RED Mercenaries

Lore & Background

According to official tie-in comics, the Heavy was born Misha (short for Mikhail) to a father executed for counter-revolutionary activity. His family was imprisoned in a North Siberian Gulag camp as a result, though they eventually managed to break out during a prison riot instigated by the Heavy himself. With his family hiding in Siberia, he decided to take up mercenary work to support them, which led him to join the team of mercenaries depicted in the game. While intimidating on the battlefield, he possesses a softer side, particularly toward his primary minigun, Sasha. Using the D&D alignment chart, Kieron Gillen of Rock Paper Shotgun classified him as chaotic good.

In Their Own Story

The Heavy's journey began with his introduction in Version 1.1 of Team Fortress, a mod for Quake released later that year as Team Fortress Classic (TFC). Designed by Robin Walker, John Cook, and Ian Caughley in response to player feedback, the Heavy became the "cover star of the game". Inspired by a minigun found in the film Predator, he played a slow-moving yet heavily armed defensive role. A later patch increased his movement speed combined with a lower ping rate, making him "much easier to use" according to Keith Pullin of PC Zone. In TFC, his arsenal included his signature minigun, a crowbar, shotgun, super shotgun, standard grenades, and cluster grenades. The character underwent a drastic change when development shifted from realistic aesthetics to the cartoony style of TF2, becoming more expressive and responsive as noted by senior artist Ted Backman.

Reader's Guide

The Heavy is categorized as a defensive class alongside the Demoman and Engineer. His primary weapon is a minigun that must be revved up before shooting. By default, his secondary is a shotgun, replaceable with consumables like the Sandvich. He boasts the highest damage output and health points (300) of all playable characters but has the slowest speed, making him an easy target for Spies and Snipers. His size makes him ideal for support by friendly Medics or leading team pushes. The Sandvich is crucial for healing in the absence of Medics, restoring himself to maximum health or thrown as a kit for teammates. Alternative weapons include the Natascha (slows enemies), Huo-Long Heater (ring of fire), Brass Beast (+20% damage but slows movement/spin-up), and Tomislav (faster spin-up, silent rev, slower firing).

Did You Know?

• The Heavy's real name is Misha, short for Mikhail.
• His minigun is affectionately nicknamed "Sasha".
• He was voice-acted by Gary Schwartz, who also voices the Demoman.
• Kieron Gillen of Rock Paper Shotgun classified the Heavy as chaotic good using the D&D alignment chart.
• The Heavy did not receive a major update in 2016 because the Pyro side won the "Meet Your Match" contest.