Dota 2 News
Dota 2 update for 25 March 2021
Dota 2 revamps new player experience in time for the anime
The animated series based on Dota 2 is now out on Netflix, expanding elements of the MOBA's backstory into eight gritty episodes. Expecting an influx of curious newbies who'd be horrified by how unfriendly Dota is, Valve last night updated Dota's new player experience to be less completely useless. They've added new playable tutorials and a New Player Mode which gently introduces players to low-stakes games, as well as improving bots. Plus they've made smurfing a bannable offence, to keep sharks out the kiddy pool.
Dota 2's next hero to drop shortly after Singapore Major
Among a number of equally big Dota 2 announcements, such as smurfing becoming a bannable offense, Valve has revealed when players can expect the MOBA's next hero.
In a short paragraph at the end of this massive blog post - which mainly focuses on an overhaul to the game's core systems to accommodate new players - Valve says that fans can expect hero number 121 in the next update, which drops shortly after the ONE Esports Singapore Major. "We're aiming for the Friday following the Singapore Major as the day the next update ships," Valve says. "The 7.29 update will include the next hero as well as a balance-focused gameplay update." With the Major wrapping up on Sunday, April 4, expect the new update and new Dota 2 hero to drop on Friday, April 9.
We have no official word on what kind of hero we're getting just yet, but excitement is still pretty high. With Valve expecting a high influx of new players from its Dota: Dragon's Blood Netflix series, there's a good chance this will be a more simple to learn and uncomplicated hero, but that's purely speculation at this point.
RELATED LINKS:
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Dota 2 update focuses on accessibility for new players
Dota 2 makes smurfing a bannable offense
Dota 2 gets a new hero and its 7.29 update in April
It's a big ol' day in Dota land. The MOBA game's tie-in anime show Dota: Dragon's Blood has come to Netflix and Valve has dropped a surprise - and enormous - overhaul to the Dota 2 new player experience, making it far easier for newbies to get into the game. But, the news doesn't stop there - Valve has also revealed the release date for the multiplayer game's next big patch, which will usher in a brand-new Dota 2 hero.
Tucked away, right down at the bottom of its mammoth post announcing the new player experience overhaul, Valve has given us an idea of what it's cooking up for Dota 2 next. "We're aiming for the Friday following the Singapore Major as the day the next update ships," the studio reveals. "The 7.29 update will include the next hero as well as a balance-focused gameplay update."
So, as popular Dota community member Wykrhm Reddy has posted on Twitter (below), the Dota 2 7.29 update release date should be April 9, 2021. That being the Friday following the Singapore Major's grand final on April 4.
RELATED LINKS:
Dota 2 gets a "comprehensive update" to its new player experience for anime launch
Netflix posts "Dota fans only" clip to get Dota 2 lovers on board for the anime
Dota 2's community tutorial is live now, just in time for the anime