Dota 2, one of the world’s most popular esports titles serving over 300,000 concurrent players on Steam as I write these words, has just dropped a massive update called New Frontiers that will likely change the free-to-play game forever. And the biggest difference by far is real estate: the game’s entire map is now 40 percent larger, letting you explore around the edges.
“The core objective of the game remains the same,” assures Valve — “your lanes aren’t further away from each other, and everything you need to win is still in the center of the map.”
A few of the new goodies. Image: Valve
But Valve goes on to describe “meta-defining new features,” new locations, new Tormentor mini-bosses, vision-granting neutral units called Watchers, Lotus Pools that generate fruit, new items, matchmaking changes, UI tweaks to the health bars, and a host of hero rebalances that will touch every character in the game.
Bigger creeps. Fewer stuns. Image: Valve
The changelog for Patch 7.33 seems like it goes on forever, and players will eat it up. Click here for the full graphical feast; or click here to get straight to the meat.