Dota 2’s latest patch wasn’t a bad one by any means. It added a new hero, included much-needed balance changes, and even introduced a new event with a mini-game. Despite that, it sparked a lot of disappointment because rather than being the massive patch the community hoped it would be, it was instead more of a precursor to that patch.
SyndereN talked about it during an episode of the We Say Things podcast on March 7, and he said that while the patch is “fine for what it is trying to be,” the way it was handled in terms of communication left a lot to be desired.
“I think it was just really poorly managed,” he said, pointing toward the choice of words they used in the announcement post, which he felt didn’t reveal much and left the community in the dark.
“I don’t have a problem with this being delayed. What I do have a problem with is that it doesn’t get announced until the day,” he added. “There is no way Valve didn’t know weeks ago they’re not going to meet this deadline if the patch is supposed to be huge and they need to push it by a month and a half.”
For that reason, SyndereN advised them to be more honest about the future. The transparency would make incidents like this less of an issue because people wouldn’t get super hyped and then disappointed.
“It’s that disconnect that pisses people off,” he said. “The Dota 2 community is not going to be understanding either way, but they will cut you more slack if you tell them in advance so they can make their plans accordingly.”
As for the reason behind the patch’s delay, SyndereN suspects the team had bitten off more than they could chew. He also implied Valve’s focus could be on the rumored CS:GO sequel. Either way, players have to wait until next month to enjoy the massive Dota 2 gameplay overhaul coming in the next patch.
In the meantime, the new hero and balance changes could tide them over.
Published: Mar 7, 2023 10:55 pm