Team Fortress 2/Unused Sounds

This is a sub-page of Team Fortress 2.

To do: Several sounds from Quake (likely related to/intended for The Original) such as picking up ammo, using chat and unique particle effects. (Almost certain the Quake sounds are now used, please verify this.) An influx of unused voice lines, see the sub-page for specific todos. Add in dates of addition/removal of files where necessary. Add in filenames and full directories for any entries missing that information. Add in various MVM giant footstep sounds.

There's a whole lot of unused voice acting and sounds in the game's data - the story goes that there's a lot of improvisation and general silliness when recording dialog for TF2 (or any Valve game really), so it's not a shock that a lot of it isn't used.

Sub-Pages

Unused Voice Lines This is a subpage, not a bra factory!

Unused Sound Effects

Scout

Bonk! Atomic Punch

It seems that after the Scout were to drink Bonk, he would've had a sound accompany the invincible effect. The sound also lasts as long as the original duration of Bonk used to last for (6 seconds).

Filename	Audio
scout_dodge.wav

On top of this, there are related sounds to Scout crushing and throwing the can of Bonk. The can crushing sound was retroactively reused for Scout's variant of the Cheers! taunt.

Filename	Audio
pl_scout_dodge_can_crush.wav
pl_scout_dodge_can_pitch.wav

Wrap Assassin

Similar to the Sandman, it appears that the Wrap Assassin was going to have a sound when you hit a moonshot with it as well.

Filename	Audio
ball_buster_break_01_crowd.wav
ball_buster_break_02_crowd.wav

Jumping Sounds

It also appears that Scout had other jumping sounds planned to be used for him.

Filename	Audio
pl_scout_jump1.wav
pl_scout_jump2.wav
pl_scout_jump3.wav
pl_scout_jump4.wav

Fan o' War

Hidden in the folder for Half-Zatoichi's sounds, there lay three files related to marking someone for death, presumably meant for the Fan o' War which was added in the same update.

Filename	Audio
tf_marked_for_death_impact_01.wav
tf_marked_for_death_impact_02.wav
tf_marked_for_death_impact_03.wav

Soldier

Air Strike

The Air Strike has an unique unused sound for when a critical rocket is fired. Currently, it uses the Stock Rocket Launcher's critical fire sound.

Filename	Audio
airstrike_fire_crit.wav

Cow Mangler 5000

There are many unused sounds for the Cow Mangler 5000, the bulk of them being alternate explosion sounds.

Filename	Audio
cow_mangler_explosion_charge_01.wav
cow_mangler_explosion_charge_02.wav
cow_mangler_explosion_charge_03.wav
cow_mangler_explosion_charge_04.wav
cow_mangler_explosion_charge_05.wav
cow_mangler_explosion_normal_04.wav
cow_mangler_explosion_normal_05.wav
cow_mangler_explosion_normal_06.wav
cow_mangler_idle.wav
cow_mangler_over_charge_shot.wav

Righteous Bison

Similarly to the Cow Mangler 5000, the Righteous Bison also has an unused idle sound. It also has another unused sound for firing.

Filename	Audio
bison_idle.wav
bison_main_shot.wav

Pyro

Rainblower

An unused rainblower sound hints that there originally was a different sound for when you were ignited on fire while in Pyroland.

Filename	Audio
rainblower_hit.wav

Flare Gun

There exists an unusually long sound for when a flare impacts a Sentry. It might have been planned to cut off with the building dying, but this still doesn't explain why it's so long.

Filename	Audio
flaregun_impact_sentry.wav

Demoman

Iron Bomber

Similar to the Air Strike's missing sound, the Iron Bomber has unused explode sounds that were included on its inclusion in TF2. Despite this, the Iron Bomber is set to use the Air Strike's explosion sounds instead.

Filename	Audio
tacky_grenadier_explode1.wav
tacky_grenadier_explode2.wav
tacky_grenadier_explode3.wav

Grenade Launcher Drum Stop

Demoman was intended to have a sound play for when the Grenade Launcher's drum would stop spinning. Despite being in the game since launch, it has never been implemented, with it never being called by the animation.

Filename	Audio
grenade_launcher_drum_stop.wav

Loch-n-Load Dud

The Loch-n-Load was intended to have a unique sound for when the pill shattered on a surface. By default, it uses the grenade impact sounds.

Filename	Audio
loch_n_load_dud.wav

Sword Draw Sound

Demoman also has an unused sound for when he draws one of his many swords. Instead of using this, he uses the Machete drawing sound, being the same sound that weapons like the Sniper's Kukri use.

Filename	Audio
draw_sword.wav

Heavy

Killing Gloves of Boxing

The Killing Gloves of Boxing have many unused sounds. Such as a unique definition of gaining crits, being a shorter version of the weapon_crit_charged_on sound used by the Kritzkrieg.

