Dota 2 has released its huge update new Horizonswhich brings with it an expanded map and some big gameplay changes, and we have a rundown of all the new features.
While the location and size of the lanes remains the same, the terrain on the map has been expanded, increasing its size by 40% and with new upper and lower forest areas.
In this area there 12 new camps tracking f Two new outposts. The range of neutral draws now expands over time, but tokens that offer five neutral item choices and can be deployed across an entire team are dropped.
Rushan also moved, occupying one of the pits in the northwestern and eastern corners of the map at the same time. There are changes to Roshan’s drops, as well as improvements to increase his strength. There are also new observers around the map that can be activated to better control visibility. If he kills Roshan’s team, all observers become under his control.
In addition, powerful new neutral creeps known as tormentors will spawn after 20 minutes and drop sheep shards upon death, though they become more powerful with each return.
Several new structures have also been added. There are two portals that connect the corners of the map and allow players to teleport, as well as Lotus Pools near where the creep waves initially collide. Fruits can be collected from these pools, which grant mana and health when eaten. They can be stored and combined into a larger fruit for even greater recovery in the late game.
New Defender Portals allow teams to sneak through the back gate of their base if the front is under siege. There are also new Shield Runes on the river, which grant a maximum of 50% of your HP, as well as Wisdom Runes around the edges of the map that grant XP boosts.
A new Glicko rank matchmaking system was introduced, bringing variable gains in MMR, as well as a redesigned immortal rank matchmaking. The kill formula has been reworked, making early kills more rewarding and impactful, and the gold gauge for lane pulls has been lowered.
In addition, a new core group has been added to the game, known as the Universal Heroes. Heroes Muerta, Clinkz, Arc Warden, Ogre Magi, Medusa, and Alchemist have all received major tweaks.
Finally, the Black King Bar item has been reworked and several new items have been added. There are a number of UI updates, notably to the health display features, its duration has been reduced for almost every form of disablement in the game, and many other small tweaks have been made to heroes, items, and creeps.
For a more detailed summary of each new feature and addition, find the announcement post here.
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