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The DPC 2021-2022 Winter Tour Regional FinalsJan 21, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsA little over a week ago, we announced the cancellation of the first Major of the DPC 2021-2022 Season. When we did so, we didn't present an alternative solution that would address the absence of prize pool and DPC points. When it became clear that scheduling a LAN with the proper requirements wouldn't be possible within schedule, we didn't feel confident that any alternative would have a positive outcome: Delaying the major to a much later date would make it unfair for players from teams who change rosters between now and then. Running a global online tournament would result in matches where the high latency among far-away regions would have a substantial impact on the quality of the matches, affecting the competitive integrity of those games. Replacing it with Regional or Bi-regional Tournaments would eliminate the cross-regional play that lets teams from deeper regions earn more points towards International qualification. In particular, Bi-regional tournaments can result in situations where an above average region is punished because they were paired with another strong region, and a weak region is benefited by being paired with another weak region. We quickly realized though listening to feedback from teams and fans that our priorities were wrong and we were not successful at being mindful of players participating in the DPC. This was a big mistake on our part. We are sorry and we are set on making it right. We held multiple discussions with Teams and Tournament Organizers, to understand what was possible to execute and what made the most sense for everyone. While it became clear to everyone involved that there was no perfect solution that would address every issue, we decided to move forward with running six Regional Finals tournaments. The DPC 2021-2022 Regional Finals will take place over two weekends, with three regions playing on February 11-13, and the other three playing on February 18-20. The top 4 from each region will compete in a double elimination tournament with a $100,000 USD prize pool. The regional schedule is as follows: Feb 11-13, 2022: WEU, SEA, SA Feb 18-20, 2022: CN, EEU, NA Each Regional Finals placement will be awarded the following: 1st place: $50,000 USD + 250 DPC points 2nd place $25,000 USD + 130 DPC points 3rd place: $15,000 USD 4th place: $10,000 USD More details will be made available through each Region's Tournament Organizer. Since this would still create a situation where each region earned the same number of points towards TI qualification, we're revisiting The International 11 Qualifiers format to offset that bias as follows: The TI Qualifiers will be played as originally planned, with the top team from each region qualifying to TI Second and third place from each region's qualifiers will then compete in a LAN event shortly afterward, prior to The International Out of those 12 teams, first and second place will qualify to The International 11. As there are more teams qualifying for The International this sea...Aghanim's Labyrinth: The Continuum Conundrum - Gameplay UpdateJan 18, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsGeneral A new set of legacy combat encounters have been added for Act 1 at Magician and higher difficulties Surge ascension modifier move speed increase reduced from 50% to 40%, and the enemies can now be slowed Reduced base armor on many bosses and captains Reduced health and damage sensitivity of Toothy Toothums Reduced health regeneration of enemy Alchemist Chemical Rage Reduced damage of Brain Sap and Fiend's Grip in Demonic Woods Glarf's Bloodlust option has been improved from 2 encounters, 50 bonus attack speed, 12% bonus movement speed to 3 encounters, 60 bonus attack speed, and 15% bonus movement speed Fixed Carrie not leveling up with Ascension in Bug Bait Fixed Bogdugg's Cudgel and Femur not working Fixed cases of patrolling units being exploitable via attacks outside their aggro radius Bosses will now only begin their fights once they've seen the player Fixed being able to drop movement speed items to circumvent movement speed cap for trap rooms Trap Room base movement speed increased from 350 to 360 The following items are no longer purchasable from the main shop: Creature Blade Mail Outworld Meteorologist Meteor Hammer Continuum Key Fixed Pudge Encounter map on west side having too a narrow channel for Pudge to get through Heroes Bane Enfeeble: Cast reduction minor shard increased from 3 to 4% Fiend's Grip: Mana drain minor shard combined with damage per second minor shard Clinkz Singe: Knockback distance increased from 50 to 72 Singe: Knockback duration increased from 0.1 to 0.2 Singe: Slow duration increased from 1 to 2 Dawnbreaker Solar Guardian: Cooldown reduced from 120/110/100 to 100 Lightbringer: Mana cost reduced from 100 to 75 Lightbringer: Duration increased from 5 to 6 Lightbringer: Cooldown decreased from 60 to 45 Sun Sentinel: Duration increased from 3 to 5 seconds Death of a Star: Fixed some cases where the cast would not start Death of a Star: Now increases base heal by 75 Disruptor Glimpse: Bonus damage minor shard increased from 40 to 50 Static Storm: Cooldown reduced from 90/80/70 to 60/55/50 Shocking Travel: Increased damage from intelligence from 70% to 100% Pacific Storm: Damage reduction increased from 30 to 50%, and