Called Mann Co., the store stocks the guns, equipment and hats that TF2 players have been unlocking since the game's launch, nearly three years ago, as well as a large new crop. Valve says that almost all items will also be available in the game for free, if you've the chops to unlock them. The company has also committed to continue to release more free updates to the game in the form of maps, modes and features.
A percentage of community items' sales will go to their creators, though Valve hasn't yet revealed what proportion it will be. The first community-made content will be the Polycount Pack, which will upgrade the game's visual fidelity. The update, called the Mann-conomy Update, has also unleashed a large quantity of official items, including minigame modes. Edge chum PC Gamer has more details on this addition, which promises to add another layer of compeition to games.
Transactions use Steam's recently launched Steam Wallet prepay facility, which can be used to pay for any Steam content, from games to microtransactions. According to Valve, speaking to PC Gamer, the average cost of guns, for instance, is $1.97.
Read about the update's finer details and further features, including words straight from Valve's mouth in PC Gamer's interview right here.