It’s an old joke that Valve Software can’t count to three, but it really doesn’t help itself. Popular multiplayer battle arena game Dota 2 has just gotten one of the largest updates in its history, to the extent where if you were to load it up without being unaware of the changes, you’d assume Valve had shipped Dota 3. Those changes, titled The New Frontiers update, involve expanding the map by 40%, adding a new hero type, a truckload of new items, and an enormous list of balance changes.
It’s likely a relief for longtime Dota 2 fans, many of whom had begun to assume Valve had put the game out to pasture. Big changes are expected for Dota 2 every few years, with the aim of keeping the game fresh. However, major changes hadn’t been made to the map since patch 7.00, way back 2016. As a result, the game was at serious risk of becoming stale.
It’s certainly not at risk of that any more. The biggest change is the expansion of the playing area, which has added 40% additional space. That sounds like a lot, but because the extra space has been added around the edges of the existing map, it’s essentially an extension of the space Dota 2 fans have long known and loved. Filling that space is a collection of new monster camps for experience and gold, as well as teleportable outposts. Another of the huge additions can be found here, too: The Twin Gates. Placed at the top-left and bottom-right of the map, these two linked gates enable teleportation between the two distant sides, opening up new options for teamfights and ambushes.
The list of changes and additions is massive, and way more than we have the space to go into — but the agreed wisdom from many commentators is that the game is being retooled to facilitate more teamfights, i.e. mass battles between the players on either side, rather than spending time gathering gold and experience fighting AI monsters.
There’s a lot to unpack here, and you can find the full list of changes on The New Frontiers webpage. Regardless of the changes though, it’s a massive shakeup for the Dota 2 community, and will make Dota 2 a much more exciting esport to watch in the coming months, as the pros try to figure out the new meta.