Dota’s lowkey mascot can now appear to warn players of potentially dangerous actions. (Picture: Valve)<\/span><\/p>\n
Longtime Dota players might be familiar with the Shitty Wizard, an inside joke Valve employee responsible for all of Dota’s bugs. He finally makes an in-game appearance as a Clippy-esque tool that warns new players about dangerous behavior. He’ll appear to warn them about taking Roshan too early, crossing into enemy territory, and more.<\/p>\n
Streamlined Shop<\/h3>\n
New players will no longer see the massive list of over 200 items when they open the Shop. Now they’ll see a short list of Hero-relevant items with clear descriptions and build-ups. Valve stated that they want to avoid overloading new players with information, and the complicated Shop is a major source of analysis paralysis.<\/p>\n
Midgame Coaching<\/h3>\n
Picture: New player can request the assistance of an experienced player mid-match. Novice Dota players will also gain access to a list of quests that reward them regardless of game outcome. These quests are self-contained scenarios that teach mechanics, like TP Scrolls or controlling the Courier. Existing players can also earn the cosmetic and Dota+ Shard rewards.<\/p>\n New Player Mode features a very tight roster compared to normal Dota.<\/p>\n Limited Heroes returns with a much more drastic cut to the roster. Dota’s 120 Heroes can overwhelm new players, so the noob-oriented mode only features 18 choices. All of the options are low-complexity Heroes, though the inclusion of Pudge in the support category might send some mixed signals. The mode runs on the Turbo modifiers, so games are fast and decisive.<\/p>\n
New player can request the assistance of an experienced player mid-match. (Picture: Valve)<\/span><\/p>\n
If the Shitty Wizard isn’t helping, newbies can additionally call on experienced Dota players to give advice or instructions. Players can request help even in the middle of a match, so they don’t have to tank the loss before learning from their mistakes. All coaching requests must be sent out manually.<\/p>\nNew Player Objectives<\/h3>\n
New Player Mode<\/h3>\n
New Player Mode features a very tight roster compared to normal Dota. (Picture: Valve)<\/span><\/p>\n