There is a new Dota 2 update – but it does not result in any direct changes. Rather, it is supposed to change the way patches and co. will be implemented into the game in the future. Only, what does that mean exactly?

After the last patch 7.24b, there should be no more gameplay updates before the conclusion of the ESL One Los Angeles Dota 2 Major. Actually… Because the game received one a few days ago anyway – and it seems that the Dota Balance team needs more staff to make sure that some of the planned changes are implemented.

The new update
The news came from the official website of the Steam platform:

“In this update, we’re introducing a new system for collecting data on the kinds of changes that are harder to assess or predict without a very large number of games….
We anticipate that the number of changes we actually make during the year will be very small. However, when we do, it will be during weekdays and only at the lowest point of user activity, between 4pm and 6pm Seattle time. Additionally, we are adding a “dota_disable_experimental_gameplay” that players can use to disable. Any gameplay changes will only be active in matchmaking games. In lobby and league games the changes will never be active.
Although the kind of changes we are thinking about, like gold distribution, will take much more than one or two games to have their full effect, we will still be able to get meaningful data and analysis on the direction and extent of the changes.”
Wait, what?
Who’s confused now too? Let’s try to decipher this announcement:

Valve needs more numbers to test possible changes because sometimes the beta environment doesn’t quite make it. So they are allowing random changes to games in certain time periods to see how that affects the outcome of the games in question. Players can decide if they want to participate and enable dota_disable_experimental_gameplay. Only players who do not have this enabled will be included in the “trial”.

This will reportedly only happen a few times a year on weekdays within a 2-hour span – tournaments will not be affected. The changes may vary from game to game, ranging from gold wins per minute to pretty much anything else.

In a way, this change can be considered a beta test that goes straight live for everyone, or a variation of Overwatch’s experimental mode. Unlike the usual beta tests, however, participants here wouldn’t even know they were part of it. The community seems to be okay with everything, after all, you can also be excluded from the test.

We are curious to see what will become of this kind of Bets test….

Overwatch

Overwatch is a computer game by Blizzard Entertainment (Diablo 3, World of Warcraft) and a first-person shooter with individual fantasy elements. The game was released in May 2016.

In Overwatch, the player must choose between 21 unique characters, which can be freely selected in a loosely held classification system (offensive and defensive class, support unit and tanks).

A character’s three to four different abilities can be controlled and activated through the mouse and keyboard. The game modes already vary from scoring points to cargo hauling. Team play is required in both modes, as each character takes on a specific role in the battlefield (e.g. heal teammates, provide backup, or secure defensive lines).

The name Overwatch derives itself from a fictional elite military unit that came together when robots tried to subjugate humanity in a near future. Individual characters are associated with this unit in the game, while others oppose it. It is not yet known whether the storyline will continue in multiplayer.

Brawl

Brawl is a game mode in which time-limited rule variations of the well-known modes are drawn. Sometimes completely new game modes are used in Brawls.

Rule variations include, for example, the restriction to certain heroes or classes, changes to the cool-down times or certain cards. New game modes that have been playable so far include a soccer game and a PvE mode.

Usually, Brawls are restarted as Brawl of the Week every Tuesday at 22:00 UTC and are then playable for a week. On certain occasions, such as – Season al events, Brawls may also be playable for a longer or shorter period of time.

The game mode is comparable to the card chaos from Hearthstone and was activated for the first time in the beta phase on March 22, 2016 through a patch.

Actions

• Arcade: More health, shorter skill and ultimate cooldowns, and faster resurrection after death.
• Girl Power: Female heroes only.
• Head’s Up!: McCree, Genji, Hanzo, and Widowmaker. Only head hits count.
• High Noon: High Noon on Route 66, only head hits with McCree count.
• Highly Offensive: Only offensive heroes. Limit is two of the same hero per team.
• Junkenstein’s Revenge: Soldier, Hanzo, Ana, Mc Cree only (1 each). The first co-op PVE mode in Overwatch. Part of the – Season al event Halloween Horror.
• Justice rains from Above: Only Mercy and Pharah playable.
• Moba Watch: Only unique heroes per team. No hero switching allowed.
• Mystery Heroes: Upon death, you will be resurrected as a randomly selected Hero.
• Overly Defensive: Only defensive heroes. Limit is two of the same hero per team.
• Show Your Support: Support Heroes only. The limit is two of the same Hero per team.
• Super Shimada Bros: Welcome to Hanamura. Only Hanzo and Genji are playable. Shorter skill cooldowns, longer ultimate cooldowns.
• Tanks A Lot: Tank heroes only. Limit is two of the same hero per team.
• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Only McCree, Reaper and Roadhog playable.
• We’re all Soldiers now: Only Soldier: 76 playable on control cards.
• Lucioball: Lucio only: Soccer mode, 3 vs 3.
• Yeti Hunt: Five meis against a yeti that has the characteristics of Winston.

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