The Heavy Fist Fight from ETF2L S24 Prem W3: Perilous Gaming vs. LEGO’s Pre-Game
Despite the Rock, Paper, Scissors! taunt existing in this day and age, competitive TF2 players prefer to place their faith not in RNG but in their melee registration, with traditions such as team captains in a PUG having Medic Ubersaw 1v1s to decide who gets to pick teammates first - or the Heavy Fist Fight.
The Heavy Fist Fight dates back years ago to early competitive TF2 Highlander, similar to a pre-game (and sometimes match decider) knife round for competitive CS:GO. Here, we see an ETF2L 6v6 Premiership game casted by Sideshow and Bren - a dispute was had to decide which team would get to start on Process’ RED side first, and was settled in the form of a Heavy Fist Fight.
EXPLANATION: “HEAVY FIST FIGHT”
A heavy fist fight can be used to settle arguments over map pick advantages*, choice of colour* or as decider round. Please only use a heavy fist fight to settle an argument when it is explicitly stated in the rules of the competition or advised by an admin.
One Heavy from each team fight a melee fist fight where the winning team gets to decide which side to start on, get the map pick advantage in a situation with no higher seed, or win the decider round. No unlocks, weapon-switching, buffs or healing of any kind, taunting, camping or fleeing is allowed. Multiple heavies from each team are allowed as well, if both teams agree.
Source: Official European TF2 League General Rules
*As Sideshow explains in the clip: most TF2 maps are known for being symmetrical, however sometimes there are advantages and disadvantages to the symmetry (e.g. Pro and regular Viaduct, where some Soldiers who use the cliff to rocket jump have a harder time left-side jumping than right side).