On the night of August 31, Valve released a major update for Dota 2, which included numerous graphical improvements to the game. For example, the developers redesigned the arsenal and hero preview menus, created more realistic shadows and lighting effects on the map, improved rendering, and much more. Alongside the update, the Collector's Cache 2023 treasure was also released, featuring 16 new sets for Anti-Mage, Jakiro, Spectre, and other heroes.
In addition to the visual updates, the developers also improved the commendation system. It will now directly impact player matchmaking. In simpler terms, if you commend a player for their good performance after a match, the system will more frequently match them with you in future matches (both on your team and against you). The new feature also works in reverse — the developers added a "Dislike" button to evaluate the performance of a specific player, which will result in less frequent encounters with them.
The new complaint system has also become more universal. Now players can report toxic behavior anytime during and after the game. The new system also does not have a limit on the number of complaints that can be submitted, and it allows reporting toxicity in both teams. More detailed information about all these innovations can be found on the official game website.
How popular is Dota 2 now?
According to Steam Charts, Dota 2 has been demonstrating growth in average user count for the second consecutive month. In August, an average of about 443K people played Dota 2 every day, which is the best result so far in 2023. This figure will increase even more during The International 2023 World Championship in October.
As for popularity on Twitch, the Dota 2 category accumulated about 35.7 million Hours Watched in August. This is significantly fewer than in July, when The Bali Major 2023 and Riyadh Masters 2023 took place. Compared to the previous month, the category lost about 35% of Hours Watched but still maintained its position in the Top 10 platforms. July, which was filled with tournaments, was the most successful month for Dota 2 on Twitch in 2023, with 54.9 million Hours Watched. In terms of competition with other games, Dota 2 ranked ninth in August.
As of the first half of 2023, Valve's MOBA ranks sixth among all gaming categories on Twitch (excluding Just Chatting).