While a lot of the news that comes out of Steam is "This game is updated" and "This game is on sale", sometimes they do pull out little gems that really do improve the community.

Like this one - as part of Valve's continuing show of support towards the modding community, they are going to host (selected) mods directly on the Steam servers, starting next week. They're kicking things off with a selection of five, with plenty more to come - and promise that these user-created modifications will be free to anyone who owns any Source game!

The five featured mods are:

Age of Chivalry (Half-Life 2) Age of Chivalry is a total conversion for Half-Life 2 from Team Chivalry, a close group of friends dedicated to creating a fun, story-driven multiplayer experience set in a fantasy world in the medieval ages. Age of Chivalry features a fast paced first person melee combat system that will take the player to a new level of immersion. Players will be able to take part in sieges, town raids and open war in a story driven game.

D.I.P.R.I.P. (Half-Life 2) D.I.P.R.I.P. is a Half-Life 2 multiplayer total conversion. Gameplay is based on vehicle combat in various post-war environments. Vehicles use multiple weapon mounts which are activated by finding weapons scattered around the battlegrounds. Key locations in the post-war world are rich in uncontaminated water and fuel. Most of the terrain has been left in a mechanically unchanged state. Abandoned city centers, malls, refineries, country food storages, old military bases and other such places are the scenery of raging battles.

Insurgency (Half-Life 2) Grab your rifle, join your team mates, and enter the fight. Take to the modern battlefield and engage in intense, realistic battles. Choose your side between a highly organized conventional army or the partisan insurgents. Teamwork, tactics, bravery and discipline are the keys to your success in a deadly and treacherous modern war environment. INSURGENCY: Modern Infantry Combat represents the modern battlefield on the individual and tactical levels. Only the best players will become commanders and get the chance to lead its entire team towards victory. This is a game where real-world squad and guerrilla tactics are necessary to stay alive and repel the enemy, and is geared towards clans and organized teams of players.

Synergy (Half-Life 2) Synergy is a Half-Life 2 multiplayer modification with multiple gameplay modes, mainly focusing on cooperative play. Get together with friends and fight your way through individual levels or play through campaigns, including Half-Life 2. If you prefer competition, play the Teamplay or Deathmatch game modes. In Teamplay games, you join the Combine or Rebel team and fight against the opposing team with friendly players and NPCs.

Zombie Panic (Half-Life 2) Zombie Panic: Source is a cooperative survival horror Half-Life 2 Modification, the sequel to the popular Half-Life Modification "Zombie Panic". As a member of a party of survivors you find yourself without provisions or any military support. Fending off the undead has never been more difficult but with a large variety of fire arms, explosives, and unique items the task is not impossible. This time through we introduce you to new characters you can control, numerous weapons including a large list of melee weapons, and the Carrier zombie the one turning friend into foe. We started it all and are happily continuing the fight!

...once you've downloaded and installed them, the mods will appear like normal titles under the "My Games" list, and will be automatically updated - just like normal games! It's also impressive to note that these hosted mods will also take advantage of Steamworks, to provide stat tracking and more integration with the wider Steam community.

Valve are very pleased to offer this opportunity to mod developers, getting them wider recognition for the hard work they've done over the years. More details are coming soon, but for now, this is pretty exciting news, for gamers and devs alike!

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Thanks to fLaMePrO for this submission!
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