Dota 2’s New Frontiers update expands the map, adds new features

Valve has released the New Frontiers update, a massive new game for Dota 2Yesterday, the free-to play MOBA, now almost 10 years old, exceeded expectations. The most notable change (among many others) is that the map is now 40% bigger than before, and Valve has retooled the layout of the map’s jungles. It will also force players adapting their strategies, such as juking in order to avoid the line of vision with an opponent, farming for experience and gold, etc. It has huge implications for shaking up competitive play, since pros know the ins and outs of the map — at least, as it used to be.

These patch notes apply to most Dota 2The updates can be long as there are many heroes to keep track of and balance, not to mention the bans that players may face. New Frontiers notes are, ahemThe game is a whole new level in length and complexity. In case you were wondering, yes, people do read all of what’s in the patch notes. PurgeGamers streamed 14 hours of straight Twitch streams to get first impressions and go over the patch note.

Players will see that there have been other changes made to the map. Valve says it has improved its matchmaking so that skilled players are evenly matched. There’s also a completely new hero type, called Universal, which some of the game’s heroes have been re-assigned to.

As for what’s changed on the map, Roshan, one of the game’s neutral creeps that either team can take on, can spawn in one of two new pit locations in the northwest and southeast corners, and he’s much stronger than before. And there are twin gates: portals that can be used to zip across the map (Roshan can use them, too — thanks, PC Gamer). That’s just a small part of the story.

Looking through the patch notes, it’s a delight to see the joking, self-aware tone that Valve takes in its notes to introduce fan-requested features and quality-of-life fixes that it’s only just now getting around to putting in. In the HUD, for example, ability squares will show the health cost if there is one. The copy reads: “Not bad, huh? The placement of the copy is a bit crazy. Anyway, it’s there now.”

Then, Dota 2 subreddit, it’s clear that fans are happy, or at least interested, about what’s in New Frontiers. Last night the game hit its highest player count in March 2019 with over 1,000,000 players. I have always been a fan of the game. Dota 2’s growth, yet doesn’t play the game, I’m always tempted to jump in when a big patch like this arrives. Perhaps, I’m ready for new frontiers, too.