[LIVE] Dota 2 "Wraith-Night" Update Released

[Omnomnick]

Valve have already begun giving out their Christmas presents, with the first sizable gift appearing in the form of a brand new major patch for Dota 2, known as the "Wraith-Night" update. Frostivus is once again cancelled, with Wraith-Night, which appears as this year's Winter update, instead focusing on Skeleton King, who was recently removed from the game in preparation for this update.

Skeleton King is reborn as...The Wraith King!​

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The announcement page mentions that "Skeleton King is crumbling to dust after too many resurrections", which means it's up to the Dota 2 community to bring him back to life as a redesigned character known as the "Wraith King"! The new mode is described as a horde game type which pits players to defend themselves and Skeleton King's wintry Altar against dangerous monsters while collecting "Wraith Essence" to revive the fallen monarch.

Once morning arrives at the conclusion of the event, Skeleton King will be permanently reborn as the Wraith King. At the conclusion of every match, all five players are awarded "Phantom Fragments", with the game rewarding more items based on individual player performance. Fragments can be used to purchase "Wraith-Night Reliquaries", "Offerings", and "Tributes", all of which function as separate tiers which provide different types of items.

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However, the update isn't all about Skeleton King and the new gamemode, as Legion Commander, a long-awaited melee hero, is set to arrive in Dota 2 for the first time. The Legion Commander, known as Tresdin, is voiced by Merle Dandridge, aka Alyx Vance, and stands as a Radiant Strength hero capable of using her ultimate ability "Duel" to permanently increase her damage by slaying opponents in battle.​

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Introducing Tresdin, the Legion Commander, voiced by Merle Dandridge, aka Alyx Vance.​

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A number of systems designed to make the game more fun for newer players are also set to be included alongside Ranked Matchmaking, which was announced late last week over on the Dota 2 blog. As with any major update, the patch also features a series of cool new items, with a few highlights appearing in the form of the "Lina Announcer Pack" and the extremely rare "Blades of Voth Domosh" item for Legion Commander.​

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For a closer look at all of the features set to be included in this rather substantial update, be sure to head on over to the official announcement page for a closer peek at the update changelog. The "Wraith-Night" update is now live over on the main Dota 2 client, so don't forget to check out the update for yourself before the gamemode expires with the conclusion of the Winter event on January 4th 2014!​