Yes, that’s a heavy usage of the word ‘update’ in quick succession, but such is life when Dota 2’s entire community looks ahead to Reborn while Valve releases a relatively low-key addition in preparation: it’s the update before the update. However, the latest release does add a new system for quantifying all your achievements to date and adding it to your profile in the form of a neat little badge.
Your all-new Dota Level is increased by earning trophy points, which are in turn earned by playing matches, pulling off specific feats or participating in events. Every 100 trophy points (TP) adds +1 to your Dota Level, however different trophies earn you varying hauls of TP to it’ll be slower to level up just by playing – and losing – match and after match than by being a legit Dota whizz.
Don’t worry about all the trophies you’ve earned before Dota Levels was introduced, though – they’ll be converted into TP retroactively, so veterans will find themselves sporting a high Dota Level right off the bat. You can check out what each trophy’s worth in TP in your trophy collection – select “Trophies” under your profile.
The update brings two new gongs right away: the Experience and Battle Veteran trophies. The former’s awarded just for playing games – it’s Dota 2’s “it’s the taking part that counts” rosette, made from macaroni, glue and the desire not to stomp on dreams. There’s no cap on the number of TP awarded from this, so you can keep earning using the above ‘playing and sucking’ method, albeit at a snail’s pace.
Battle Veteran’s a bit more hardcore, totting up your final Battle Point level and awarding you with a corresponding windfall of TP, as well as the actual trophy for your collection. Some players have reported that they haven’t recieved their Battle Veteran trophies yet, though. Does this update need an update before the big update?
Speaking of, Reborn will now be preloaded for all players, and is expected to roll out in the next day or two. In addition, a new treasury has been added, and a new Tournaments area within the Watch section.