Filename	Audio
boxing_gloves_crit_enabled.wav

The K.G.B. also has 3 unused sounds for when it swings while crit boosted. By default, it uses the Fist's crit sound.

Filename	Audio
boxing_gloves_hit_crit1.wav
boxing_gloves_hit_crit2.wav
boxing_gloves_hit_crit3.wav

Engineer

Recon

Added with the Engineer update, this is likely a remnant of a scrapped Engineer building. According to the April 21st, 2020 codebase leak, this sound was also supposed to play in Mann vs Machine mode when Spy reveals cloaked Robot Spies.

Filename	Audio
recon_ping.wav

Rescue Ranger Charge and Teleport Sounds

The Rescue Ranger has two categories of unused sounds. The first one relating to a charge of some kind.

Filename	Audio
rescue_ranger_charge_01.wav
rescue_ranger_charge_02.wav

The second category being related to teleporting buildings. The first set is for when you the buildings teleport to you, which uses stock teleporter sounds by default.

Filename	Audio
rescue_ranger_teleport_receive_01.wav
rescue_ranger_teleport_receive_02.wav

The second set hints at a scrapped feature, being able to place buildings from far away. This feature obviously had unused sounds that accompany it.

Filename	Audio
rescue_ranger_teleport_send_01.wav
rescue_ranger_teleport_send_02.wav

Widowmaker Cocking Sounds

The Widowmaker has unused sounds related to it cocking. Since the Widowmaker does not have a pump, it went unused.

Filename	Audio
widow_maker_pump_action_back.wav
widow_maker_pump_action_forward.wav

Wrangler

The Wrangler has an unused sound for when either it's laser or bullet's could pass through someone.

Filename	Audio
sentry_shaft_laser_pass.wav

Sniper

Machina Reload

The Machina has unused reload sounds for both First Person. By default, it uses the stock Sniper Rifles variants, like other rifles. However, It cannot be changed in a similar way to other unused sounds like the Iron Bomber and Air Strike. The thirdperson reload actually works as intended, meaning that these sounds are partially used, just not in their intended way.

Filename	Audio
sniper_railgun_bolt_back.wav
sniper_railgun_bolt_forward.wav

Spy

Sharp Dresser Backstab Sound

The Spy has an unused sound for when the Sharp Dress backstabs someone. Like other issues similar, this is just never called in the animation.

Filename	Audio
spy_assassin_knife_bckstb.wav

Spy-Cicle Deploy Sound

Similar to the Demoman, the Spy has a sound that's supposed to play for when he deploys the Spy-Cicle. Because of how animations are set up, this would enable it for most knives, excluding stock, the Sharp Dresser, and all-class melee weapons.

Filename	Audio
icicle_deploy.wav

Mann Vs. Machine

Expiring Money

The credits that can be picked up in this gamemode have a rather goofy corresponding sound for disappearing, yet it is not played in-game.

Filename	Audio
mvm_money_vanish.wav

"Mothership Loop"

Not much can be deduced from this eerie hum other than the name of the file itself. This was used on the first day of MvM. This sound was later used on koth_probed for when the UFO approaches the control point.

Filename	Audio
mvm_mothership_loop.wav

Engineer-bot's Teleporter Activated

An unused sound is present in the game's files related to an Engineer-bot's teleporter being activated. But this is never used in-game.

Filename	Audio
mvm_tele_activate.wav

Unused MVM Siren

There is an unused siren in the game's files that resemble an air raid siren. This could've been planned to be used with the mothership loop to indicate an air raid approaching.

Filename	Audio
mvm_siren.wav

Unused Tank Siren

There is an unused tank siren/ping that could've played. It was potentially unused by being too harsh of a sound.

Filename	Audio
mvm_tank_ping.wav

MVM Fall Damage Sounds

There are unused sounds for when, presumably a robot, takes fall damage in MVM. Since robots don't take fall damage in MVM, this condition is never met.

Filename	Audio
mvm_fallpain01.wav
mvm_fallpain02.wav

Coaching - Student Death

A mournful trumpet sound clip for when the student you are coaching dies. Unused for some reason.

Filename	Audio
coach_student_died.wav

Noise Makers

The noises that the unused noisemakers Spooky and Prayer Bowl were going to make are left in the game files, however, the sound for Yell isn't. At least one of the "prayer bowl" sounds are used on koth_suijin if a player hits one of the gongs in their spawn room.

Filename	Audio
spooky01.wav
spooky02.wav
spooky03.wav
zen_prayer_bowl_01.wav
zen_prayer_bowl_02.wav
zen_prayer_bowl_03.wav

HUD/UI sounds

Buff On/Off Sounds

Originally, there were sounds that were intended to play for when you leave and enter a Soldier with their buff active.

