The International Dota 2 Championship is apparently a time when new players pick up the game. Or at least that’s what Valve seems to think, since it has redesigned the welcome package for newbies.
New players picking up the game are now limited to a somewhat smaller selection of heroes; only 20 out of the 25 available for a player’s first few games. The Dota 2 blog says that this is because there are some heroes that require a lot of skill to play properly, and it would help the entire community if new players picked up some experience before jumping in the deep end.
Secondly, the matchmaking system has been tweaked. New players will find themselves more likely to be paired against players with high behaviour scores. Essentially ensuring that the enemy team is a bunch of good people who can create a welcoming environment. It will still match them against others with the same skill level, ensuring that the newbies can all learn the game together.
These are major changes that will go unseen for most current Dota 2 players. After all, it’s not aimed at them. Whether it will encourage people to pick up the game is another story. Although, it’s not like Dota 2 lacks marketing and awareness.
[Source: Dota 2 Blog]