also slows movement speed by 50%. Drow Ranger Gust: Bonus blind percent minor shard increased from 5 to 7 Marksmanship: Active cooldown reduced from 70 to 60 Silent Echo: Now also grants Drow 2 agility for every enemy hit and 4 agility for every captain hit for 12s. Fleet-Footed: Now applies a basic dispell on allies. Gyrocopter Missile Ride: Area of effect increased from 90 to 120 Missile Ride: Now deals 2x damage First Strike: Fixed it having no effect if cast again while already having Flak Cannon active Juggernaut Blade Fury: Duration minor shard decreased from 1.0 to 0.75 Detonate Ward: Now increases Healing Ward radius by 150. White-Hot Katana: Ignite duration increased from 5 to 10 White-Hot Katana: Ignite damage increased from 25% to 50% Kunkka Torrent: Damage shard increased from 50 to 75 T...Aghanim's Collector's Cache, Labyrinth Update, & DOTA: Dragon's Blood Season 2Jan 18, 2022 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/3703047/0fbb9142d2d935564e2e456ed6eea27b37e7f6c2.jpg Today's update brings the all-new Aghanim's Collector's Cache featuring 18 sets voted for by the community, plus an Aghanim's Labyrinth Update filled with new rewards and gameplay. Also, continue following the story in DOTA: Dragon's Blood Season 2, now available on Netflix. Aghanim's Collector's Cache The votes have been tallied and the official grand magus seal of approval has been obtained, meaning Aghanim's 2021 Collector's Cache is now available — loaded with the top 18 eligible item sets as voted on by the Dota 2 community. Unboxing 15 of these treasures will automatically grant you 36 Battle Levels, and the odds of receiving a bonus rare item will increase with each one you open. You can also recycle any unwanted items for 2 Battle Levels. Aghanim's 2021 Collector's Cache is available for $2.49 and will only remain on sale until the end of the battle pass. All items in the Cache are untradeable and unmarketable, except for the ultra rare Phantom Assassin item. The final vote tally is listed below, with the exception of a second Chaos Knight set at rank 5 which will be released at some point in the future. Rank Hero Votes 1 Chaos Knight 366,364 2 Ogre Magi 362,974 3 Dragon Knight 309,696 4 Phantom Lancer 308,474 5 Dawnbreaker 299,750 6 Clockwerk 287,363 7 Phantom Assassin 284,424 8 Razor 270,227 9 Ancient Apparition 256,453 10 Chen 246,221 11 Grimstroke 242,631 12 Broodmother 240,884 13 Mars 235,436 14 Rubick 233,860 15 Drow Ranger 224,878 16 Alchemist 217,552 17 Axe 215,059 18 Abaddon 209,704 We once again thank the community artists who tendered submissions for this year's treasure, as well as the entire Battle Pass community for casting votes in support of their favorite item sets. We look forward to seeing your top selections mixing it up in the lanes. Aghanim's Labyrinth Update Today's patch also features a substantial update for Aghanim's Labyrinth brimming with new rewards and gameplay. Earn the exclusive "Aghanim the Wisest" courier by saving each of the different multiverse mages, and show off your prowess with custom emoticons awarded for completing each difficulty level from Apprentice to Apex Mage. Aghanim the Magnanimous has even kept track of who already helped out, so rewards for past success are already waiting. Head over to the patch notes page to read all about a host of balance changes, adjustments to aggro mechanics, new encounters, and more. DOTA: Dragon's Blood Season 2 - Watch Now Continue your anime adventure into the world of Dota with the exclusive premiere of a new season of DOTA: Dragon's Blood, arriving today on Netflix. And if you by chance missed the start of this journey, don't worry — no matter whether you binge or watch one at a time, it's never too late to catch up. Season 2 of Netflix's Dota animated series is out nowJan 18, 2022 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunThe edgy animated adaptation of Valve's silly wizard war MOBA Dota 2 has returned, with the full second season of Dota: Dragon's Blood now live on Netflix. Dragon Knight, Mirana, and their friends return to fight Terrorblade, having committed the classic Dota mistake of letting a late-game carry farm uninterrupted until they're stacked. Should've kept ganking him before he ate all those dragons, nerks. Read more Valve cancels Dota 2 Winter Major and pisses off pretty much every pro in the sceneJan 12, 2022 - PC GamerValve has cancelled the first Dota 2 Major of 2022, which would have taken place in February and been the capstone to the pro scene's Winter Tour... Read more.Dota 2's first Major of 2022 has been cancelledJan 12, 2022 - The LoadoutThe 2021/22 Dota 2 Pro Circuit has been dealt a blow as Valve has revealed it is cancelling the competition's first Major. While a set date or location for this $500,000 Major was never officially announced, it would have likely taken place at some point in February. In a statement, Valve says that "the discovery and spread of new strains of COVID-19 and the resulting increase of travel restrictions has made it unfeasible for all qualified teams to gather for a LAN tournament." This will come as a disappointment to fans and players alike, especially considering that Valve managed to host The International 10 as an international LAN event in October last year. Valve had planned to host three Major events during the 2021/22 DPC, with each one following one of the three regional legs of the competition. These Majors, which would see the top teams from each region compete on LAN, not only offer up half a million dollars in prize money, but also DPC points, which are used to qualify for The International. