DotA 2 gets new update with features designed to welcome new players

DotA 2 is one of Steam's major flagship titles, and for good reason; it's one of the finest MOBAs on the planet. Unfortunately, it's gotten a bit of a bad rap when it comes to its barrier of entry. New players often find it hard to stick with the game when they are booted from matches by veteran players who don't want to play with them. Valve has apparently taken action to remedy the situation, as the game's latest update includes two new features to help streamline the process.

The first of the features involves the Hero selection system. New players will only be able to play from a select group of heroes that Valve's internal testing has shown to be conducive to helping new players learn the game. This restriction will only last on a player's first 25 matches, at which point, the game unlocks the full roster.

The second addition is probably the more important one as it leverages DotA 2's behavior system. The game will now only match new players with experienced players with "consistently high behavior scores."

Valve explains that there is a distinct emphasis "for a new player to have a good social experience while they are first trying to learn the game."

DotA 2 is available now exclusively on Steam.

[Source]