Dukalis on Dota 2: “I think a major new patch is coming.”

Larl: They don’t like updating the game. To be honest, I think they’re more focused on Deadlock right now. They don’t like updating Dota at all. I’d say there won’t be a major update, but I hope they release one anyway. I’d like to see changes to hero abilities and balance. Some heroes have been dead for ages. When was the last time you saw Wraith King? He might have a good win rate, and they might tweak him, but on the pro scene, you almost never want to pick him. Maybe in one game out of a thousand you’ll think, “Okay, maybe I’ll pick Wraith King.” I’d like to see more new mechanics and major changes: new abilities, reworks of old ones. Sometimes a hero gets reworked, and it turns out really great. He can be tough to play against, but it’s interesting to try him out yourself and see what he’s capable of. For me, anything new in Dota is always a good thing. There’s no need to release patches every week, but once every two or three months—maybe even four—you could roll out a solid update. It doesn’t have to be a massive overhaul, but something more substantial than five attack speed, one mana, or one health regeneration.

Dukalis: I think a major new patch is on the way. It seems to me that this year or next, there will be a very large-scale update that will affect everything. If I had to pick one truly big change, it would be, as I’ve already said, role-based matchmaking for everyone. I’m even willing to wait a little longer to find a match—as long as the matchmaking is high-quality. Also, the interface probably needs some improvement. You open the game, and there are a ton of buttons. In PUBG, for example, there’s a big “Play” button—Dota should be the same. In general, it’s hard to change something in the game and do it right and on time. But just tell us when the update is coming out. You can release it every six months, or every eight months. Just give us a clear idea of the timeline, and everything will be fine.

33: 8.00? I haven’t heard anyone discussing that yet, but I’m fine with Dota as it is now. I don’t need it to be completely overhauled. But updates could come out a little more often: some heroes stay at the top of the meta for a very long time and don’t get nerfed. So I’d like to see balance changes a bit more frequently.

ATF: When 7.00 came out, it was after version .86. So right now, we’re probably still a long way from that. I think they need to do something about the “Accept” button. You should be placed in a match immediately, without having to click “Accept.” This isn’t even within the game itself, but outside of it. That button needs to be removed. Before changing the game itself, it’s worth addressing what happens outside the match: there are problems there too, such as these mechanics. Also, I think they could release one or two more patches per year, or at least one or two letter updates.