Team Fortress 2 fans got an unexpected surprise when dataminers discovered something curious buried in the game’s latest item schema update. According to popular TF2 content creator Shounic, hidden code changes suggest that Poker Night at the Inventory, the beloved Telltale poker game that was delisted from Steam back in 2019, might be getting a second life.
What the Item Schema Reveals
The evidence centers around a mysterious Steam app ID that first appeared on SteamDB back in July 2025. App ID 3897800 sat there unidentified for months until this recent TF2 update shed some light on its purpose. The item schema, which is essentially a massive data file that defines every item in Team Fortress 2 and how to unlock them, now includes references to obtaining certain cosmetics through this mystery app.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Several TF2 cosmetic items were originally exclusive to Poker Night at the Inventory. Players who completed specific poker achievements in that game would automatically unlock items like the Lugermorph pistol, the Iron Curtain minigun, and the Dangeresque sunglasses in Team Fortress 2. Since the game’s removal from Steam in May 2019, these items became nearly impossible to obtain unless you already owned the game or bought overpriced Steam keys from third-party resellers.
The Connection Between Old and New
The schema update reveals that this unidentified app ID uses the exact same achievement slots as the original Poker Night at the Inventory. If players earn achievements through app 3897800 in the same positions as the original game’s achievement list, they will unlock the corresponding TF2 cosmetics. This parallel structure strongly suggests the mystery app is either a rerelease or remaster of the original poker game.
It’s worth noting that this discovery only relates to the first Poker Night game. Telltale released a sequel, Poker Night 2, in 2013, which also offered TF2 item unlocks through its own achievement system. However, the recent schema changes make no mention of those items, focusing exclusively on rewards from the first game.
A Brief History of Poker Night
For those unfamiliar with the franchise, Poker Night at the Inventory launched on November 22, 2010, as a crossover poker simulator featuring an eclectic cast of gaming and internet culture icons. Players sat at a virtual poker table with Tycho Brahe from Penny Arcade, Max from Sam and Max, the Heavy from Team Fortress 2, and Strong Bad from Homestar Runner. The game offered witty banter, poker gameplay, and those coveted TF2 item unlocks that created a dedicated fanbase.
Telltale Games delisted both Poker Night titles from Steam on May 23, 2019, likely due to licensing complications with the various intellectual properties featured in the games. Since then, the only way to play legally involved tracking down physical copies or resorting to family sharing workarounds on Steam with accounts that already owned the game.
Why This Matters to TF2 Players
The potential return of Poker Night means more than just another poker game hitting Steam. For completionist TF2 players and item collectors, this represents a chance to legitimately obtain cosmetics that have been locked away for over six years. Items like the Enthusiast’s Timepiece watch, the Dapper Disguise mask, and the License to Maim knife became status symbols precisely because of their rarity.
The secondary market for Steam keys reflected this scarcity, with sellers charging premium prices for codes to games that originally cost less than ten dollars. If this rerelease materializes, it democratizes access to these items again and removes the need for sketchy workarounds or inflated marketplace purchases.
Valve’s Continued TF2 Support
This development arrives during an unexpectedly active period for Team Fortress 2. Despite the game turning 18 years old in October 2025, Valve continues supporting it with seasonal updates. The summer 2025 update added ten community-created maps, 23 new items, and even a deadly new taunt. More significantly, Valve released the official Team Fortress 2 SDK in February 2025, empowering modders to create and legally distribute TF2-based projects through Steam.
The game remains free-to-play with an active playerbase, sustained by microtransactions for cosmetics and a robust community workshop. Valve’s willingness to maintain TF2 through community contributions has kept it relevant alongside modern competitors like Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals.
The Caveat: Could Be Nothing
Before everyone gets too excited, Shounic and other analysts acknowledge this could turn out to be a false alarm. The schema changes might represent placeholder data or backend preparation for something completely different. There’s an outside chance Valve is simply reorganizing how legacy items are cataloged without any intention of relaunching the original game.
Additionally, even if this is a Poker Night rerelease, significant questions remain unanswered. Would it feature the same character roster, or would licensing issues force changes? Would it be a straight port or a modernized remaster? And most importantly, when might it actually release? The app ID has existed since July with no official announcement from Valve or any successor to Telltale’s intellectual property.
What Happens Next
For now, TF2 fans wait and watch. The gaming community loves a good mystery, and speculation around app 3897800 has generated considerable buzz on Reddit and YouTube. If Valve or whoever owns the Poker Night rights plans to make an announcement, the timing could coincide with a major gaming event or simply drop as a surprise release, much like Silent Hill 2’s recent Xbox shadow drop.
The schema update proves that someone, somewhere, is actively working on integrating these achievement unlocks into TF2’s systems. Whether that work leads to a full game release or remains an internal project we never see is the real question. Either way, it’s refreshing to see Team Fortress 2 still generating this kind of excitement nearly two decades after launch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Poker Night at the Inventory?
Poker Night at the Inventory is a poker video game developed by Telltale Games and released in November 2010. It featured characters from different franchises including Tycho from Penny Arcade, Max from Sam and Max, Heavy from Team Fortress 2, and Strong Bad from Homestar Runner. The game was delisted from Steam in May 2019.
What TF2 items could you unlock from Poker Night?
By completing specific achievements in Poker Night at the Inventory, players could unlock several Team Fortress 2 cosmetics including the Lugermorph pistol, Iron Curtain minigun, Dangeresque sunglasses, Dapper Disguise mask, License to Maim knife, Enthusiast’s Timepiece watch, and other exclusive items.
Why was Poker Night removed from Steam?
Poker Night at the Inventory and its sequel were delisted from Steam on May 23, 2019, most likely due to licensing complications involving the various intellectual properties and characters featured in the games. Telltale Games did not provide a detailed explanation for the removal.
Who is Shounic?
Shounic is a popular Team Fortress 2 YouTuber from Hong Kong known for creating informative and technical videos about TF2. He runs a 100-player TF2 server and regularly analyzes game mechanics, updates, and datamined information for his audience.
Can you still get Poker Night items in TF2?
Currently, the only way to obtain Poker Night items is through Steam family sharing with an account that already owns the game, or by purchasing overpriced Steam keys from resellers. If the rumored rerelease happens, these items would become accessible again through normal gameplay.
What is a TF2 item schema?
The item schema is a data file in Team Fortress 2 that defines every item in the game, including their properties, attributes, and unlock requirements. When Valve updates the schema, it can add new items, modify existing ones, or change how items are obtained.
Is Team Fortress 2 still being updated in 2025?
Yes, Team Fortress 2 continues to receive updates in 2025. Valve released a major summer update in July 2025 with ten new maps and 23 items, and also launched the official TF2 SDK in February 2025 to support community mod development.
Conclusion
The discovery of Poker Night-related code in Team Fortress 2’s latest schema update has reignited hope for fans who thought these cosmetics were gone forever. While nothing is confirmed yet, the evidence points toward either a rerelease of the original game or some alternative method to unlock these legacy items. Given Valve’s renewed commitment to supporting TF2 through community engagement and regular updates, bringing back a beloved crossover title would fit perfectly with their current strategy. Whether this pans out or not, it’s another reminder that even after 18 years, Team Fortress 2 still knows how to keep its community guessing.