It’s not for the lack of effort either. In recent years, Valve has tried a lot of things to make Dota 2 more appealing. This includes making it less toxic and introducing updates to help speed up gameplay. As a matter of fact, these days, Dota 2 encourages more small-time skirmishes throughout the entire map to prevent games from being boring and lasting too long. However, despite all the additions, Dota 2 remains arguably one of the most complicated games to learn today. With its most recent update though, Valve wants to change this. No doubt, this is to help the expected influx of players who might be piqued to try out Dota 2 after the premiere of DOTA: Dragon’s Blood, an anime adaption based on characters from the Dota 2 universe, on Netflix.
What Does the Comprehensive Dota 2 Update Add?
In an unusually lengthy and detailed blog post, Valve took its time explaining what the new update will bring to Dota 2. In the said post, Valve acknowledged how conventional tutorials just won’t work in Dota 2. Thus, they decided to make some long-overdue changes to help ease the transition for new players. The majority of these additions aim to make the game less complicated. Then, in cases where that’s not possible, real-time advice is made available as well. The main takeaway here is the addition of the New Player Mode. The goal of the new mode is to streamline the experience by letting new players choose only from a limited number of heroes specifically curated for beginners. Additionally, this includes an all-new exclusive queue that only pits new solo players against each other. In doing this, Valve will give new players a chance to focus on understanding the basics first without being overwhelmed by the wealth of information involved in playing as, with, and against the 100 or so heroes available in Dota 2. Speaking of streamlining, the new update will also add an optional version of the in-game shop that will automatically add craftable items based on items players previously crafted. Player objectives will also be made available that will help encourage first-time solo players to explore the many gameplay aspects of Dota 2. Other notable additions included in the comprehensive Dota 2 update include an exclusive chat channel for beginners, a newly improved AI for bots, as well as a “more flexible” coaching system. New players will be able to take advantage of a free trial of the Dota Plus subscription service for three months and also, Valve clarified that they will now ban players for “smurfing”. For more information on the comprehensive Dota 2 update, be sure to head on over to the official Dota 2 website.
What’s Next for Dota 2?
Valve seems to be the most proactive they’ve been in years if not ever this 2021. They’ve done a lot of things that they haven’t before. This includes announcing the release of the aforementioned DOTA anime series and even going as far as to release a primer video led by some of the most prominent names in Dota 2. Perhaps it’s the threat of increased competition or the failure of their other Dota-related ventures. Maybe it’s both. Either way, Dota 2 fans are starting to get what they deserve after sticking to the game for years. With that said, things are just heating up for Dota 2 following this update. In addition to the upcoming premiere of DOTA: Dragon’s Blood on Netflix, Dota 2 will also see the return of competitive Dota 2 for the first time in a while. The ONE Esports Singapore Major is scheduled from March 27 to April 4. After this, Valve plans to drop yet another huge “balanced-focused gameplay update” in 7.29 along with a new hero.
