A red-hot crossover adds Team Fortress 2's close-range killer The Pyro as a recruitable henchman for the real-time strategy game Evil Genius 2.
A crossover with Evil Genius 2 will add Team Fortress 2's dreaded Pyro as a playable henchman. Evil Genius 2: World Domination, released in March 2021, is a real-time strategy game where players plot to take over the world. Team Fortress 2, meanwhile, is an iconic class-based first-person shooter developed by Valve and released in 2007.
Released on March 30, Evil Genius 2: World Domination received positive reception for its tight gameplay and colorful personality. The game acts as a sequel to 2004's Evil Genius, but the sequel was developed by Sniper Elite's Rebellion Developments rather than the first game's Elixir Studios. Evil Genius 2 puts players in the role of a supervillain who seeks to build a doomsday weapon while also running a casino as a cover operation. The title mixes real-time strategy and management simulation gameplay, as henchmen are sent around the world to gather resources while the player also manages and defends their secret lair.
Two new pieces of downloadable content for Evil Genius 2 have been announced, and one of them acts as a crossover with Team Fortress 2. A Steam update reveals that The Pyro Pack, available now for free, will allow players to recruit the destructive Pyro class as a henchman. A new Side Story objective will detail the recruitment of the rubber-masked maniac whose identity still remains a disturbing mystery. The Pyro Pack will also add three new loot items inspired by Team Fortress 2, including an intel briefcase and an explosive payload. The free Pyro Pack also releases alongside the Rise of the Valkyrie Pack, which adds another new henchman for an additional price. For $5 players can recruit Doomhilda, a boisterously operatic warrior who fights using a shield and spear. This paid DLC includes a Side Story objective for Doomhilda.
While Team Fortress 2 launched way back in 2007, the game still remains an exceptionally popular multiplayer shooter. 14 years after release, Team Fortress 2 recently broke its concurrent player record, reaching more than 151,000 concurrent players on June 25. This is an admirable achievement for such an old game, demonstrating the lasting appeal of Valve's unique class-based shooter. Unfortunately, this player count may have been inflated by the presence of bots, which players use to spam advertisements and inappropriate content. Some users are even known to request payment from other Team Fortress 2 players in exchange for immunity from these bot spams. Whether the game's record-breaking player count is due to bots or simply a spike in popularity, there is no denying that it has had a cultural impact on the video game community. Other than Evil Genius 2, TF2 has had a crossover with other popular titles such as the addition of a Scout costume in the competitive platformer Fall Guys.
While Team Fortress 2 does show its age, the twelve-year-old title has left an unmistakable mark on the video game industry. This is evidenced by crossovers, with the Pyro's appearance in Evil Genius 2 demonstrating the iconic nature of that mysterious and deadly character. Between Team Fortress 2's fiery Pyro and the immovable Doomhilda, Evil Genius 2 players have exciting new henchmen to recruit for their schemes.
Evil Genius 2 is available on PC. Team Fortress 2 is free to play on PC, Mac, and Linux.
Source: Evil Genius/YouTube, Steam