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Delve into Dota 2: The Comics Collection with a 30% discount this Cyber Monday The best Dota 2 heroes to play in ranked in 2022 Here's what Dota 2's Team Spirit could buy with its $18 million TI10 prize Dota Pro Circuit 2021-2022 Winter Major UpdateJan 11, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsAs the Winter Tour of the Dota Pro Circuit 2021-2022 season draws to a close, we've made the difficult decision to cancel the first Major. While hopes were high that we could host an international LAN event, the discovery and spread of new strains of COVID-19 and the resulting increase of travel restrictions has made it unfeasible for all qualified teams to gather for a LAN tournament. As there will be no major, Tour 1 will conclude after all of the regional league tournaments have ended. Players who have participated in Fantasy will receive their rewards before the start of Tour 2. Teams participating in the DPC earn points by playing in their respective Regional Leagues as well as through international competition at the Majors. Since the first Major is no longer happening, we have decided to redistribute its points to the second and third Major. This way, the balance of points between regional and cross-region play remains the same. The points will be distributed as follows: Major 2: 1st Place - 680 Points 2nd Place - 610 Points 3rd Place - 530 Points 4th Place - 460 Points 5th/6th Place - 385 Points 7th/8th Place - 240 Points Major 3: 1st Place - 820 Points 2nd Place - 740 Points 3rd Place - 670 Points 4th Place - 590 Points 5th/6th Place - 515 Points 7th/8th Place - 360 Points We will continue to evaluate the situation regarding international travel for future Majors as we progress through the second Tour. 1/12 Update: Fixed incorrect Point distributionWhat if: Dota 2 heroes were marketed like LoL champions?Jan 1, 2022 - PCGamesNDota 2 and League of Legends are often compared to one another. They both trace their origins back to the same Warcraft 3 custom game, they both have an enormous roster of playable characters, and they're the two biggest MOBAs in the world, so these comparisons are inevitable. But it's like comparing a Thanksgiving Day parade balloon to a giant blimp. Dota 2 is compared to League. League is not compared to Dota 2, because League is so big it blocks out the sun. As I gaze, forlorn, into the mirrored plating of my replica Dota 2 Aegis of Champions, a single tear rolling down my cheek, I lament Dota's relative lack of recognition. It's a magnificent multiplayer game, with a skill ceiling so astronomical that ten-year veterans still have plenty of room for improvement, and still some prodigy can just wander in with a completely unorthodox approach and blow everyone out of the water. Unfortunately, you need to learn several dusty tomes' worth of gubbins to truly appreciate things like this, which isn't an appealing prospect to many people. But you know what is appealing to lots of people? Virtual K-Pop girl groups. I'm dead serious. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, and League has gallons of high-fructose premium skins, pop songs, merchandise, and premium tie-ins on tap to help wash down their convoluted MOBA. Meanwhile, us Dota players are the flies rolling around in vinegar, screaming and vomiting. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: You can now play Dota 2 with any controller supported by Steam Input Dota 2's Aghanim's Labyrinth mode is back with a new battle pass DOTA: Dragon's Blood Book 2 hits Netflix in four weeks Collector’s Cache Battle Pass VoteDec 21, 2021 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/3703047/5d39abb882970e9d6840e7cf902366594d11c91c.png Thanks to the high-quality submissions tendered to the Dota 2 Workshop, there's a breadth of offerings ready to celebrate Aghanim's return with an all-new Collector's Cache. Though Aghanim himself preferred presenting his own results as a fait accompli, the rest of us convinced his magnificence to invite all Battle Pass owners to weigh in on the proceedings and help make the final selection. From now until Tuesday, January 4, the final candidates for the Collector’s Cache will be featured for preview in the Dota 2 client, where all players can see a lineup of the item sets for easy comparison. Battle Pass owners can give a thumbs up or down to each set under consideration, and sets with the highest scores will be included as the main items of the Cache. We would like to thank all of the workshop artists who have submitted items, and we look forward to revealing the collection that best represents Aghanim's the community's favor. Aghanim's Labyrinth: The Continuum Conundrum - Gameplay UpdateDec 21, 2021 - Community AnnouncementsGeneral Ascension Scaling: creature bonus hp per ascension reduced from -5/20/40/60/80/100% to -5/18/36/54/72/90% Ascension Scaling: creature bonus damage per ascension reduced from -5/20/40/60/80/100% to -5/18/36/54/72/90% All melee heroes' base armor increased by 1 Fixed several exploits used to skip trap rooms Fixed certain creatures not reacting when damaged from far away Fixed Ash's Pulse triggering while silenced or muted Panda Potion Pub and Arcane Archives events can now appear