Valve's Dota 2 is getting another chunky update. Included in this latest patch are additional singleplayer missions that act as a tutorial for new players.
Previously, only the first of these were available. The now complete six tutorial system gives players the rundown on towers, the couriers, and other MOBA/Dota fundamentals.
Additionally, Valve has added a new "Limited Heroes" mode, which restricts the player's character selection to 20 heroes. This is available as a way for newer players to have a less intimidating selection pool while they learn the basics of the game.
Last, but certainly not least, Valve and Twitch.tv have partnered up for the next wave of competitive Dota 2 streams. For larger Dota 2 tournaments, Valve often gives out free items to spectators who are watching it online. Previously, users would be losing out on potential item drops by watching the stream on Twitch rather than on the official in-client stream. Now however, Twitch users can link their account to a Steam profile, allowing them to watch on Twitch and still be eligible for items.
As Twitch states, "No longer will you have to choose between watching events on either DotaTV or Twitch, and risk missing out on your in-game rewards."
Valve reiterated this point saying, "We realize that people have different reasons why they prefer to watch in game or via streams and wanted to bridge the gap of features they were missing out on by choosing the service that works for them the most."
In any case, Dota 2 is certainly a work in progress. Considering how finished it seems (and the fact that there is already a very healthy competitive scene), it's easy to forget that game is actually still in its beta testing phase. Hopefully though, this latest round of updates pushes it one step close to an actual release.