Dota 2 25th July Patch – Content Analysis

This week’s Dota 2 test patch has arrived bringing us one of my prediction heroes, Visage, along with two other bonus heroes Keeper of the Light and Nyx Assassin, you can view the full changelog here.

Front End Changes

New Heroes

The crazy hero release spree continues with this week’s Dota 2 test patch giving us an amazing triple combo pack with the arrival of Keeper of the Light, Nyx Assassin and Visage.

Keeper of the Light

Ezalor, the Keeper of the Light. 

“Upon a pale horse he rides, this spark of endless suns, this Keeper of the Light.  Ezalor long ago escaped the Fundamental plane, separating from the other ancient forces to which he was bound within the great Primordial harmony.  He is a power grown sentient in the dawn of the universe, and now rides forth in all planes at once, one step ahead of pursuing chaos, bearing his gift with him at the end of a radiant staff.  His majestic truth lies hidden beneath the outward appearance of a slightly doddering old man who barely stays in the saddle.  However, when faced with the challenge of chaos, or the forces of darkness, his primordial light bursts forth, and his full power is revealed, transforming him once again into a force to be reckoned with.”

   

   

Model Viewer Shots:

In Game Shots:

Nyx Assassin

Unnamed, the Nyx Assassin. 

“Deep in the Archive of Ultimyr, shelved between scholarly treatises on dragon cladistics and books of untranslatable spells, there is an ancient tome of entomological curiosities. Compiled by scholars, the book describes the telepathic talents of the zealot scarab, a strange species of social insect with abilities unique to all the seven planes.

Unlike most grubs of his colony, Nyx Assassin did not arise from metamorphosis with the plodding thoughts and blunted appendages common to the worker caste of his kind. For his was a special transformation, guided by the grace of Nyx. He was the chosen one, selected from the many and anointed with an extract of the queen goddess herself. Not all survive the dark blessing of the queen’s chamber, but he emerged with a penetrating mind, and dagger-like claws–his razor sharp mandibles raking the air while his thoughts projected directly into the minds of those around him. Of all zealot scarabs, he alone was selected for the highest calling. After his metamorphosis, he was reborn, by grace of Nyx, with abilities which shaped him for one thing and one thing only: to kill in the name of his goddess.”

   

Model Viewer Shots:

In Game Shots:

Visage

Visage, the Necro’lic. 

“Perched atop the entrance to the Narrow Maze sit the looming shapes of sneering gargoyles, the paths into the hereafter forever in their gaze.  Beasts and birds, men and monsters, all creatures that die and choose to travel beyond must someday pass beneath their sight.  For an untethered spirit, the decision to journey through the veil of death is irrevocable.  When chance comes, and by craft or cunning some restless soul escapes their hells and heavens, it is the dreaded gargoyle Visage, the bound form of the eternal spirit Necro’lic, who is dispatched to reclaim them.  Ruthless and efficient, unhindered by the principles of death and fatigue, Visage stalks its prey without mercy or end, willingly destroying all which may give shelter to the fugitive essence.  That which flaunts the laws of the afterlife may never rest, for while it is true that the dead may be revived, it is only a matter of time before Visage finds and returns them to their proper place.”

    

Model Viewer Shots:

Model Viewer Shots (Familiars):

In Game Shots:

In Game Shots (Familiars):

Bonus audio clip:

Hero Model Updates

We’ve a few model updates in this patch, an updated look for Batrider and we’ve two more models that have been broken down to prepare them for cosmetic items: Gyrocopter and Sand King.

Batrider’s Model

Batrider’s model has been slightly updated with more detail and higher resolution textures.

New Model:

Old Model:

In Game Shot:

Crystal Maiden’s Model

Crystal Maiden has also had her model and textures updated.

New Model:

Old Model:

In Game Shot:

Gyrocopter’s Model

Gyrocopter’s model has been broken up into multiple parts to prepare him for cosmetic items.

Default Parts:

Gyrocopter’s Bottles
Gyrocopter’s Gloves
Gyrocopter’s Goggles
Gyrocopter’s Guns
Gyrocopter’s Propeller
Gyrocopter’s Homing Missile

Base Model:

Sand King’s Model

Sand King’s model has also been broken up into multiple parts to prepare him for cosmetic items.

Defaults Parts:

Sand King’s Head
Sand King’s Armor
Sand King’s Arms
Sand King’s Legs
Sand King’s Tail

Base Model:

Hero Animation Updates

We’ve a number of animation updates this week for the older heroes, which mainly consists of spawn and teleport animations.

Earthshaker’s Animations

Earthshaker has a few new animations: spawn, teleport and teleport_end.

Teleport Animation (Bangs his totem):

Night Stalker’s Animations

Night Stalker has a number of new animations: teleport_in, teleport_out, run_injured, idle_injured, spawn, run_haste, victory and defeat.

Run Injured Animation:

Pudge’s Animations

Pudge has a couple of new animations: teleport and run_haste.

Shadow Demon’s Animations

Shadow Demon has a few new animations: spawn, teleport and teleport_end.