at depth 1 HEROES Bane Dark Symbiosis: When an ally is Enfeebled, it now lasts 2x the duration Dark Tendrils: Fiend's Grip Percent increased from 35% to 50% Dark Tendrils: Latch Range increased from 90 to 100 Dark Tendrils: Creation interval improved from 2.5 to 2.0 Cloud of Frailty: Now also grants 2 charges of Brain Sap Black Ichor: Channeling no longer ends if the primary target dies after taking Black Ichor Driven to Delirium: Now also grants 200 Fiend's Grip cast range Mind Fracture: Radius increased from 250 to 275 Mind Fracture: Heal Percent increased from 25% to 35% Mind Fracture: Movement Slow increased from 40% to 50% Shared Torment: Spill Width increased from 175 to 200 Shared Torment: Non-captains targeted with Enfeeble after taking Shared Torment are 20% larger (Minor Shard) Brain Sap Cast Range increased from 150 to 175 (Minor Shard) Nightmare Invulnerability Duration increased from 0.4 to 0.5 (Minor Shard) Nightmare Tick Damage increased from 15 to 20 Clinkz Strafe: percent of Skeleton Walk movespeed used for attack speed buff increased from 300% to 400% Strafe: duration increased from 6s to 7s Burning Barrage: fixed arrow damage display value appearing as 40% instead of 65% Burning Barrage: fixed damage percent minor upgrades not working Splitshot: now also increases Burning Barrage's arrow damage by 10% Dawnbreaker Hammer Time: Celestial Hammer charges increased from 2 to 3 Sunforge: Celestial Hammer bonus time in world increased from 2 to 3 (Minor Shard) Celestial Hammer Damage and Burn Damage are now combined in the same upgrade (Minor Shard) Celestial Hammer Range increased from 200 to 250 (Minor Shard) Celestial Hammer Fire Trail Duration increased from 0.8 to 1.0 Disruptor Glimpse bonus damage upgrade increased from 30 to 40 Loaded weapon Thunder Strike chance increased from 50% to 60% Drow Crosswind: magic damage increased from 500% to 600% of Frost Arrows Bonus Damage Shifting Shots: movespeed reduction reduced from 20% to 10% Marked Reflexes: time required to fire reduced from 7 seconds to 5 seconds Kunkka Tidebringer damage changed from 20/30/40/50 to 15/30/45/60 Dread Pirate: Now also triggers a Tidebringer attack on X gained and lost on the enemy No Quarter: Now also grants Tidebringer 2 charges Lich Death Dealer's Discount: Cooldown reduction increased from 75% to 100% Death Dealer's Discount: Now also increases area and primary target damage to the initial target by 50% Sinister Spire: Move slow increased from 30% to 50% Sinister Spire...Dota 2 Update - December 20th, 2021Dec 20, 2021 - Community AnnouncementsFixed a Linux crash on CPUs without AVX support. Experimental Controller Support Bugfixes and Changes L1 + D Pad will inspect and move the camera to allied heroes. Pressing in the left stick will now inspect your target. If you can control the target, it will select it like a normal left click with the mouse. Fixed a bug with double-press orders on some spells not working, notably Invoker's Aghanim's Scepter Sunstrike and Underlord's Aghanim's Shard Firestorm. Locking onto runes or dropped items will show the tooltip for the item or rune in the world, similar to a mouse hover. Targeting a creep with L1/L2 + X Button will now select the lowest-health creep first. Fixed target selection of breakables in Aghanim's Labyrinth to not select through the fog. You can now play Dota 2 with any controller supported by Steam InputDec 15, 2021 - PCGamesNPeripheral support for MOBAs on PC has typically remained exclusive to the tried and tested mouse and keyboard, save for exceptional games like Smite. However, as part of the Aghanim's Labyrinth: The Continuum Conundrum update, Valve has unexpectedly enabled controller support for Dota 2. Valve says that anything supported by Steam Input should work, which includes pads from Xbox, PlayStation, as well as the Nintendo Switch Pro and Steam controller. If you're curious enough to try the feature, all heroes should be playable, but how well their kits fit on a controller will undoubtedly vary. We've also provided a guide on how to enable it further down. It's worth noting, however, that the company specifically describes the feature as "experimental" and doesn't believe that it's quite ready for everyone just yet. Thankfully, you can quickly swap back to mouse and keyboard from controller (or vice versa) at any point during a match. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Dota 2's Aghanim's Labyrinth mode is back with a new battle pass DOTA: Dragon's Blood Book 2 hits Netflix in four weeks Dota 2's next battle pass is "due out in the next few weeks" Dota 2 gets 4-player co-op and gamepad support for ChristmasDec 15, 2021 - PC GamerValve has released a major new update for Dota 2 that, while not making any general balance changes, features the return of its 4-player co-op mode, full controller support, and a major rework of the hero Mirana. There's also a boatload of cosmetics included in this update, but you'll need to splash out on Dota 2's battle pass, which costs $7.49 at a base level but can also be bought in more expensive forms (so $41.99 will boost you 100 levels)... Read more.Dota 2's Aghanim's Labyrinth mode is back with a new battle passDec 15, 2021 - PCGamesNValve has brought back one of Dota 2's more popular modes for the holidays alongside a new battle pass. The Aghanim's Labyrinth: The Continuum Conundrum update is live now, so you can jump in and give it all a whirl for