Is the TF2 Coconut photo real? Explained

If you’ve spent enough time playing Team Fortress 2, it’s likely you’re aware of the mysterious coconut image in the game’s files. While there are multiple theories surrounding it, Valve has confirmed none, so you might wonder if the coconut photo in question actually exists or not.

It all began with a rumor back in 2020, which claimed there was a JPG file of a coconut in TF2’s files and that deleting it caused the game to crash. Considering the mysterious and amusing nature of the rumor, it naturally blew up in popularity. While it has been years since the discussion started, players still aren’t sure whether the coconut photo in TF2 is real. Uf you’re among them, I’ve got the answer you’re looking for. 

Does the popular coconut photo actually exist in TF2? 

Simply put, while Valve has never acknowledged it, TF2’s game files actually contain a weird JPG file of a coconut, and that’s not just according to the player who first discovered it.

As popular creator shounic explains in one of their videos, you can find the coconut photo in the game files: go to TF2’s game textures folder and look for a file named “coconut.” You have to use a special program called the GCFScape to view the image, though. While the image definitely exists, however, there are a lot of misconceptions regarding it.

For starters, many believe this popular tweet regarding a developer being confused about who put the coconut image in TF2’s source code is false. The tweet actually refers to a Reddit user’s light-hearted comment and not that of a Valve official. In fact, the claim that removing the image causes the game to malfunction isn’t true either. 

According to shounic, the coconut photo is used to render a specific texture in TF2, as are several other images in the same folder. Deleting the coconut or any of the other texture files will not cause the game to crash, but it might affect how certain textures appear in-game. Interestingly, you can delete all the texture files, and the game will still work, but it will be stripped of all the visuals you usually see.

If you’re wondering what the coconut is used to render, according to shounic, it’s the Fresh Brewed Victory taunt. The animation uses multiple particle effects, one of which is a coffee bean effect. When zoomed in, you can see that the coffee bean effect is actually depicted using coconuts, thus possibly explaining the purpose of the image.

Then again, this is just a creator’s theory, although it makes every bit of sense. Valve is yet to confirm it, so all we know for sure is that the coconut photo in TF2 is real.