Valve announced that it's introducing a new set of experimental features that's going to be available to Dota 2 players. Dubbed as Dota Labs, it's going to be a new way for the studio to test new content. Basically, it's pretty much like a PTS in other video games.
There's going to be an initial set of three features for Dota Labs. The first is the Overlay Map which is basically like the minimap but with major differences. It's large rather than small and transparent instead of solid. It's also in full-screen instead of being isolated to the corner. For this feature, the studio wants to know if helps with the playstyle and what players felt when interacting with it.
The second feature being tests are the Modifier Key Filter Bindings. During the game, issuing commands can truly be challenging and there's no question that a misclick can mean the difference between a victory and defeat. With this new feature, players can bind modifiers that when held forces their target selection. This should be good news especially to players who want to have more choices when it comes to targeting methods.
Finally, there's the High-Visibility Local Hero Healthbar. You see, teamfights in Dota 2 are hectic and amidst all the chaos it's definitely difficult for players to track their hero. With this new option, there's a change it can the styling and readability of the hero.
Valve went on to say in a post that some of the features are going to mature and graduate out, meaning they'll be introduced in the game. However, some are also likely going to be retired. These applies not just to the initial features but also future ideas to be introduced. Eventually it depends on the players.
Dota Plus Seasonal Update
Aside from the launch of Dota Labs, Valve also introduced the latest Seasonal Update for Dota 2. What that means is that Spring 2024 Seasonal Treasure is finally here and available for players to purchase using shards. This treasure features all new sets for these heroes:
- Disruptor
- Dark Willow
- Spectre
- Chaos Knight
- Doom
- Earth Spirit
- Underlord
- Nyx Assassin
Players also get the chance to unlock the Sir Molestach Irondrill courier. They'll also be happy to know that the sets available in the Summer Treasure 2022 can now be purchased in the Shard Shop for 15,000 shards.
Dota 2 is available for the PC via Steam.