Dota 2’s New Frontiers update completely shakes up the game

Valve launched the huge New Frontiers update for Dota 2 yesterday, which surpassed all expectations for what was to come next for the nearly 10-year-old free-to-play MOBA. The most notable change (among many others) is that the map is now 40% larger than before, and Valve has changed the layout of the jungles on the map. This forces players to adjust their juking strategies to break the line of sight with opponents, farm for XP and gold, and more. It has huge implications for shaking up competitive play, as pros know the ins and outs of the card – at least, the way it used to be.

The patch notes for most Dota 2 updates are notoriously lengthy, as the game has dozens of heroes and countless things to balance (and sometimes bans from imposing on players). however, the comments on new boundaries Are, ahem, a new frontier in length and depth. In case you were wondering, yes, people really do read everything in the patch notes. For example, Purge Gamers streamed on Twitch for 14 straight hours to read the patch notes and get a first look at the extensive amount of changes.

In addition to the expansion, there are other major changes to the map that returning players will notice. Valve claims to have made improvements to matchmaking so that skilled players can be evenly matched. There is also a completely new hero type called Universal that has some of the game’s heroes reassigned.

As for what’s changed on the map, Roshan, one of the game’s neutral creeps that any team can take on, can spawn in one of two new pit locations in the northwest and southeast corners, and he’s much stronger than before . And there are dual gates: portals that can be used to zip around the map (Roshan can also use them – thanks, PC gamer). But that barely scratches the surface.

Looking through the patch notes, it’s a delight to see the joking, self-aware tone Valve is taking in its notes to introduce fan-requested features and quality-of-life fixes that it’s only just beginning to roll out. For example , the skill fields in the HUD will now show health costs, if they have them, not just mana costs.

The copy reads, “Not bad, huh? It’s actually a bit strange that no one thought of putting it there before. Anyway, it’s here now.”

On the Dota 2 subreddit, it’s clear that fans are thrilled, or at least interested, in what’s in New Frontiers. And last night the game peaked over 1 million playersthe highest number of concurrent players since March 2019. As someone who appreciated it Dota 2‘s growth, but not playing the game, I’m always tempted to jump in when a big patch like this arrives. Maybe I’m ready for new boundaries too.