With Dota 2 Patch 7.35d, the most important update in the history of MOBAs, the game has become even better.

This update completely changes how heroes are chosen in matchmaking. The goal is to fix long-standing problems and make the whole experience better for players. Let’s get into the specifics of this new way to choose heroes in Dota 2!

Dota 2 Patch: Hero Bans Get the Axe

The pre-game hero ban part in Dota 2 has been something to plan for and something to get angry about for years. The system was meant to give players some power over heroes they wouldn’t have to fight, but it also made things hard. Players who only had a few heroes could be at a disadvantage, and the ten-second timer often made people make hasty choices or miss by chance.

Valve, the company that made Dota 2, changed the way heroes are banned completely in Dota 2 Patch 7.35d. The pre-game ban process is no longer there. Instead, a system based on Dota 2 hero ban preferences has been put in place.

Introducing Hero Ban Preferences: Choose Your Dota 2 Nemesis

Players can now declare their Dota 2 hero ban preferences right from their accounts thanks to the new system. Players can choose up to four heroes they don’t want to face in future matches by going to the “Heroes” tab. As a player, you can be sure that at least one of your banned heroes will be banned when you join a matchmaking game. This gives you some power over your in-game experience without putting you under the stress of a timed ban phase.

Benefits of the New Dota 2 Hero Ban Preference System

This innovative approach offers several advantages over the previous system:

• Eliminates Time Pressure: No more scrambling to ban within a tight time frame. Players can take their time and thoughtfully curate their hero ban preferences.
• Tailored Experience: Dota 2 players can personalize their matchmaking experience by banning heroes they find particularly challenging or unenjoyable to play against.
• Farewell to Accidental Misses: Gone are the days of forgetting to ban a hero or accidentally clicking the wrong one. Your preferences are saved and applied automatically.
• Curbs Targeted Bans: The system makes targeted bans, whether against specific players or based on external data, significantly less effective.

Dota Plus Experiment: Matchmaking

Dota 2 Patch 7.35d also adds a cool new option for people who pay for Dota Plus.  With this change, the Dota Labs project moves into an experimental phase. Here, Valve is looking into ways to make the matchmaking process more clear to players.

The first experiment is based on matchmaker statistics for Dota 2.  Users of Dota Plus will now get details about how the matchmaker rated the game after they’ve found a match. This includes rough scores for skill level and player behavior. After that, players can either accept the match or re-queue for a game that fits their tastes better.

Balancing Player Choice and Competitive Integrity

More control over your matchmaking experience is what this tool is meant to give players. Valve stresses, though, that the information is meant to let people say what they want rather than give them a competition edge. For instance, the system might show that there is a high or low skill range in the match, but it won’t say whether you or your team are on the high or low end.

The Future of Dota 2 Matchmaking: Experimentation and Player Feedback

Valve is making matchmaking more player-centered by adding the Dota 2 hero ban preference system and the Dota Plus matchmaking statistics experiment. These features are meant to fix problems that have been around for a while, make the game better for players, and give each person the power to find matches that are a better fit for them.

Valve is aware of the risks that come with these kinds of changes, though.  Dota Labs is a testing place where developers can see how players interact with the game and get useful feedback. With this information, Valve can improve the system, find out how well it works, and maybe even add it to the main Dota 2 experience.

Dota 2 Patch 7.35d Breakdown

This table summarizes the key changes introduced in Dota 2 Patch 7.35d.

Dota 2 Patch Hero Upgrades Breakdown

Here’s a breakdown of the Hero Updates by category:

• Ancient Apparition: Mana cost reduction for Cold Feet.
• Arc Warden: Talent adjustments.
• Batrider: Increased damage per second for Flamebreak, decreased burn duration. Talent adjustments.
• Beastmaster: Increased bonus attack speed for Inner Beast.
• Bloodseeker: Increased base agility, self-healing from Thirst is now classified as lifesteal.
• Centaur Warrunner: Decreased damage for Hoof Stomp. Talent adjustments.
• Chaos Knight: Increased cast range for Reality Rift, increased creep damage multiplier for Chaos Strike.
• Chen: Decreased movement slow for Penitence, decreased bonus armor for Divine Favor.
• Clockwerk: Power Cogs now adds 50% of burned mana to damage.
• Crystal Maiden: Increased mana cost for Crystal Clone.
• Dark Willow: Increased roaming duration for Bedlam.
• Disruptor: Increased slow duration for Thunder Strike.
• Dragon Knight: Illusions no longer apply dragon’s on-hit effects, decreased Corrosive Breath debuff duration. Talent adjustments.
• Drow Ranger: Decreased cooldown for Multishot. Talent adjustments.
• Earth Spirit: Increased damage for Rolling Boulder.
• Ember Spirit: Decreased base charge restore time for Fire Remnant.
• Faceless Void: Adjusted slow per cooldown for Time Dilation, increased mana cost.
• Hoodwink: Talent adjustments.
• Kunkka: Talent adjustments.
• Leshrac: Talent adjustments.
• Lich: Rescaled damage for Frost Shield, Chain Frost can now target Ice Spire.
• Lifestealer: Decreased movement speed bonus for Rage, decreased cast range for Infest and Open Wounds.
• Mars: Increased cooldown for Arena of Blood. Talent adjustments.
• Medusa: Talent adjustments.
• Mirana: Decreased base movement speed.
• Naga Siren: Talent adjustments.
• Necrophos: Talent adjustments.
• Pangolier: Reworked Swashbuckle, decreased strike count and increased damage per strike.
• Primal Beast: Decreased damage for Onslaught, decreased damage per line for Uproar (Aghanim’s Scepter).
• Puck: Aghanim’s Shard and Scepter adjustments.
• Sand King: Increased base damage, decreased strength gain.
• Shadow Fiend: Decreased mana cost for Shadowraze.
• Silencer: Increased intelligence steal for Glaives of Wisdom.
• Snapfire: Increased attack slow, movement slow, and slow duration at point-blank range for Scatterblast. Increased projectile speed for Firesnap Cookie.
• Sven: Decreased base armor.
• Techies: Increased cooldown for Sticky Bomb.
• Templar Assassin: Increased bonus damage for Meld.
• Terrorblade: Decreased reflection damage and radius.
• Timbersaw: Decreased damage for Timber Chain, decreased max stacks for Reactive Armor.
• Tinker: Increased

Conclusion

The release of Dota 2 Patch 7.35d is a big step forward for the game. Valve is making it possible for millions of Dota 2 players around the world to have a better and more unique matchmaking experience by putting player preferences first and encouraging openness. The future of matchmaking in Dota 2 will be very interesting to watch as the Dota Labs trial goes on.

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