\props_badlands folder are numerous unused textures for things that were going to be part of the map cp_badlands. Most textures are actually visible, while others are just AO bakes.

Laser Textures

The following textures are all part of a giant laser of death (or maybe peace and prosperity?) that was potentially going to be part of the map.

laser01.vtf
laser_black.vtf
laser_dark.vtf
laser_gray.vtf
arms01.vtf

Unused Model Textures

These textures are for the unavailable-to-the-general-public models that were meant to appear in the map.

helmet.vtf
jetpack.vtf

Firing Range Textures

Within the same folder are numerous textures prefixed with firingrange, indicating that at one point in time, a firing range area was intended to be part of Badlands. Only the dividing guard and cibles textures remain intact as the other firing range-related textures are greyed out.

firingrange_dividing_guard.vtf
firingrange_counter/headphones/target_clip/target_track.vtf
cibles.vtf

The figures in cibles.vtf aren't based off of their final game renders, but from concept art. Note some different things, such as Medic holding a shotgun and the unused Syringe weapon.

Pyro Concept Art.
Sniper Concept Art.
Medic Concept Art.

(Source: teamfortress.com)

Spawn Room Textures

There are a few spawnroom-prefixed textures for models such as a bench, a light, a wall-mounted TV and lockers. The models are not present in the VPKs.

spawnroom_bench.vtf
spawnroom_light.vtf
spawnroom_lockers.vtf
spawnroom_lockers_open.vtf
spawnroom_pipes.vtf
spawnroom_table.vtf
spawnroom_tv_wall.vtf

Spawn Room Turret

There are unused textures for a more stylistically fitting turret in materials\models\buildables\spawn_room, but no matching model available. The gun model did make an appearance in the game files years later, being re-used as part of an unused Mercenary Park guard tower prop.

Turret texture sheet (stylised).
Turret texture sheet (stylised).
Turret glass texture sheet (stylised).
Render of the full Spawn Room Turret model, leaked from the Source Developer Repository.

(Source: Leaked render of the Spawn Room Turret model - TF2CutContent on Twitter)

Rocket Silo Texture

The rocket silo model is by default unused in the game, but its texture exists despite the lack of a VMT. Adding a custom rocket_silo001.vmt into the materials\models\props_spytech directory alongside this allows the model to appear as it should;

"VertexLitGeneric"
{
	"$basetexture" "models/props_spytech/rocket_silo001"
	"$selfillum" "1" 
}

rocket_silo001.mdl

NOTE: The self-illumination is because there's an alpha channel over the entire texture but the white-looking dots are intended for lamps!

Sack Texture

Similar to the rocket silo, "the sack" has the same problem except this one's MDL file mentions the textures to be in materials\models\pr7663~1. Taking the sack.vmt file from the materials\models\props_gameplay folder and dropping it into the newly created materials\models\pr7663~1 allows the sack's textures to load properly.

sack.vtf
sack.mdl

Prop Shelf Gib Texture

To do:
This section needs an entire rewrite, as well as screenshots of the models, which I am working on.

Once again, but all the shelf's props (when broken) use the same missing VMT file but once again, this time in models\props_farm\gibs. Copying the shelf_props01.vmt and pasting it into the "gibs" directory (if you don't see one, make one!) allows the shelf's gibs to appear perfectly... And curiously, the oilcan has an unused BLU variant!

props_training Textures

Various textures for a non-existentent model of a "goal marker" in the props_training directory. These files were added in June 10th, 2010 and removed around April 7th, 2011. The target_base.vtf texture was a copy of a weird texture called "Tobor".