That's a fair point, in my opinion too, this one looks better, and if the Softcap came out today, I'd look like this.

but it feels redundant to add a hat that looks so similar. As Extra Ram said, there is nothing inherently wrong with making a similar hat, but as long as you make it stand out. Soldier himself has very little overlap, with only two noticeable crossovers (Tinpot and the Panisher.) and even then they are still pretty different. this doesn't do that in my eyes, If you painted this black and removed the cigar, it look just like the Softcap from a distance or just about anywhere in the game. It needs more to stand out, like a logo badge. or just something more than just a cleaner look and paint. at least in my opinion.

If i had to pick between this or the Grenadier's Softcap, i would honestly pick this.

Why you may ask? The buttons on the side of this hat is actually modelled onto the hat, unlike Grenadier's softcap who is just textured on.
(and is in desperate need of an update, which we know Valve ain't gonna do, as they don't really update older items anymore).

Its also pretty neat to have one you can actually color for once instead of being stuck to just one color, not just limiting you to one color. It even looks good in certain paints in my opinion, and cosmetics like Veteran's Attire & Stealth Bomber pairs pretty well with this item too.

I also love that it has a style to remove the cigar, so you can combine it with other cosmetics like masks, beards and whatsoever.

Remember, This is just my opinion why i pefer this over Grenadier's Softcap, its not for me to decide what people should like or not.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with an article of clothing being revisited in a way that makes it unique compared to its last iteration; Scout has three different shirt cosmetics that boil down to him wearing a team-coloured puffy vest with a short-sleeved t-shirt being worn underneath, but all three are so very stylistically different takes on the concept that they're considered unique cosmetics that fit a unique aesthetic.

Not every single coat with a fur-lined collar for Engineer is "just the Dogfighter again" nor Spy wearing a different outfit that's not his standard pinstripe suit is "another Lurker's Leathers", so there's nothing wrong with Soldier with a different take on a Patrol Cap, even if "we already have the Grenadier's Softcap."

I don't agree with the "all of them have to be okay or none are" argument, I think a hat needs to be distinguishable enough from other previous hats, which is to say that I think this one definitely is distinguishable enough from the grenadier's softcap to be added. Not to mention that also has more compatibility due to being paintable.
That line of whether or not a hat is different enough from another is obviously a blurred line though, so I think there's plenty of justification in saying that this and many of the spy hats are too similar to other cosmetics.

@Hopps, as mentioned prior to me there are many variations of the same hat type. This is simply a variation of a patrol cap.
It goes for a more jungle / field camo feel.
It’s also a different shape to the Softcap.

This is frankly as similar to the Softcap as the Casa Nostra is to the Standard Spy Fedora.


“No hat is the same “ I think you need to take a proper look at the range of hats, some are simply variations on a very basic hat shape. Which is what this is.

the Hat of Cards and Fancy Fedora are functionally identical outside of the former having cards in the brim.
additionally, "Nostra Cap" is not a type of hat, the Cosa Nostra Cap is a fedora.

Spy has 9 fedoras + trilbies (grouping them together because they are more or less interchangeable); the effective number of fedoras wearable by Spy goes far higher if you consider all-classes
all of them have differences - big and small - that set them apart from each other. different shape, additional accessories, added pattern or different material.

either all of them are okay, or none of them are. you cannot use "we already have a hat of this type" as an argument if you dismiss it elsewhere

The difference between spy's hats are that they are all different types of hats. You have the Fedora, Nostra Cap, Trilby, Bowler, etc. No hat is the same. This, on the other hand, is a complete copy. Sure, it's different texture work. Sure, it has a cigar, but combining two already existing cosmetics together doesn't make it a unique idea. On your comment that it has been 15 years since the hats were added, it shows how timeless they are. Don't bank off of already existing ideas.

It has been nearly 15 years since the first hats were added to the game it is inevitable that 'similar' cosmetics happen at this point.

The grenadiers soft cap is limited with its compatibility and usability with other items given its very niche colouring.

This is indeed a Patrol cap, all be it a different shape and a different green camo pattern that provides a more general and compatible option.


People are very quick to compare cosmetics, but fail to acknowledge that Spy has god knows how many different Fedoras/Trilbys but they all server a different function.

As does this cap compared to the grenadiers soft cap.

Having paint and the cigar allows this item to create loadouts that the grenadier's soft cap can't, which makes it different enough.

@TwoTonMoon so you’re telling me it’s the Grenadier’s Softcap, but rather the well-rounded rifleman painted green? All I’m trying to say is this hat has already been done several times and looks too similar to existing hats.

@TwoTonMoon we get that it's based on a real military hat, but we already have that type of hat. it looks too similar to the Grenadier's Softcap

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrol_cap essential reading for some of you

@duke Yeah I was about to say that. Honestly quite alike

isn't this just the grenadier's softcap lol?

paintability on hats isn't that much of an issue. sure a hot pink hat looks ugly, but it's on a non-important area of the character and doesn't violate team reginition.

my only gripe with this hat is that it's just a paintable Grenadier's Softcap. it looks too similar to that hat.

but can you make the paint region the two tiny buttons on the side of his hat?!?!?!? reddit downvote army assemble!

@Yakuza Merkitzi

Viva la revolucion!

Pretty clean

Installing a mod that replaces the more offensive paint options with something more palatable, or that just disables the paint regions for you, is probably a lot more proactive approach to this personal preference of yours.

@illiterate You're gonna lose your mind when you see what Valve did with the first 3 line of hats added into the game.

Does Operator's Overalls, Team Spirit or Peculiarly Drab Tincture not look pretty good on it? There have been tons of full paint hats since paint was introduced, and it's been fine because people generally want to use good paints on their hats instead of bad ones. Weakening an item's loadout potential just to spite people who use gaudy paints (who would still use them even if the region was smaller) is a band aid solution to a problem we have no control over because Valve decided the paints ages ago. Lime and pink suck but I don't think they're nearly as much of an issue as they're often made out to be, people have been playing the game just fine with them for years and one more paintable hat isn't gonna change anything.

Cosmetic is good, but why make the entire thing paintable? It's gonna grab the attention of the players in all of the wrong ways.

a lot of really good cosmetics on the workshop lately.....whats going on? did i not get a memo or soemthing

I can already see who people are gonna turn Soldier into when they combine it with the Cuban Bristle Crisis cosmetic.

Anyways, cosmetic over all is pretty decent. woudn't mind if it got added.