The Dota 2 New Frontiers Update has finally arrived, heralding perhaps the biggest overhaul the hit MOBA game’s ever received. Featuring an expanded map, new and reworked POIs, a whole new hero attribute type and so much more, developer Valve has gone to town on what is being dubbed ‘Dota 3’ by some fans due to the scale of the changes.
Having just dropped with Dota 2 patch 7.33, the New Frontiers Update patch notes expand the game’s iconic map by 40% – the extra breathing space has been added to the edges of the map, ensuring lanes are still as close to one-another as they were before.
Of course, with all this extra real estate comes new neutral elements, as well as chops and changes to some of Dota 2’s existing objectives. For example, there are now twin portal gates – one at each corner of the map near the safe lane towers – that allow players to quickly switch between top and bot lane. We personally hope one is blue and the other orange for… reasons.
Meanwhile, Roshan has managed to get a good deal on his old river pit, trading up for two brand new pits stationed in the northwest and southeast corners of the map.
But the map isn’t all that’s changed. Alongside Strength, Agility, and Intelligence comes a brand new hero attribute type: Universal. Universal heroes gain 0.6 damage from “each stat, of any attribute”, though it looks like that number could quickly change should the balance prove lopsided.
We could harp on about the reworks to Black King Bar, neutral item drops, and neutral creep scaling, but we’d be here all day – the patch really is that monstrous, so be sure to swot up, or else fall well behind the curve.
Over on Reddit, the reaction has been positive so far. While many have been left reeling from the scale of the New Frontiers Update – some going so far to call it a new game entirely – there is a general sense of excitement among players eager to explore the great unknown. We’re certainly not surprised.
If you’re wondering how the changes will affect those at the very top of the Dota 2 ranks, you won’t have to wait long. April 26 marks the beginning of the ESL One Berlin Major – one of the biggest Dota 2 esports events of the 2023 season. Needless to say, there’ll be many sleepless nights in the leadup as teams get to grips with this new frontier.