Spawn Animation (Ignore the hat, I accidently left it on him, it does suit him though):

Tidehunter’s Animations

Tidehunter also has a few new animations: spawn, teleport and teleport_end.

Spawn Animation:

Teleport Animation:

Tinker’s Animations

Tinker has a few new animations: spawn, teleport and teleport_end.

Teleport Animation:

UI Updates

We’ve a couple of UI updates in this patch.

There’s now a notification for when a tournament has a live game in progress (Mock up screenshot):

There’s now a “Buyback” category on the spectator stats panel which shows the current buyback cost for that hero (you can now also hover over the row to reveal the player’s name):

Phantom Assassin’s minimap icon has been updated to match the newest version of her model:

League Passes

We have another new league pass in this patch.

        "item_name": "Prodota 2 Worldwide League",
        "item_description": "Prodota 2 takes its tournament to the world stage during the play-offs, featuring some of the most well known and talented teams from around the globe. With $30,000 in prize money on the line we'll find out which region of the world truly has the best of the best!"
									

Workshop UI Updates

The workshop UI has also been updated with a new publish item page, the new system will compile, validate and preview your model before you submit it.

Updated Item Icons

Yes the logo on that recipe is the Half-Life 3 Combine symbol.

 

Item Name	New Icon	Old Icon
Abyssal Blade
Aegis
Ancient Janggo
Arcane Boots
Armlet
Armlet Active
Assault
Basher
Belt Of Strength
Bfury
Black King Bar
Blades Of Attack
Blade Mail
Blade Of Alacrity
Blink
Bloodstone
Boots
Boots Of Elves
Bottle
Bottle Doubledamage
Bottle Empty
Bottle Haste
Bottle Illusion
Bottle Invisibility
Bottle Medium
Bottle Regeneration
Bottle Small
Bracer
Branches
Broadsword
Buckler
Butterfly
Chainmail
Cheese
Circlet
Clarity
Claymore
Cloak
Courier
Dire Courier
Cyclone
Dagon
Dagon 2
Dagon 3
Dagon 4
Dagon 5
Demon Edge
Desolator
Diffusal Blade
Diffusal Blade 2
Dust
Eagle
Emptyitembg
Energy Booster
Ethereal Blade
Flask
Flying Courier
Flying Dire Courier
Force Staff
Gauntlets
Gem
Ghost
Gloves
Greater Crit
Hand Of Midas
Headdress
Heart
Heavens Halberd
Helm Of Iron Will
Helm Of The Dominator
Hood Of Defiance
Hyperstone
Invis Sword
Javelin
Lesser Crit
Lifesteal
Maelstrom
Magic Stick
Magic Wand
Manta
Mantle
Mask Of Madness
Medallion Of Courage
Mekansm
Mithril Hammer
Mjollnir
Monkey King Bar
Mystic Staff
Necronomicon
Necronomicon 2
Necronomicon 3
Null Talisman
Oblivion Staff
Ogre Axe
Orb Of Venom
Orchid
Pers
Phase Boots
Pipe
Platemail
Point Booster
Poor Mans Shield
Power treads
Power treads Agi
Power treads Int
Power treads Str
Quarterstaff
Quelling Blade
Radiance
Radiance Inactive
Rapier
Reaver
Recipe
Refresher
Relic
Ring Of Aquila
Ring Of Aquila Active
Ring Of Basilius
Ring Of Basilius Active
Ring Of Health
Ring Of Protection
Ring Of Regen
Robe
Rod Of Atos
Sange
Sange And Yasha
Satanic
Sheepstick
Shivas Guard
Skadi
Slippers
Smoke Of Deceit
Sobi Mask
Soul Booster
Soul Ring
Sphere
Staff Of Wizardry
Stout Shield
Talisman Of Evasion
Tango
Tpscroll
tranquil Boots
tranquil Boots Active
travel Boots
Ultimate Orb
Ultimate Scepter
Urn Of Shadows
Vanguard
Veil Of Discord
Vitality Booster
Vladmir
Void Stone
Ward Observer
Ward Sentry
Yasha
Wraith Band

Back End Changes

Updated Strings

Strings for the new delay system when failing to accept a queue or abandoning their last game:

    "matchmaking_match_disabled_local"              "You are prevented from matching for %s1 due to failing to ready-up or abandoning your last game"
    "matchmaking_match_disabled_party"              "%s1 will prevent matching for %s2 due to failing to ready-up or abandoning his or her last game"
									

The Rich Presence will show when you’re watching a tournament game:

    "DOTA_RP_WATCHING_TOURNAMENT"    "Watching A Tournament Game"
									

Bot difficulties have been renamed:

    "DOTA_Lobby_BotDifficulty_easy"    "Easy"
    "DOTA_Lobby_BotDifficulty_medium"  "Medium"
    "DOTA_Lobby_BotDifficulty_hard"    "Hard"
									

Some new error messages for the lobby system:

    "lobby_slot_error_header"    "Unable to switch slot"
    "lobby_slot_error"        "Failed to change lobby slot."
    "lobby_slot_denied"        "You do not have permission to join this slot."
    "generic_error_header"      "ERROR"
    "generic_gc_timeout"      "Message timed out."
									

