Dota 2
News, coverage and analysis tracking Dota 2 across the outlets.
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Steam Week in Review: AI disclosures enter the discourse again, as Epic CEO calls them 'just as partisan as…
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has strongly criticized Valve's mandatory AI disclosure policy for Steam, calling it politically motivated and harmful to developers. He argues that Valve is creating an anti-AI environment and that this stance benefits Epic Games. Valve, however, states the policy is to understand the evolving landscape and risks associated with AI in game development.
Dawn of War 4 clearly loves the Warhammer 40K strategy games that came before, but it misses that they loved to reinvent themselves
Dawn of War 4, developed by King Art Games, is a competent but unexciting Real-Time Strategy game that feels dated due to its reverence for the original 2004 title. While it offers unit customization and improved visuals, it struggles with managing large armies and making meaningful tactical choices, a weakness inherited from its predecessor. The Adeptus Mechanicus campaign shows more promise with tactical unit specialization, but ultimately succumbs to the same 'bolter-blob' strategy that plagues the Ork campaign.
Esports team Evil Geniuses is ending 'competitive and day-to-day operations' in November
North American esports team Evil Geniuses has announced it will cease all competitive and day-to-day operations on November 2, 2026. All players, coaches, and staff are now free agents. The organization cited missed partnership opportunities for Valorant's 2026 VCT as a contributing factor to the closure.
Steam Week in Review: Steam Next Fest has over 8,000 demos, as worthless vibe coded slop levels up
Steam Next Fest features over 8,000 game demos, a significant increase from previous years, with many criticized as low-effort "vibe coded" creations. The article argues that AI tools, particularly Anthropic's Claude Opus, are enabling rapid cloning and decompilation, leading to a proliferation of unoriginal games and concerns about intellectual property theft, potentially harming independent developers.
Pro Dota 2 Player Claims He Had to Play a Full Match in Front of Police Officers to Prove His Identity
A professional Dota 2 player claims he was forced to play an entire match in front of police officers to prove his identity. The unusual situation highlights a bizarre intersection of competitive gaming and law enforcement.
Dota 2 Can Now Boot on Android Using DroidDeck, but It’s Not Fully Playable Yet
Dota 2 can now boot on Android devices using the open-source DroidDeck project, which utilizes Valve's ARM64 Steam client and Proton. While the game successfully launched and reached the hero selection screen on a POCO F9 Pro, it is not yet fully playable due to errors encountered before match sequences.
Steam Hits New Milestone of Over 43 Million Concurrent Users
Steam, the PC-exclusive digital distribution platform, has set a new record with over 43.5 million concurrent users. This milestone surpasses its previous record set earlier this year. The platform has seen consistent growth, particularly since the COVID-19 lockdowns, with Valve's hardware efforts like the Steam Deck potentially contributing to its sustained user base.
Why Some Great Competitive Games Never Become Great Esports: The Spectator Design Problem - Walkthrough, Tips, Review
This analysis explores why many deep competitive games fail to become successful esports, focusing on the 'spectator design problem.' A game needs to be engaging for viewers, tournament organizers, and broadcasters, not just players. Factors like readability, production costs, and publisher control over intellectual property significantly impact a game's potential as an esport.
Why Does Playing Dota 2 Feel So Hard to Stop, Yet Surprisingly Easy to Forget After Just One Break?
This article analyzes why Dota 2 is difficult to stop playing, attributing its addictive nature to unpredictable matches, the constant pursuit of self-improvement, and ingrained player routines. Conversely, it explores why taking a break makes it surprisingly easy to forget the game, as the reasons for playing diminish and returning requires relearning significant updates.
March of Giants' Creative Director knows the MOBA market is ruthless, but he believes he can replicate his Rainbow Six Siege success
Ubisoft Montreal's Creative Director Xavier Marquis believes March of Giants can succeed in the competitive MOBA market by offering a unique blend of real-time strategy and MOBA elements, drawing parallels to the success of Rainbow Six Siege. Despite acknowledging the market's ruthlessness and the failures of past competitors, Marquis and his team are driven by a passion to innovate and create a game they themselves would want to play.
