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Valve are celebrating Dota 2's surprise launch on Tuesday with a massive weekly patch which has introduced a brand new hero, Abaddon! As a melee strength hero, Abaddon is primarily played as a support thanks to his powerful utility abilities including Aphotic Shield, a barrier which causes the target to become immune to 200 damage for 15 seconds, and Death Coil, a ranged nuke which doubles as a friendly heal capable of causing 250 damage to enemies or providing 250hp to allies. His ultimate, Borrowed Time, is a self-cast and will remove most negative buffs from the hero while causing all damage dealt to Abaddon to heal him, rather than injuring. Linux and Mac support have also been added, but are set to remain on the test client until Valve is confident that the new versions are ready for prime time on the main stage.
What kind of launch party would this be without cosmetic items?! The update has introduced a whole host of new unreleased cosmetic items and sets for Anti-Mage, Axe, Batrider, Bloodseeker, Bounty Hunter, Brewmaster, Clinkz, Doom, Death Prophet, Dark Seer, Juggernaut, Kunkka, Lone Druid, Morphling, Medusa, Mirana, Necrolyte, Phantom Assassin, Skeleton King, Skywrath Mage, Slark, Spirit Breaker, and... (gasp for breath) Windrunner. Several other new items have also been added to the game files including a new "Dragon Scale" HUD, the LGD Golden Skipper, Smeevil Crab, and Mok the Mandrill couriers, and a Defense Grid announcer pack.
Rewards for the Interactive Compendium player cards have also been added, providing players with Smeevil treats and other goodies for completing certain challenge criteria. A new page has also been added to the compendium for the Solo Championship voting, which was unlocked after the fifth prize pool milestone was passed several weeks ago. The "International Fantasy Challenge" has also been introduced after minor hints in previous updates. The new mini-game allows compendium owners to select eight professional players to place in their team roster. During professional tournament matches, players will be given scores based on their performance in their respective role as a carry, solo hero or support. The DotaTV spectator system also features a new "Fantasy Points" dropdown stats table, allowing viewers to quickly check how well pro players in their fantasy team may or may not be doing. While it isn't clear what players may win or ultimately gain by using the new fantasy system, it is definitely an interesting addition that we'll be keeping our eyes on. For more information regarding this week's Dota 2 patch, head on over to CyborgMatt's patch analysis or check out the official changelog over on the Dota 2 Wiki. If you're looking to learn more about Valve's plans for Dota 2's on-going launch over at our full write-up, which is available here. gl hf!
Finally, a new hero! Introducing Abaddon (left) and his "Borrowed Time" ultimate! (right)
What kind of launch party would this be without cosmetic items?! The update has introduced a whole host of new unreleased cosmetic items and sets for Anti-Mage, Axe, Batrider, Bloodseeker, Bounty Hunter, Brewmaster, Clinkz, Doom, Death Prophet, Dark Seer, Juggernaut, Kunkka, Lone Druid, Morphling, Medusa, Mirana, Necrolyte, Phantom Assassin, Skeleton King, Skywrath Mage, Slark, Spirit Breaker, and... (gasp for breath) Windrunner. Several other new items have also been added to the game files including a new "Dragon Scale" HUD, the LGD Golden Skipper, Smeevil Crab, and Mok the Mandrill couriers, and a Defense Grid announcer pack.
The Golden Skipper (left), Mok the Mandrill (middle), and Smeevil Crab (right) are set to join their other courier buddies in the Dota 2 store sometime soon.
Rewards for the Interactive Compendium player cards have also been added, providing players with Smeevil treats and other goodies for completing certain challenge criteria. A new page has also been added to the compendium for the Solo Championship voting, which was unlocked after the fifth prize pool milestone was passed several weeks ago. The "International Fantasy Challenge" has also been introduced after minor hints in previous updates. The new mini-game allows compendium owners to select eight professional players to place in their team roster. During professional tournament matches, players will be given scores based on their performance in their respective role as a carry, solo hero or support. The DotaTV spectator system also features a new "Fantasy Points" dropdown stats table, allowing viewers to quickly check how well pro players in their fantasy team may or may not be doing. While it isn't clear what players may win or ultimately gain by using the new fantasy system, it is definitely an interesting addition that we'll be keeping our eyes on. For more information regarding this week's Dota 2 patch, head on over to CyborgMatt's patch analysis or check out the official changelog over on the Dota 2 Wiki. If you're looking to learn more about Valve's plans for Dota 2's on-going launch over at our full write-up, which is available here. gl hf!
