Valve extends warm welcome to newcomers

^{image source: Valve}

Valve is extending a warm welcome to the many anticipated newcomers to Dota 2 in order to make their introduction enjoyable and smooth.

With The International 2017 starting to peek over the horizon, boasting a staggering $22 million prize pool, it is expected that many new players will enter the Dota 2 arena. Whether it will be out of curiosity for the spectacle that even mainstream media is giving a nod to or transitioning from other games - being drawn in by the hype one thing is for certain and been said many times - "Dota 2 isn't for noobs."

The first step made by Valve was the announcement to bring back the Newcomer Stream - the top item on our short TI7 Wishlist. The stream tailored towards first-time viewers was originally introduced in 2014 for TI4 and was considered a big success by fans - many of which have professed it was how they got their start playing.

The Newcomer Stream is a special broadcast enhanced with contextual overlays aimed at easing people into understanding the expansive world of Dota during the most exciting event of the competitive year.”

Great! Put me in coach, I'm ready to play! But now what? It leaves many scratching their heads and begs the question of HOW TO PLAY?

Some of the most satisfying moments in Dota are found in the first stages of learning the game, as you begin to see intricate strategies take shape in the battles around you. However, there have also been some issues that caused unnecessary challenges for new players in the past. With today’s update, we’re introducing two features designed to help new players face as few barriers as possible to enjoying Dota.”

The first change implemented was to limit the hero selection pool in a new player's first 25 games. During these training periods, hero selection will be restricted to only 20 heroes - specifically hand chosen by the masterminds at Valve headquarters. These are the heroes that have been determined as being successful in helping new players learn and enjoy the game.

The second change addresses the community. Yes, that's right - you!

It is no secret that the community can often be toxic, derogatory and downright inappropriate. Reporting systems, behavior scores, low priority, and muting have all been ways that Valve has attempted to address this in the past. While things have improved, there are still many instances that result in a negative experience.

Today’s update also introduces a feature that matches new players against players with consistently high behavior scores. It is especially important for a new player to have a good social experience while they are first trying to learn the game. The matchmaking system will now ensure that new players will play with and against appropriately-skilled players that also have a track record of good behavior ”

Thanks, Valve! So, now it's time to round up family and friends that you've been meaning to introduce to Dota 2 or are now asking the important questions (no, not if Arteezy was left and Kuroky was right) - the questions of how to get started and what is Dota 2. Or, perhaps, to dip your toe into the big pool yourself.

The International 2017

The International 2017 will take place at KeyArena, Seattle Washington. Eighteen of the best teams from around the world will compete starting August 2nd with the group stage. Two teams will be eliminated and sixteen teams will advance to the main event set to take place from August 7-12th. When the dust has settled, one team will walk away with the Aegis of Champions and the lion's share of the record breaking $22 million prize pool.