Deadlock is the king of MOBA character designs, and it's all thanks to Valve's embrace of New Yorkyness
Valve's upcoming MOBA, Deadlock, is praised for its unique character designs that draw heavily from New York City archetypes, setting it apart from other MOBAs like Dota 2 and Heroes of the Storm. The game's embrace of specific cultural elements and its original narrative potential are highlighted as key strengths, fostering strong community enthusiasm.
Valve's patch note supremacy
Valve's approach to patch notes, particularly for Deadlock and historically for Team Fortress 2, is praised for its creative and engaging presentation, styled like tourism brochures or comic books. This contrasts with the more functional patch notes of games like Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2, and highlights Valve's past innovation in storytelling and post-launch support for live service games.
March of Giants goes back to MOBA's roots, and its giant-filled, alt-WW1 world doesn't feel out of time
Ubisoft Montreal's upcoming free-to-play MOBA/RTS hybrid, March of Giants, impresses with its blend of classic real-time strategy elements and modern MOBA conventions. Set in an alternate World War I, the game features unique giants and a strong emphasis on troop management, offering a fresh take on the genre that aims to be accessible to newcomers while providing depth for veterans.
March of Giants Might Actually Get You to Play a MOBA Besides Dota 2 and League | IGN Preview
March of Giants aims to challenge established MOBAs like League of Legends and Dota 2 by incorporating lessons learned from Rainbow Six Siege's success. The game plans to retain core MOBA mechanics such as complex itemization and last hitting while offering modern accessibility features.
Steam's "best September to date" has new faces like Wardogs and Blood of Dawnwalker leading the charge
Steam achieved its best September to date in 2026, generating an estimated $1.7 billion in revenue, a 13% increase over the previous year. New intellectual properties like Wardogs and The Blood of Dawnwalker led the charge among new releases, contributing significantly to the revenue alongside established franchises and popular free-to-play titles.
It's not even out yet, but Valve's Deadlock just became one of the most played games on Steam
Valve's unreleased MOBA, Deadlock, has seen a significant surge in concurrent players on Steam following its 'City Never Sleeps' update. The update introduced a revamped map, new heroes, and numerous quality-of-life improvements, propelling the game to its highest player count yet. Despite not having a full release date, the game's ongoing development and community engagement suggest strong potential.
You're hyped for Deadlock's new heroes and map updates, I'm hyped because of the 800 extra pre-match…
The author expresses excitement for the recent Deadlock update, particularly highlighting the significant increase in pre-match voice lines and the addition of new heroes and environments. While acknowledging the MOBA genre's difficulty in attracting players, the focus on charming characters and detailed voice interactions suggests a positive outlook for the game's appeal.
One of my all-time favorite games just announced an expansion, yet all I feel is fear
Developer Coffee Stain Studios announced the first paid DLC for Satisfactory, titled 'Core Values,' which will introduce new underground building mechanics, resources, and fauna. Despite the game's appeal and the author's significant playtime, the announcement evokes fear of re-engaging with the highly addictive construction sim.
Top 5 proxies for Steam in 2026
This article compares the top 5 proxy services for Steam in 2026, focusing on their suitability for various Steam-related tasks like botting, market collection, and client access. It details how proxies affect Steam traffic, the legal implications of their use according to the Steam Subscriber Agreement, and provides a ranked list of providers like Proxys.io, Proxy-Seller, IPRoyal, Webshare, and Decodo based on price, features, and performance.
William Pugh, co-designer of The Stanley Parable, has over 1,600 hours in Dota 2: 'It's not a game made of love. It's a game fuelled by hate and a desire to conquer'
William Pugh, co-designer of The Stanley Parable, discusses his extensive PC gaming habits, including over 1,600 hours in Dota 2, which he describes as a game fueled by hate rather than love. He also expresses strong positive sentiment towards Team Fortress 2 and the recently released Big Walk, while noting his current enjoyment of the upcoming hero shooter Deadlock.