yourself. Aghanim's Labyrinth sees you and three other players explore a vault to clean up the mess of Aghanim. You see, he's accidentally diluted his powers amongst a gang of alter Aghanims who have become lost inside the Continuum Vault, and it's your job to sort that all out. Runs through the vault aren't linear, so you'll get something new each time. You can also find and spend currency on permanent buffs or legendary heroes to make that next run a bit easier. While we've seen the mode before, Valve has made some tweaks to freshen up the experience. You've got all-new event rooms that offer "tantalising and strange" choices to augment your run and a new roster of heroes to choose from. You don't need the new battle pass to play the mode, nor do you need to enter with a full group as a party finder feature is enabled. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: You can now play Dota 2 with any controller supported by Steam Input DOTA: Dragon's Blood Book 2 hits Netflix in four weeks Dota 2's next battle pass is "due out in the next few weeks" Dota 2 gets a new Battle Pass, Controller Support, New Event ModeDec 15, 2021 - GamingOnLinuxValve has pushed out a fresh major upgrade for the popular free MOBA game Dota 2, with one bit clearly preparing for the upcoming Steam Deck handheld. Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2021/12/dota-2-gets-a-new-battle-pass-controller-support-new-event-mode Aghanim the Almighty ReturnsDec 14, 2021 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/3703047/0e0799b188b3b8a9b231bb612b29f9fea9b33953.jpg New Event Mode + Battle Pass Aghanim the all-powerful returns, bringing an all-new Battle Pass and event mode in tow — and this time he needs your help! Thanks to a mishap with the Continuum Device, Aghanim's magical prowess is now spread dangerously thin amongst a gang of alter egos that have materialized on our world from elsewhere in the multiverse. Without the ability to foray into the Continuum Vault himself to fish them out and restore the balance of his power, Aghanim must rely upon four brave heroes to rescue his doppelgangers and put this entire Continuum mess to rest. Prepare yourself for the mind-bending journey over at the Aghanim's Labyrinth Battle Pass page, where you can check out more about the free event game and all the rewards in store for those who participate in the Battle Pass — like an all-new Mirana Persona, Drow Ranger Arcana, Hoodwink Prestige Bundle, Immortal Treasures, and an entire vault filled with more. Dota with a Controller - Experimental Feature As the realities of the Continuum meld in mysterious ways, today's update also introduces a world in which Dota can optionally be played using a controller instead of the standard mouse+keyboard setup, giving players a new way to interface with their favorite fight. From choosing your hero to smashing an Ancient, you can battle your way to victory in Dota by plugging in any PC controller that allows Steam Input (including PS/XBOX/Switch Pro Controllers and more) and steering your hero into the fray. There's a lot in the game to account for, so like all things Dota, some practice will be useful, but every hero from Wraith King to Meepo can be gamepad-powered into the lanes. This is an experimental feature that is still evolving, so we'd love to hear your feedback to help inform the changes we make. For any moments where you want the familiarity of your classic ways, don't worry — you can always swap between controller and mouse+keyboard on the fly as you play. Read more about this experimental feature on the Controller FAQ. Dota Pro Circuit Winter Tour The year may be winding down, but the Dota Pro Circuit matches are as hot as ever. Make sure to check out the Winter Tour progress over at the DPC headquarters to stay on top of who's who in each region heading into the new year.DOTA: Dragon's Blood Book 2 hits Netflix in four weeksDec 9, 2021 - PCGamesNThe second season of DOTA's animated show Dragon's Blood will be available to stream on January 6, 2022. As spotted by DOTA 2 community figure Wykrhm Reddy, the Netflix page for DOTA: Dragon's Blood Book 2 now has a release date and a swanky new trailer to boot. The trailer is a moody affair, as you might expect. We start with several shots of glowing purple lotuses fading into the wind while one man tells a woman that she's no longer worshipped and that all that sustains her is a spark of divinity. We then get some shots of the demon marauder Terrorblade looking suitably broody as he hunts for more Eldwurm souls. We also see scenes of conflict and war, which sets us up for a potentially war-heavy season. If you've been out of the loop, the show is being created by Ashley Miller, who has worked on superhero movies like Thor and X-Men: First Class. We also have Kaiju Boulevard and Studio Mir on production duties, who you might recall is working on the animated Witcher prequel The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Dota 2's next battle pass is "due out in the next few weeks" New Dota 2 update gives Monkey King even more mischief Dota 2's new hero Marci has arrived - here are her abilities Winter Tour Supporters ClubDec 6, 2021 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/3703047/fdfd0afb021eb6742a418d52a376b26bb2cb2ab0.png The DPC is now in full swing, and with it comes the return of Supporters Clubs. Introduced earlier this year for the 2021 season, Supporters Clubs are a way