Filename	Audio
buffed_on.wav
buffed_off.wav

Retired Trading Sounds

These were sounds that were cut when TF2's way of trading moved to Steam instead of being handled in-game. Since then, they've remain unused.

Filename	Audio
trade_changed.wav
trade_ready.wav
strade_failure.wav
trade_success.wav

Unused Killstreak Sounds

In the files, there lie multiple unused killstreak sounds for weapons. Weirdly enough, they have a tiering system attached to them, as well as sounds attached to getting a kill while in the tier, and dying after reaching a certain tier. Due to this tier-based system of sounds, some have speculated that this could have been tied to the Vaccinator in someway.

Tier 1:

Filename	Audio
ks_tier_01.wav
ks_tier_01_death.wav
ks_tier_01_kill.wav

Tier 2: Weirdly enough, Tier 2 has no death sound and 2 kill sounds left in the files.

Filename	Audio
ks_tier_02.wav
ks_tier_02_kill_01.wav
ks_tier_02_kill_02.wav

Tier 3:

Filename	Audio
ks_tier_03.wav
ks_tier_03_death.wav
ks_tier_03_kill_01.wav

Tier 4:

Filename	Audio
ks_tier_04.wav
ks_tier_04_death.wav
ks_tier_04_kill_01.wav

Unused Map-Specific Sounds

rd_asteroid

rd_asteroid has a few unused sounds from when it was being developed. One of these being an alarm, potentially for when the enemy steals your teams reactor core.

Filename	Audio
rd_2base_alarm.wav

Unused Mannpower Powerups

Uber Powerup

There is remnants of the scrapped "Uber" powerup that could've been used in Mannpower, even seen in the early beta of it. Alongside it's model, it has two sounds related to it. While the first one remains completely unused, the second one was repurposed to be used for the "Revenge" powerup.

Filename	Audio
mannpower_invulnerable.wav
powerup_pickup_uber.wav

Crit Powerup

Similar to the above, the Crit powerup was briefly seen in the Mannpower beta before having it's effects evolve into the Revenge powerup. There still remains one sound that would've played when picking it up.

Filename	Audio
powerup_pickup_crits.wav

Unused Music

Lo and behold, there is unused music in the game as well.

Notes	Audio
A rendition--perhaps the original version--of Intruder Alert in MIDI format. This file was added in the May 9, 2011 patch. It is located inside a folder named "midi". This inclusion of this file is very odd, as neither the Source Engine, nor Team Fortress 2, support the playback of MIDI files. The actual MIDI file can be found here.
A 1-minute loop of elevator music that presumably would play in Mann vs. Machine when players were at an Upgrade Station. While unused on official MvM maps, it was later repurposed 11 years later on Perks, a Scream Fortress 2023 community-created Halloween Arena map. Now playing whenever players are nearby a Perk pedestal in-between rounds of that map.
A 30-second loop of some bonus round music for... something. Possibly Robot Destruction, a beta game mode.

Unused Jungle Inferno Contracker Sounds

Sounds

There exist miscellaneous beeps and boops for the Contracker, presumably for doing certain actions of just sitting around on the player. Some of these may have been later reused in some of Mercenary Park's soundscapes.

Filename	Audio
cyoa_pda_beep2.wav
cyoa_pda_beep3.wav
cyoa_pda_beep4.wav
cyoa_pda_beep5.wav
cyoa_pda_beep6.wav
cyoa_pda_beep7.wav
cyoa_pda_beep8.wav

Music

Added in the October 2017 "Jungle Inferno" update were music tracks specifically set to be heard while in the Contracker menu while you selected the contract you wanted to work on, or just to check progress on a given contract. These Music tracks are taken from the soundtrack, then had some of their instruments stripped and removed to be more mellow while browsing the Contracker. The prefix "cyoa" stands for "Choose Your Own Adventure", which clearly points to these playing while looking at contracts. There are also "TV" variants of all the songs, which have been further edited with a low-pass filter, as if they came from a Television.

Filename	Audio
Cyoa_musicdrunkenpipebomb.wav
Cyoa_musicdrunkenpipebomb_tv.wav
Cyoa_musicfasterthanaspeedingbullet.wav
Cyoa_musicfasterthanaspeedingbullet_tv.wav
Cyoa_musicintruderalert.wav
Cyoa_musicintruderalert_tv.wav
Cyoa_musicmedic.wav
Cyoa_musicmedic_tv.wav
Cyoa_musicmoregun.wav
Cyoa_musicmoregun_tv.wav
Cyoa_musicmoregun2.wav
Cyoa_musicmoregun2_tv.wav
Cyoa_musicplayingwithdanger.wav
Cyoa_musicplayingwithdanger_tv.wav
Cyoa_musicrightbehindyou.wav
Cyoa_musicrightbehindyou_tv.wav
Cyoa_musicteamfortress2.wav
Cyoa_musicteamfortress2_tv.wav