For the last few years, most of Valve’s official Dota 2 events have revolved around Battle Passes and Compendiums, the digital guidebooks sold during major tournaments. But last week brought the arrival of Dark Moon, the first Valve-produced cooperative mode since Dota 2 players fought the Year Beast, and I’m a big fan of 2017’s first in-game event. If you haven’t played Dota in a few months, I strongly recommend reinstalling before Dark Moon ends next week.
If you missed the news, Dark Moon is a temporary event that ditches the standard 5v5 format of standard Dota 2 for a cooperative tower defense mode against waves of creeps and heroes from the game’s roster. Points are awarded based on your team’s performance, with a massive bonus awarded the first time you pass Wave Six each day. Players can also spend 35,000 points to spin a prize wheel similar to Rylai’s Battle Blessing; the random prize game associated rolled out with each new set of Battle Passes.
Like many Dota 2 players, the amount of time I spend with the game tends to ebb and flow throughout the year, guided in no small part by the density of the release calendar. New games aren’t the only reason I find myself taking breaks though. We’ve all had an unfortunate streak or two, grouped with some foul-mouthed, terrible-tempered 12-year-old in one game after another. And any run of bad luck, whether it be mounting losses or just tiresome teammates, can sap a player’s desire to fire up Dota 2.
But I found my teammates much more supportive in Dark Moon. People even seem to be more communicative regarding their item purchases. And watching the entire team chase an oversized chicken around the map is always good for a laugh. If I had to guess, the steady stream of rewards are probably playing a major role in the Dota community’s friendliness. Not being forced to dedicate 20-40 minutes to a match you aren’t going to win probably helps too.
Jumping in midway through the event also comes with the added bonus of access to the community’s accumulated knowledge. I’ve yet to finish the Dark Moon event, or play with anyone who has, but there are already guides popping up on reddit (and elsewhere) for those curious about Dark Moon hero builds. And there are no shortage of places documenting which heroes you can expect to see during each wave. It’s not enough to guarantee victory, but it’s more than enough to make reaching Wave Six -- the milestone players need to cross to earn their daily reward -- easy for the average Dota 2 player.
Best of all, depending on how long you’ve been away from the game, the entirety of Update 7.00 is waiting when Dark Moon begins to get old and/or Valve shuts it back off. I’ve played a handful of matches since Valve’s big refresh back in December, but I can’t be the only one in the community tempted to play more standard Dota after Dark Moon runs its course. All those new hats I earned during the event aren’t going to wear themselves into battle, now are they?
If you've been gone for more than a few months, Dota 2 is a vastly different game than the one you left behind. Spend a few rounds in practice mode, and/or a few hours in the Dark Moon event, then dive back into standard matchmaking to see just how much Dota 2 has improved in 2017.
Dota 2 is currently available on PC, Mac and Linux. The game’s ongoing Dark Moon event will continue through Monday, Feb. 6.
Be sure to check back with iDigitalTimes.com and follow Scott on Twitter for more Dota 2 news throughout 2017 and however long Valve supports Dota 2 in the years ahead.