for fans to support their favorite teams and proudly display their allegiance. New this tour, in order to better support the economies of countries that make up Dota's fanbase, Supporters Club prices will differ by region, to make it more accessible for fans all over the world to support their favorite teams. Teams who submit content to feature in a Supporters Club bundle receive 50% of all of their team's bundle sales. Fans who choose to support teams will receive increasing amounts of content provided by their favorite team(s), depending on the tier purchased: Bronze Tier - A badge for your favorite team, which will appear in your friends list, player profile, Versus Screen, and in-game scoreboard (swappable if you purchase more than one team's bundle) - 1 Team Fantasy Player Pack - 1 Basic Fantasy Player Pack Silver Tier - All the perks of the Bronze Club - Sprays to liven up your map and chat, and Loading Screens - 2 additional Team Player Card Packs - 6 additional Basic Player Card Packs Gold Tier - All of the perks of the Bronze and Silver Clubs - A special in-game HP-bar badge, as well as Emoticons and Chat Wheel Lines to proclaim your allegiance in-game - 3 additional Team Player Card Packs - 7 additional Basic Player Card Packs Note: Content is subject to availability based on a team's content submission. As mentioned in our blog about the DPC's Regional Fantasy leagues, we are also launching Player Card Packs. Fans can create a Fantasy roster featuring two Core Player Cards, one Mid Player Card, and two Support Player cards, which will score points based on their performance in a weekly time period (except over the holiday season). Silver and Gold cards, which are a higher tier of cards, have extra stat bonuses that can grant extra points. Opening a pack for a specific team will grant you player cards from the region your team is representing. The card of the highest rarity in the pack is guaranteed to be from the team whose pack you chose, and the team of choice will receive 50% of the card pack's revenue. Check out Team Profiles in the DPC tab to view Supporters Clubs, and head to the Player Cards tab in the Watch section to pick up Player Card Packs! Dota Plus Update - Winter 2021Dec 1, 2021 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/3703047/d129dbc26ec5a20885f7e8e1768996fd32c80444.png The days are short and the winds grow cold, but the action in the lanes never stops — meaning it's time for another seasonal Dota Plus update to help power through those blustery nights. Loaded with a new seasonal treasure, and refreshed Guild Quests and Rewards, this update also includes a new heavy metal music pack that will shred the winter blues away. New Metal Music Pack Composed by Humanity's Last Breath, the new Void music pack brings a brutal edge to the soundscape of battle. Available now in the store for $4.99. Dota Plus Seasonal Treasure The Winter 2021 Seasonal Treasure is here, available for purchase with shards. Exclusive to Dota Plus members, this treasure features all new sets for Spirit Breaker, Chaos Knight, Riki, Treant Protector, Arc Warden, Undying, and Lina. There's also a chance to unlock Bionic Birdie, a courier loaded with random prismatic and kinetic gems. Updated Seasonal Quests & Guild Rewards As always, today’s update also comes with a new set of Dota Plus quests to help haul in some extra shards for new relics and the Seasonal Treasure — offering up to 115,200 shards over the course of the season. Joining today's update along with the changes above, the guild rewards for silver, gold, and platinum tier guilds have all been switched for the winter season. Guild Tier Rewards Silver Emoticon - invoker_dry Emoticon - luna_rage Emoticon - manta Gold Spray - Spirit Breaker Choo Choo Spray - Lion Laugh Spray - Undying RIP Platinum Chat Wheel - "Absolutely Perfect" Chat Wheel - "Как же это сочно, ах!" Chat Wheel - "漂~ 亮！" Upcoming Battle Pass As mentioned last week, we have one last pressing order of business before the end of the year — the Battle Pass, which will arrive in the next few weeks filled with holiday levels of hijinks and rewards. Delve into Dota 2: The Comics Collection with a 30% discount this Cyber MondayNov 29, 2021 - The LoadoutSince its release eight years ago, Dota 2 has become one of the biggest MOBA games in the esports arena. Of course, part of the reason for its huge success is down to its addictive gameplay and the fact that it gives you much more access to in-game content than you get in most other free games, but more than that, there's the 122 playable heroes with their own unique backstories. There's a lot of lore to Dota 2 and it's a fun world to lose yourself in. If this side of the game always appealed to you, you may be happy to hear that Dota 2: The Comics Collection is now 30% off in the last of the Cyber Monday Amazon deals (and 26% off in the UK). Made in collaboration between Valve and Dark Horse, this collection brings together eight premier comics in print-form for the first time. This is an opportunity to dive deeper into the best Dota 2 heroes, giving you an insight into the origin of the Ancients and the world around them. If you're starting to buy gifts for the holiday season and know somebody who absolutely adores Dota 2, then this could make a really good present for them. With Valve having been directly involved with the creation of these comics, you know that it's going to be true to the source material as well, rather than one of those pieces of tie-in media that take huge liberties with the canonical lore. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Best Black Friday Xbox deals Get a Turtle Beach Elite Pro 2 headset for nearly half price this Cyber Monday Save 50% on It Takes Two this Cyber Monday Dota 2's The International 9 was the Game's Most Watched Event Ever with Over 1 Million Viewers on TwitchAug 26, 2019 - GitHypThe International 2019 made headlines earlier this month when it became the biggest prize pool ever for an esports tournament with $34 million on the line. And with so much at stake, early Sunday morning, Dota 2 set even more records with its first-ever back-to-back champions and its highest viewer count ever on Twitch. Last year’s champions, Europe’s OG, absolutely dominated this year’s event which went late into Saturday night and peaked with 1.1 million viewers early Sunday morning during their 3-1 Grand Final victory over Europe’s team Liquid. After last year’s TI8 Grand Finals saw a 100k decline in viewers, this year’s TI9 had an impressive comeback with a 51% increase in viewership on Twitch. But what was most impressive about this year’s record-breaking stream for Dota 2 was the timing of the live stream on Twitch. With most of Twitch’s regular viewer base still asleep in the United States when this year’s main event ended at 8AM ET/ 5AM PT, TI9 crushed Dota 2’s previous peak of 845k viewers that took place during more normal hours two years ago at TI7 in Seattle.Dota 2’s Player Base is the Highest it's Been in 2 YearsFeb 11, 2019 - GitHypOnce Steam’s most popular game (before PUBG took over), Dota 2’s player base has been on a steady decline since peaking with over a million concurrent players back in 2016. But a new user-created custom game mode and less competition from Blizzard have resulted in Steam's second most popular game making a comeback with Dota 2's player counts now the highest they’ve been in two years. Similar to Dota’s own origin story, a custom map created by Chinese developer, Drodo Games, called “Auto Chess” has captured the attention of Dota 2’s player base in a way that Valve once dreamed only Artifact could. In Auto Chess, players fight across an 8x8 field that mimics a chessboard using Dota’s own heroes for game pieces. Auto Chess' gameplay has been able to create its own little niche of MOBA players who want a greater focus on strategy and less emphasis on fast-paced APM. Dota 2’s in-game counter for Auto Chess has at times shown over 200k concurrent players, which helps explain Dota 2’s own 17% increase in players from January’s 491k average to an average of 573k over the past 30 days. And while Auto Chess can account for most of Dota 2’s new/returning players, another factor has been Blizzard’s announcement that they’ll be shifting focus away from Heroes of the Storm. Considered the third most popular MOBA in the world behind League of Legends and Dota 2, news of Blizzard moving developers to other projects and canceling HotS’ major esports events has made Dota’s community look even more appealing to HotS players looking to abandon ship. Auto Chess isn’t likely to become the next Dota or PUBG creating a new genre overnight, but with its popularity increasing among players, streamers, and catching on even more in China, Valve shouldn’t take any chances letting this developer get away – especially not with Artifact dropping outside of Steam’s top 100 most played games.Dota 2’s The International 2018 Finale was Down Over 100k Viewers Compared to Last Year on TwitchAug 27, 2018 - GitHypEven with a better first day, bigger prize pool, and an epic storybook ending, this year’s biggest Dota 2 event couldn’t manage to top last year's viewers on Twitch. The International 8’s grand finals brought in a peak of 730k concurrent viewers as Europe’s OG took China’s PSG.LGD all the way to the very last game of a best-of-five heart-pounding finale. But while OG’s Cinderella story had Dota 2’s analysts, commentators, and viewers all on the edge of their seats in what many consider TI’s greatest grand finals, it fell short of last year’s peak of 845k viewers. TI7’s far less exciting finale featuring EU’s Team Liquid taking home the victory over Newbee in just 3 quick games. And resulted in an impressive 44% increase in viewership compared to TI6 on Twitch which is still Dota 2’s most watched stream ever. Known for having the biggest single event prize pool in all of esports, The International once again set a new peak of $25 million this year with OG taking home $11 million for first place. However, the $23.9 million contributed by players just barely topped last year’s player contribution of $23.2 million. And surprisingly, it was Day 1 of TI8 that had 100k more viewers than last year’s event. But with player counts down 35% since Dota 2’s peak two years ago and other games like Fortnite taking over Twitch, we predicted that TI8 wouldn’t be able to top TI7’s finale. One thing we didn’t see coming, however, was Valve’s unexpected and accidental reveal of their own streaming service, Steam.tv, which contributed to the decline in viewers on Twitch. Their new site pulled away over 80k viewers from Twitch during TI8’s final matches – but even with the numbers combined, TI7’s viewership still fell short of last year's record-setting peak.Dota 2’s Viewer Base and Prize Pool is Bigger Than Ever at The International 2018Aug 21, 2018 - GitHypWith a peak of 1.3 million players back in March 2016, the decline of Dota 2’s player base and the rise of PUBG on Steam has led to many claiming that Valve’s popular MOBA is a "dead game." But even with the player base at half of what it once was, Dota 2 is far from dead when looking at the game’s stats and popularity as a competitive esport. Last year's biggest Dota 2 event, The International 7, saw its peak viewers on Twitch increase by 44% compared to TI6's grand finals going from a peak of 588k viewers to 845k viewers. This year, TI8 on Twitch is already off to a better start with a peak of 645k viewers on its first day. An increase of 100k viewers when compared to 2017’s first day peak of 546k viewers. Dota 2’s remaining player base have also proven their loyalty and demand for more in-game content by contributing $23 million towards the free-to-play game's Battle Pass system and increasing TI8’s total prize pool to $25 million – the largest it's ever been and an increase of over $200k compared to last year. The International 8’s grand finals are set for this Saturday, August 25th, and while it might not see another 44% increase in viewers, the event should be able to continue its growth and top last year’s peak concurrent viewers on Twitch.Dota 2 Hits New Viewer Peak with The International Up 44% Compared to Last Year on TwitchAug 15, 2017 - GitHypMore Dota 2 viewers than ever tuned in over the weekend to watch The International 7 on Twitch. And with good reason. The Valve-sponsored event for their multiplayer online battle arena game had its highest prize pool ever with a shocking $24 million on the line and the champs taking home over $10 million. Getting into the Twitch numbers, Dota 2 brought in a peak of 845k viewers as Team Liquid defeated Newbee in Saturday's Grand Final. This was an impressive 44% increase in viewers compared to last year when TI6 brought in 588k viewers at its peak. [caption id="attachment_284426" align="aligncenter" width="770"] Dota 2's Peak Viewer Counts on Twitch via GitHyp[/caption] The increase in popularity has also brought Dota 2 closer than ever to topping its biggest competition, League of Legends. Riot’s MOBA hit its own all-time peak of 988k viewers back in 2015, but compared to 2016, LoL’s viewership for its own World Championship event was actually down 5% last October on Twitch. TI7 also helped put Dota 2 over 1 billion total views on Twitch. An impressive number, however, LoL still more than doubles that with 2.1 billion as Twitch's most watched game. But in terms of big eSports competitions, both MOBAs still have a way to go before dethroning Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s record-setting 1.1 million peak viewers that the Valve shooter brought in earlier this year.Steam's Most Played Games of 2016Jan 7, 2017 - GitHyp2016 was another great year for games, but it was also a year filled with the the rise and fall of many new games that over-promised and under-delivered. As a result, Steam's list of most played games in 2016 ended up looking almost the exact same as it did in 2015. Last year's top titles held their spots as newcomers who started off strong quickly lost their player bases by the end of the year. Looking at new releases on Steam in 2016 tracked hourly by GitHyp, the highly hyped and highly controversial, No Man's Sky, had the highest peak player count with 212k concurrent players in a single hour.
  1. Dota 2 / 1,286,617 peak players (#1 in 2015)
  2. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive / 845,806 peak players (#2 in 2015)
  3. No Man's Sky / 212,321 peak players (new)
  4. XCOM 2 / 132,834 peak players (new)
  5. Dark Souls III / 129,922 peak players (new)
Other newcomers such as XCOM 2 (132k players) and Dark Souls III (129k players) also had great launches, but only peaked at half of NMS' record-setting number to round out the top 5. While No Man's Sky, XCOM 2, Dark Souls III, and others such as Tom Clancy's The Division and Total War: Warhammer all had strong launches, none were able to hold their ground and each had huge drops in players that made headlines. Other previous heavy-hitters also made headlines due to under-performing launches such as Call of Duty which was down 76% from last year and Watch Dogs 2 which dropped 61% since the last entry in the series. When looking at the more stable average players per hour metric, 2016 ended the same as 2015 with the exception of Fallout 4 -- which didn't just fall out of the top 5, but also the top 10 at #12.
  1. Dota 2 / 636,607 avg. players per hour (#1 in 2015)
  2. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive / 360,600 avg. players per hour (#2 in 2015)
  3. Team Fortress 2 / 50,802 avg. players per hour (#4 in 2015)
  4. Grand Theft Auto V / 40,258 avg. players per hour (#5 in 2015)
  5. Sid Meier's Civilization V / 37,885 avg players per hour (#9 in 2015)
Dark Souls III dropped to #21 on Steam with an average of 14,186 players per hour. No Man's Sky dropped all the way down to #41 on Steam with an average of 8,393 players per hour. And XCOM 2 barely made the top 50 coming it at #44 with an average of 7,815 players per hour. When looking at the average players per hour, it was actually the free-to-play team-based shooter, Paladins, that ended as 2016's strongest new release ranking in at #15 on Steam with an average of 22,809 players per hour.

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