The first Dota 2 update under Valve’s new patching schedule released Thursday afternoon, bringing a litany of changes to what is now arguably the company’s flagship product (sorry Half-Life). And the there’s plenty to be excited about in the Spring Cleaning update if you’re part of the crowd who believes UI and presentation are currently Dota ’s weakest points.
The first change most fans will notice is Valve’s overhaul of the player profile. Players can still show off their favorite cosmetics and track their own statistics, but there are some new features, too. Like the ability to use your favorite loading screen as a background for your profile. There’s a new Ready Check feature, that lets party leaders make sure everyone is ready to go before hopping into the queue, and new Friend List filters make it easier to fill out your party. In the same vein, all party members can invite new players to the group now.
The Spring Cleaning update introduces a new Last Hit trainer, for anyone struggling with their creep farm, that can be found in the Learn tab. Sticking with the informational theme, this week’s Dota 2 patch also adds difficulty-specific neutral camp icons to the mini-map so you never have to wonder what’s waiting at each spawn site. Teleportation will be color-coded now, making it a bit easier to identify who’s about to appear next to you. And each hero’s loadout page will now includes information on their Aghanim’s Scepter upgrades (where applicable).
Custom Game fans can look forward to dedicated servers for their Dota 2 mutations and new matchmaking penalties for people who leave Arcade matches early. Your selected language will also play a bigger role in matchmaking now. And repeated negative behavior will be punished much more harshly in 2018. Valve says it will hand out six-month bans, with a warning before the triggering offense, for players who repeatedly abandon matches, feed opposing squads or verbally abuse their teammates.
For a complete breakdown of the changes, including the usual hero and item tweaks, check out the Spring Cleaning page on the Dota 2 website. Then head down to the comments section and let us know what changes you’re hoping to see in 2018.
Dota 2 is currently available for Windows and OS X.
Be sure to check back with Player.One and follow Scott on Twitter for more Dota 2 news in 2018 and however long Valve supports Dota 2 in the years ahead.
