Dota 2 News

Dota 2 The International 2022 heads to Singapore in October

Valve's biggest yearly Dota 2 competition is set to take place in October, with Dota 2 The International 2022 being hosted in Singapore. The location was all but confirmed over the past few days in a series of teasing photo shoots posted to the game's official Twitter account, but we now have a date for what is likely to be the biggest esports tournament of the year, at least in terms of prize pool.

Dota 2's annual The International tournament is the biggest of Valve's Dota 2 'Majors' and the culmination of the MOBA game's yearly esports cycle. Last year's tournament, which took place in Bucharest and was won by TSpirit, reached a record prize pool of just over $40 million USD. Racking up a cumulative 107.23 million hours watched, it was also the second most-watched esports event of last year behind LoL's Worlds tournament.

The International's vast winner's prize has been trending upwards ever since the third tournament in 2013, where Valve began fundraising through its tournament-specific 'TI battle pass' sales, a percentage of which goes towards the total reward fund. This crowdfunding approach has seen TI holding the top six spots in the largest overall prize pools list for esports tournaments, with each consecutive year topping the one prior.

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Best Dota 2 VPN - level up your MOBA experience

Which is the best Dota 2 VPN? That's a question that many fans of this iconic MOBA game will find themselves asking, because not only can the right VPN help to improve your connection speeds (cutting down lag which might cost you a game), but it also saves you from DDoS attacks from opponents who can't handle losing, and teammates whose expectations were too high.

The best Dota 2 VPN is going to be a different provider depending on your needs. Some gamers will want a VPN that can also keep their whole family's internet footprint discreet and so will want to have a number of simultaneous connections available through the VPN. Meanwhile, others will just be looking for the cheapest, simplest option that will let them use the VPN for Dota 2 without having to spend a fortune.

We've got four recommendations here that should cover most Dota 2 players and give you the chance to destroy your opponents' Ancients as you make your way up the Dota 2 ranks swiftly as possible. And, hey, if you have server trouble, your VPN will give you the chance of connecting through international servers from all over the world.

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Dota 2 7.31c patch: new update nerfs Primal Beast before Major

Dota 2's new patch is live, and includes several hero buffs and nerfs ahead of the MOBA game's upcoming Stockholm Major tournament. Dota 2 7.31c update nerfs the new hero Primal Beast and long-time favourite Tiny among several other meta-dominant characters. This update will be used for the tournament in Stockholm, which is the first major of Dota 2's pro circuit season.

A total of 41 heroes have seen tweaks in 7.31c, with a focus on nerfs to some of the heroes who have looked strongest in the recent meta. First and foremost is recent arrival Primal Beast, who, along with nerfs to his Uproar and Trample abilities, has also most notably had a sound queue added to his Onslaught ability that can be heard through fog of war. This should give enemy players ample warning that he is channelling his devastating charge attack from the shadows.

Also heavily impacted is rock giant Tiny, who has been one of the game's hardest hitters. His Tree Grab now deals less damage to buildings, his Grow damage multiplier has been scaled back slightly, and his 'grow damage with tree' talent has been moved from level 15 to level 20. These changes should make him a little less impactful overall and slightly slower to reach his full potential.

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Dota 2 patch 7.31c cuts Tiny down to size ahead of Stockholm Major

Dota 2 developer Valve has evidently been busy preparing some last-minute tweaks, as the popular MOBA title shapes up for the beginning of its first Major of the Dota Pro Circuit season in Stockholm next week. Dota 2 patch 7.31c arrives just in time for the event, and will serve as the official tournament patch.

This time round, Valve is focusing heavily on Dota 2's Heroes, with 41 members of its expansive roster of characters getting tweaked. Meta heavy-hitters Primal Beast, Sand King, and Tiny are all receiving sizable nerfs to put a dampener on their power - Tiny in particular has had his numbers squished multiple times across 7.31.

Meanwhile, on the buffs front, Valve is continuing its attempts to bump Zeus up following his Heavenly Jump change on patch 7.31, while also giving a bit of extra love to a number of Heroes like Chen, Phoenix, and Witch Doctor. Though the buffs on this patch generally appear to be more conservative than the nerfs, we'll have to wait and see just how much they impact the pro meta.

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The Stockholm Major Fantasy and Gameplay Update 7.31c

The Eastern Europe Qualifier tournament is now complete after 5 days of intense Dota. Congratulations to BetBoom, Team Spirit, and Mind Games who will now join teams from the around the world at the Stockholm Major.

The Major kicks off on May 12th, and tickets are still available to see the teams live at Hovet Arena from May 20-22 at www.esl-one.com/dpc.

[h2]Fantasy for the Major[/h2]
Be a part of the action by playing Fantasy Dota during the Major. Fantasy will work largely the same as during the Spring Tour league with the biggest difference being that there is a period every day of the Major instead of every week.

As a refresher, here's how to participate:

Earn Card Packs
- Earn one card pack for each first win of the day.
- Buy card packs for your favorite teams.
- Join Supporters Clubs to get bonus packs.
Open Card Packs
- Basic packs now contain players only from teams qualified to the major.
- Team card packs for teams that didn't qualify will still grant you the gold or silver card for that team, but all other cards will be for major qualified players.
Choose your Daily Lineup
- For each day in the major, choose a team of player cards that you think will perform the best.
- The daily schedule will be available at www.dota2.com/esports once groups have been determined.
Reap the Rewards
- Earn 4/3/2/1 Fantasy Levels for being in the top 10%/25%/50%/100% of all participants.
- Earn shards for every 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fantasy level, plus a Lineage Treasure for every 4th.

[h2]Gameplay Update 7.31c[/h2]
Just in time for the Major, this patch also includes Gameplay Update 7.31c. Check out all the changes at www.dota2.com/patches/7.31c.