Out of the ether arrives the new SnarkPit—refreshed, modernized, and ready for your map browsing pleasure. Short of a site redesign, we chose to modernize the classic layout, carefully updating it to work cleanly across today's devices and browsers, yes even on mobile. Give it a try!

While it was tempting to cram in a plethora of new features, we decided to focus on what makes the Pit special. The result is a host of quality-of-life improvements that stay true to the spirit of the original site without undermining its core experience. v7 is more than just a fresh coat of paint though; the entire site was rebuilt from the ground up with modern best practices, delivering the fastest and smoothest experience the Pit has ever had. Search is lighting quick, navigation is snappy, and everything just feels better.

This November, the Pit turns 25 years old—a remarkable milestone for any website, and while the activity on the site isn't what it once was, we hope our improved live-reply forum system will make it easier than ever for old and new faces alike to drop in and say hello!

None of this would have been possible without the incredible help of our very own Penguinboy—longtime community member and creator/owner of TWHL, a cornerstone of the Half-Life mapping scene since the early days. If you map for Valve games, you owe it to yourself to stop by TWHL and see the lively community thriving there.

After a few close calls during the pandemic and years of shaky server support, we weren’t sure the Pit would make it. Now, we’re happier than ever to see it continue as a touchstone of the mapping community.

Welcome to SnarkPit v7. Enjoy exploring, and happy mapping.