Valve drops a massive Dota 2 update

Valve has rolled out another update to its popular esport Dota 2, and it includes a series of changes that will dramatically impact the game’s very structure.

One of the biggest changes is that the number of runes on the map is now doubled. Two runes will now spawn every two minutes, rather than just one. This change alone is of massive consequence. Runes offer powerful abilities to players who pick them up, such as invisibility or increased movement speed. And a new rune has been added to the mix as well.

The bounty rune will award players with some amount of experience and gold when it is picked up, rather than offering a bonus ability. And one of the two runes that spawn every two minutes will always be the bounty run.

This means that a random rune will continue to spawn at one of two central locations on the map just as it has before. But now, players who seek out a rune and show up at the wrong location will be able to collect the bounty rune instead as consolation. And the amount of experience and gold offered by the new rune will increase over time, scaling it along with the players as their characters level up and become richer.

The next biggest change involves the location of the Roshan pit. The game’s biggest neutral creep, the eponymous Roshan, drops an Aegis when killed, an item which allows a hero to return to life after being slain.

The angle of entry to the pit has been altered so that it faces the center of the map. The purpose of the change is to lessen the advantage that has traditionally been had by the Dire team over the Radiant team, as the Dire are closer to Roshan’s pit. Fans and players have been split in their reactions to the alteration, as not all are convinced that the change will make a substantial difference.

A smaller change related to Roshan was made to the Aegis itself, as it will now last for only five minutes, down from six.

The geography of the lanes has also been altered, ostensibly to make them more open during play.

Denials, a big part of what separates Dota 2 from League of Legends, have also been affected by the update. Denied creeps, or those friendly creeps that a player kills in order to prevent his opponent from killing them, now offer less experience.

The reward for attaining “first blood,” had when a team claims the first kill of an opposing hero during a match, has been lessened as well. 150 gold is now given, down from 200.

Additionally, dozens of changes big and small have been made to the game’s eclectic cast of heroes. A full list of changes can be found on Valve’s official update page.