Valve has just released a standalone mobile app packed with many of its chat features from the desktop client version. Here is everything about it in nutshell.
The video game developer’s desktop chat underwent a massive refresh last year. It saw a deluge of new features incorporated in its system in an attempt to compete with Discord.
The new mobile app is currently available for Android and iOS. It includes a handful of chat features, from customization to group chats, to notifications, and more. Unfortunately, for now, voice chat is not part of the mobile integration. Valve, however, confirmed that it is already under development and should arrive soon.
This is the game developer’s second major iOS app launch in less than seven days. Just last week, the long-delayed Steam Link app was finally green-lit by Apple after rejecting it for nearly a year. The app is designed to give users the ability to beam Steam games from the desktop PC to a particular device, such as iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV.
In recent news, Valve has received mixed reactions following its release of the paid “Avoid Player” option. It is a feature included in Dota 2's The International 2019 Battle Pass, which arrives with a waterfall of cosmetics, a special mode, and an in-game assistant. But the feature that really caught the attention of many is the “Avoid Player” option.
The reason behind the uproar is Valve’s decision to make the feature exclusive to Dota 2 players who bought the pass. The company said that the feature is intended to battle in-game toxicity, a controversial topic involving game developers and gamers. After nearly six years of experimentation, the studio finally introduced its own weapon.
The catch, as mentioned, is that only players who forked over the $10 Battle Pass can use it. The majority of fans and critics alike believe that such an option should be made available for everyone, especially if Valve is really concerned about irksome behavior. Add to this is the narrative that the developer needed at least six years in order to make it a reality.