Strings for the new workshop item testing system:

    "DOTA_ItemTest_LOD0Desc"      "This is the .DMX, .SMD, or .FBX file that contains the higher resolution skinned geometry for your item. It will be used only in portrait views. If your item isn't highly visible in the hero's portrait, leave this blank and we'll use the in-game geometry instead."

    "DOTA_ItemTest_LOD1Desc"      "This is the .DMX, .SMD, or .FBX file that contains the skinned geometry for your item. It will be used in-game."

    "DOTA_ItemTest_DisableNICE"      "Disable Texture Filtering"
    "DOTA_ItemTest_DisableNICE_Desc"  "On some textures, the NICE filter we use can result in mipmaps that don't maintain some specific texture detail. If you see this happening with your textures, try turning this option on and see if the textures are more readable."
    "DOTA_ItemTest_Reimport"      "Re-import"

    "DOTA_ItemTest_Importing"      "IMPORTING"
    "DOTA_ItemTest_Import_Success"    "IMPORT SUCCESSFUL"
    "DOTA_ItemTest_Import_Failed"    "IMPORT FAILED"
									

The spectator box will now show how many broadcasters are casting in the game under the audio channel section:

    "DOTA_SpectatorAudio_Header"    "%s1 Available"
									

Nolan North is credited for doing the voice work for Keeper of the Light and Dempsey Pappion is credited for doing to the voice work for Nyx Assassin and Visage.

    // Voice Credits
    "DOTA_ActorCredits"          "Nolan North - Brewmaster, Gyrocopter, Keeper of the Light, Lone Druid, Lycan, Ogre Magi, Shadow Demon | Dempsey Pappion - Nyx Assassin, Visage"
									

Unreleased Hero Minimap Icons

We’ve a couple of new, unused minimap icons in this patch.

Magnataur’s Minimap Icon

Magnataur now has his own minimap icon, suggesting that he may arrive in the near future.

    "minimap_heroicon_npc_dota_hero_magnataur"
    {
        "file"    "vgui/hud/minimap_hero_sheet"
        "x"      "416"
        "y"      "160"
        "width"    "32"
        "height"  "32"
    }
									

Meepo’s Minimap Icon

Progress continues on Meepo with his minimap icon now also being finished. Also suggesting that he may arrive in the near future.

    "minimap_heroicon_npc_dota_hero_meepo"
    {
        "file"    "vgui/hud/minimap_hero_sheet"
        "x"      "448"
        "y"      "160"
        "width"    "32"
        "height"  "32"
    }
									

Unreleased Cosmetic Items

We’ve no new cosmetic models in this patch but we do have a number of new textures which may suggest what some of the future items might be.

Disclaimer: These items are still work in progress and might never be in the game, no freaking out allowed, thanks.

Axe’s Items

Which is the texture for the Reaver’s Axe workshop item:

Which is the Nightmare Edge workshop item:

Blood Seeker’s Items

Which is the texture for the BloodLetter workshop item:

Bounty Hunter’s Items

 

 

 

Which are the textures for the Master Assassins workshop set:

Dragon Knight’s Items

Which is the texture for the Blood Ravager workshop item:

Faceless Void’s Items

Which is the texture for the Heavy Crusher workshop item:

Nature’s Prophet’s Items

Which is the texture for the Metal Horn workshop item:

Omniknight’s Items

 

  

Which are the textures for the Hierophant workshop set:

Sven’s Items

Which is the texture for the Ruling Sword workshop item:

Tidehunter’s Items

 

Which are the textures for the Deep Sea workshop set:

Which is the texture for the Tempest Site Axe workshop item:

Ursa’s Items

 

 

Which are the textures for the Assault Armour workshop set:

 

Which are the textures for the Bones of the Ravager workshop set:

Unreleased Custom Couriers

We’ve textures for a new, unseen courier, the Drodo.

Drodo

There were references to a Dota 2 retail bundle that comes with a “Drodo the Druffin”, which is most likely this courier.

We don’t have a model for him yet, just textures:

Lockjaw

Another extra listed on the retail bundle list is “Lockjaw the Boxhound”. We also have a texture for this guy as well.

Source Filmmaker Models

A number of the tree prop models and bushes now have a “_sfm” version of the model, potentially showing that proper Dota 2 integration with the Source Filmmaker may be arriving sometime in the future.

Materials Update

We’ve no new materials for the unreleased heroes in this week’s patch.

Particles Update

We’ve no new particles for the unreleased heroes in this week’s patch.

Predictions For The Next Hero

For my next hero prediction I will be picking The International 2. The progress made recently has been great but now is most likely the time to start buckling down and preparing for the second International event, polishing and fixing any remaining issues to ensure that the tournament goes smooth. Not to mention it would also help delay the release of Meepno.

Shoutouts

A quick shoutout to every one who watched tonight’s live stream for this blog post, we somehow managed to get 3,000 people on at one point (to watch me make heroes dance?). Thanks guys/girls. <3

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