Valve has revealed Dota 2 Reborn, revamping the game and its UI with the new Source 2 engine.
The Dota 2 engine will be completely replaced, bringing in a new user interface and custom games.
Many new to Dota – or MOBAs in general – can get a bit intimidating and overwhelmed, and Valve intends to change that with Guided Bot Matches. These matches against AI allow new players to receive guidance from an AI director.
The new dashboard is designed to be easier to use and to make the game more lightweight, with the ‘Play Dota’ button always available regardless of where in the interface you are.
The new UI will also let lobby leaders list their lobbies publicly for players around the world to join. Players can search by lobby name or game mode, and also see which games are on their local network or have friends in them.
To make it easier to play with friends, the friends menu will make it easier to find friends who are available to party up with. Then, you’ll be able to party chat from the dashboard itself and carry that chat into the game. You’ll also be able to merge parties.
The Hero browser has also been overhauled, allowing players to read about, customise and practice with heroes, all in one place.
The DotaTV experience has also been revamped to make it easier to find the matches you want to watch. Through Steam Broadcasting, you’ll be able to stream at 1080p and 60 fps and get detailed stats and graphs, plus support for full tournament video production.
Valve plans to flesh out more details about custom games soon, with information on the Dota 2 Reborn beta to follow it.