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Dota 2 [Official Site, Steam], the free MOBA from Valve has been updated with The Underhollow, a Battle Royale-like mode that's exclusive for Battle Pass owners. It's so good, it should be in the game.

This new mode pits eight teams of three, to be the last team standing in a fight for cheese. You can bring two friends or you can queue up to be matched up with strangers. Even while playing it with people I didn't know, it was an interesting experience.

It's a surprisingly frantic mode, being a mix between a dungeon crawler and a Battle Royale. The map is unexplored, so you've no idea what enemies will be awaiting you in each room. As you move around, you will battle various different types ofAI enemies, once defeated you will be gifted a chest full of gold, items and so on. Eventually, you will come across other teams and so the battle becomes a lot more full-on and more Dota-like. You can revive your fallen comrades, as long as one of you is left alive. Once all players in a team are down, you're completely out.

As you progress, the play area does get smaller (much like a BR game) as the rooms begin to collapse, which can leave you in an awkward position. A game I had earlier forced us back into a room with a team that had already kicked our butt once, but now yet another enemy team had wandered into the same room due to the shrinking play area and naturally—I died first, at least I wasn't as stupid as my team who decided to stay in the collapsing rooms and die from that, at least I tried to make a break for it…

I've had so much fun with it, I really do hope Valve continue to tweak it and bring it back for everyone in some way. It gives Dota 2 a whole new flavour and it's way more fun than I thought it would be.

To access it, you need the The International 2018 Battle Pass, which can be purchased at the lowest tier for £6.99/$9.99.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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15 comments
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Zelox Jun 15, 2018
Are we gonna se some gameplay on gol's YouTube ??
Liam Dawe Jun 15, 2018
Quoting: ZeloxAre we gonna se some gameplay on gol's YouTube ??
Absolutely, when I get a better grasp on it :P
Ehvis Jun 15, 2018
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There are times when I consider giving Dota 2 a go. But then I remind myself of what I posted in the Oxygen article and decide that it's probably not a good idea. Probably. Maybe.
razing32 Jun 15, 2018
Odd they lock it behind a battle pass.
Comandante Ñoñardo Jun 15, 2018
What means "Battle Royale-like mode?

Is like when you say "Rogue-like"... I don't understand the meaning.
razing32 Jun 15, 2018
Quoting: Comandante ÑoñardoWhat means "Battle Royale-like mode?

Is like when you say "Rogue-like"... I don't understand the meaning.

It's the PUBG style
Or H1Z1 , Minecraft Hunger games etc.

All these games have their root in a Japanese novel/movie of the same name , Battle Royale , where some teenagers are left on an island. Last one alive wins.
Game idea is this - Every man for himself , get a weapon , last man stadning wins. Gameplay area shrinks over time, if you are cought outside you die.
monkygames Jun 17, 2018
Please do not promote games with Illegal Loot Box Gambling such as Dota 2.
scaine Jun 17, 2018
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Quoting: monkygamesPlease do not promote games with Illegal Loot Box Gambling such as Dota 2.

Is it illegal? Or just immoral?
Rhythagoras Jun 18, 2018
Quoting: scaine
Quoting: monkygamesPlease do not promote games with Illegal Loot Box Gambling such as Dota 2.

Is it illegal? Or just immoral?

Just immoral, really. Yet it isn't even near as immoral as other loot box selling games. The loot box items have no stats or impact on the game other than making you look cool.

There are only two other things in the game for sale that might possibly give you extra experience, and I would say they really don't.

1) Battle Cup - Saturday bracketed tournament for $.99
This is truly only good practice if you already have a solid team of players that you work well with. I've jumped into a few of these battle cups with random players and it is just a crapshoot as far as the experience goes. Last battle cup, I was invited from the chat channel into a team that no one else spoke English. I advertised my availability in English, and still got invited in. (may have been slightly my fault, I was a little late and joined the party invitation channel near the last minute). The team got frustrated and tried to end the game by spamming 'gg' in the chat channel after the first five minutes.

2) Dota Plus - $3.99 Monthly Subscription Service that includes free access to battle cup
I personally now see this service as a pay-to-lose feature. It was kind of funny to me that people argued about it destroying the game and making it play-to-win. The skins you unlock with it are cool, but you are paying for them just like any other character skin (and most of them you can purchase without dota plus anyways). The extra damage reports and item popularity reports are negligible in the amount they actually improve your game. All the character levels and unlocks are rather distracting. The worst disadvantage this service gives you however, is that it replaces the draft phase Team Composition bar graph with personal character picks (and it gives you terrible advice - every single time). With the loss of the Team Composition graph, I would say that is enough to put Dota Plus players at a severe disadvantage versus free-to-play players.

This game is a free-to-play game done right. You don't have to spend a single dollar to enjoy it in full capacity.
Exidan Jun 18, 2018
Quoting: Rhythagoras
Quoting: scaine
Quoting: monkygamesPlease do not promote games with Illegal Loot Box Gambling such as Dota 2.

Is it illegal? Or just immoral?

Just immoral, really. Yet it isn't even near as immoral as other loot box selling games. The loot box items have no stats or impact on the game other than making you look cool.

There are only two other things in the game for sale that might possibly give you extra experience, and I would say they really don't.

1) Battle Cup - Saturday bracketed tournament for $.99
This is truly only good practice if you already have a solid team of players that you work well with. I've jumped into a few of these battle cups with random players and it is just a crapshoot as far as the experience goes. Last battle cup, I was invited from the chat channel into a team that no one else spoke English. I advertised my availability in English, and still got invited in. (may have been slightly my fault, I was a little late and joined the party invitation channel near the last minute). The team got frustrated and tried to end the game by spamming 'gg' in the chat channel after the first five minutes.

2) Dota Plus - $3.99 Monthly Subscription Service that includes free access to battle cup
I personally now see this service as a pay-to-lose feature. It was kind of funny to me that people argued about it destroying the game and making it play-to-win. The skins you unlock with it are cool, but you are paying for them just like any other character skin (and most of them you can purchase without dota plus anyways). The extra damage reports and item popularity reports are negligible in the amount they actually improve your game. All the character levels and unlocks are rather distracting. The worst disadvantage this service gives you however, is that it replaces the draft phase Team Composition bar graph with personal character picks (and it gives you terrible advice - every single time). With the loss of the Team Composition graph, I would say that is enough to put Dota Plus players at a severe disadvantage versus free-to-play players.

This game is a free-to-play game done right. You don't have to spend a single dollar to enjoy it in full capacity.
I dont even think it is immoral, they are just cosmetics. Actually it is the "most moral" type of monetization for a free to play game I've seen so far.
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