TF2 VS Saxton Hale: Official game mode explained

The mode isn't just a mod anymore.

Huge TF2 character Saxton Hale speaks on the phone. He's a while male with a big mustache.
Screenshot via Valve

One of Team Fortress 2‘s most popular community-made game modes—VS Saxton Hale—has been officially added to the game on July 12, allowing players to experiment with it in the casual queue.

Recommended Videos

VS Saxton Hale’s first version dates back 13 years ago and after spending the last seven months working on it, the game mode’s creator LizardOfOz successfully integrated it into TF2 after the 2023 Summer Update.

If you’re unaware of how the VS Saxton Hale TF2 mode works, here’s everything that need to know before trying it in your next TF2 game session.

TF2 VS Saxton Hale mode, explained

VS Saxton Hale chooses one player at random to face 23 enemies at random, and the goal of the solo player is to kill all 23 enemies. And the goal of the team made of 23 people is to kill the solo player.

Can you play as Saxton Hale in TF2?

Yes, the one player chosen at random to play solo gets to play as character Saxton Hale. The enemies, on the other hand, are mercenaries assigned to Reliable Excavation Demolition (RED) and must kill Saxton Hale on behalf of RED’s boss Gray Mann.

What is Saxton Hale’s strength?

Saxton Hale has superhuman physical characteristics, being able to defeat the enemies with his fists and move around the map faster than anyone in VS Saxton Hale mode. Saxton Hale also has a huge amount of HP compared to the 23 enemies he faces in VS Saxton Hale mode in TF2.

One Redditor calculated the math behind Saxton Hale’s punch many years ago and found out that Saxton Hale can put at around 33,000 pounds of force.

Is Saxton Hale a hero or villain?

This is a non-ending debate on the TF2 community. Many players see Saxton Hale as a hero that will do what it takes to keep the world safe, while many others think Saxton Hale’s brute force makes him a villain.

In my opinion, Saxton Hale is a villain, but I advise you to check his hero and villain pages to get a better grasp of the character.

Author
Image of Leonardo Biazzi
Leonardo Biazzi
Staff writer and CS:GO lead. Leonardo has been passionate about games since he was a kid and graduated in Journalism in 2018. Before Leonardo joined Dot Esports in 2019, he worked for Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte. Leonardo also worked for HLTV.org between 2020 and 2021 as a senior writer, until he returned to Dot Esports and became part of the staff team.