Over a year since it was announced, Team Fortress 2's matchmaking finally goes live today, after a surprise announcement earlier this week. The update also ushers in the long-awaited Competitive Mode, as well as the replacement of Quickplay with an unranked Casual Mode. If you have Team Fortress 2 installed, the update should be available right now.

In addition to these sweeping changes, which Andy detailed earlier this week, the update also introduces three new community maps in the form of Sunshine, Metalworks and Swiftwater. There's also four new taunts, including three community taunts for Pyro, Spy and Soldier, and an official taunt for the Scout.

There's also a long list of general changes, ranging from improved UI elements, replaced sounds, and a few bug fixes. The long list of changes can be perused on the Team Fortress 2 website.

Competitive Mode will require a premium TF2 Account. It boasts 18 ranks ranging from "Fresh Meat" to "death Merchant", as well as post-match medals for exceptional performance. The whet your appetite for the long-awaited mode, here's a fancy video released earlier this week: