Dota 2 'Dueling Fates' Update Adds New Characters & Casual-Friendly Turbo Mode
Dota 2 has received its latest update and it not only includes plenty for the hardcores, but also introduces something new for casual players looking to step in for the first time.
While Team Fortress 2 is coming off a massive update, Valve has also been busy with their other big cash cow Dota 2. On Monday afternoon, Valve deployed a new update for their long-running MOBA, which includes some brand new characters and a different way to play the game.
Say hello to the Pangolier, a cat-like melee character that slices his enemies with his trusty blade. He can fill the Carry, Nuker, Disabler, Durable, Escape, and Initiator role. His abilities include:
- (Q) Swashbuckle: Dash straight forward and slash any enemies in Pangolier's path. This also has a chance to activate his Heartpiercer passive ability.
- (W) Shield Crash: Pangolier performs a ground pound, damaging any surrounding foes. For each enemy hero hit, he'll get a percentage of damage reduction for a short period. Use it in conjuction with his Rolling Thunder attack to bash through walls and cliffs.
- (Passive) Heartpiercer: Pangolier can find his mark, negating enemy armor to strike his target and slow his victim for a short time.
- (R) Rolling Thunder: Curl up into a ball, charge up for a second, and roll out! Pangolier is immune to magic in this state, allowing him to move through objects and knock back or stun any enemies he collides with. Be careful, though, because he won't be able to turn.
There's also Dark Willow, a ranged wisp who channels all sorts of dark magic. She'll fit into the Support, Nuker, Disabler, and Escape roles. Her abilities include:
- (Q) Bramble Maze: Set down brambles along a targeted area and watch Dark Willow's enemies take damage as soon as they make contact. They'll also be rooted for a short period, setting up attacks from teammates.
- (W) Shadow Realm: This set-up attack takes Dark Willow into the shadows. Her next attack will have a boosted attack range and deal bonus magic damage. Charge up for three seconds for maximum effect.
- (E) Cursed Crown: Cast a cursed fae on an enemy and simply wait. After four seconds, the target and any nearby enemies are stunned.
- (D) Bedlam: Dark Willow will send out her pet wisp to wreak havoc on nearby foes. The pet wisp will attack for damage, but cannot be used while Dark Willow's Terrorize ability is active.
- (R) Terrorize: Once again, Dark Willow sends out her pet wisp. But this time around, it's significantly scarier. So much so that foes in a targeted area will run towards their home fountain. Either take advantage of the break or try to pick off any fleeing targets.
Valve is also reworking how Ranked Seasons work moving forward, as Dota 2 moves towards a six-month seasonal system, starting in two weeks. The Dota 2 update page offers some more information:
"During each season all players will earn a medal for their profile based on peak skill for that season. There are seven different medals, and within each medal there are five stars of progress to earn toward the next medal. Your current medal as well as your previous season’s medal will be displayed to all players before each match.
"At the start of each season all players will recalibrate MMR, seeded by their previous season’s MMR. Your current historical preseason MMR value will be recorded and selectable in your profile, and ranked players will continue to be able to track their current seasonal MMR value."
Finally, Dota 2 is getting a little more casual friendly with Turbo Mode. This speeds up the game significantly, maintaining the same All Pick rules, but boosting Hero Gold and XP, while making defense towers weaker and reducing respawn times.
For more, including details on the reworked Ability Draft, the Bladeform Legacy Voice Pack, and the rest of the 7.07 patch notes, visit the Dota 2 update page.
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replyOzzie Mejia posted a new article, Dota 2 'Dueling Fates' Update Adds New Characters & Casual-Friendly Turbo Mode
