Dota 2 Overhauls New Player Experience And Teases New Hero As Anime Tie-In Debuts On Netflix

It’s a big week for Dota 2 with the debut of the Dota: Dragon’s Blood anime series on Netflix and a surprise update that features a major revamp of the popular MOBA’s whole new player experience. The timely update aims to help newbies get better acquainted with the game’s complex gameplay mechanics.

“As the community knows, depth and discovery are hallmarks of Dota. They're why we play. However, that depth also brings a vast number of new things to process and absorb, and the first steps of Dota discovery sometimes feel overwhelming,” said Valve in a blog post published alongside the update’s release.

“It's true that the highs of Dota are surprising and joyous, but for new players it's often difficult to sift through all the information and find clear paths to positive results. Today's update aims to help with that,” the studio added.

One of the key features added with the update is the New Player Mode which is based on the game’s old Limited Mode. In the new mode, players will get a “small and stable” pool of heroes to choose from that will help them get a grasp of the game’s basic mechanics without having to worry about learning new heroes and abilities every single match. New players queueing solo will also be matched against other solo new players so they don’t inadvertently go up against veterans or parties.

In-game tips have also been added for live matches against other players. “Whenever the game detects a new player doing something in a match that may not be wise, a helpful wizard will appear to impart some timely life-saving advice,” they explained. “So when someone spends too long hovering at low health, goes for a stroll under an enemy tower, or thinks they can 1v1 Roshan right out of the gate, the wizard will be there to help steer them back to safety.”

The update also introduces new quest-like player objectives, new player cosmetic rewards, a glossary, new player chat, improved bot behavior and new names, and a more streamlined in-match shop.

“The shop will display a guided experience on exactly what to build, and once a player builds each item shown, it will unveil new choices, guiding them step-by-step along the way,” said the team. “With a curated shop telling new players exactly what to buy, they can focus on impacting the game with their hero instead of losing time shopping.”

The icing on the cake is the announcement of a new hero in the upcoming 7.29 update which is slated for release the Friday after the ONE Esports Singapore Major 2021. That puts the release date at April 9.

Meanwhile, Book 1 Episodes 1-8 of Dota: Dragon’s Blood is now available on Netflix for you to binge-watch. You’ll find the official trailer below.