Dota 2’s New Frontiers Update Makes Big Changes To The MOBA's Mechanics And Its Map
For nearly a decade, Dota 2’s map has remained virtually the same, but that’s now changed as the popular MOBA’s map gets a major overhaul. The New Frontiers update brings with it a ton of changes, including a 40% expansion of the map. But don't worry, the lanes are still as close together as ever, so you won't have to walk for days to get from one end to the other.
In addition to the new terrain, there are also four new named areas to explore: The Well, The Graveyard, The Statue, and The Mines. Roshan also has two pits now, and twin gates allow for teleportation between the top and bottom lanes. Plus, there are new neutral creep minibosses and 12 additional creep camps to farm.
But the biggest change comes in the form of Universal heroes, a new hero type that doesn't specialize in a single attribute. Instead, they get 0.6 damage for each point they have in any attribute. This includes heroes like Bane, Broodmother, Enigma, Lone Druid, and Vengeful Spirit who have been reshuffled into the Universal category.
Matchmaking has also been improved with the implementation of the Glicko algorithm instead of the Elo algorithm. This change should help prevent clumping in the 0-1000 MMR range and make it easier for returning players to get back to an accurate Matchmaking Ratio after spending time away.
UI changes have been made as well, including visible barriers on the health bar and health bar pips for things that don't have a HP total but are defeated after receiving a set number of hits.
Valve's The New Frontiers update page provides a comprehensive overview of all the changes and additions made in the update, including an interactive version of the new map.
