Dota 2 update adds solo matchmaking and all the custom UI's
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Another week, another patch. Valve are starting to make preparations for the biggest Dota 2 tournament ever, with The International prize purse getting even fatter. A new Interactive Compendium has already added another $200,000 to the 1.6 million dollar prize pool. In this week’s update, Valve have added a new solo matchmaking option. The new queue will only be populated by solo players; cutting out the chance of going head to head against pre made teams. Also in the update: a huge amount of unreleased custom UI’s that have been unearthed in the files.
The latest Dota 2 patch to hit the test client this morning introduces the long awaited ability to create official teams within the client. Professional teams have had access to this for some time, being able to mark their bases in colourful logos/sponsors and display them in tournaments such as The International. Now thousands of Dota teams can show their colours on the battlefield and forever burn their names into the enemies mind.
In all of 
After a disappointing showing during the International a few weeks ago where they didn’t manage to make it past the first stage of the tournament, mTw has decided to clear the roster of its Dota 2 team, leaving behind only SyndereN, the captain. There’s 
Wang Sicong, owner of Invictus Gaming and son of the 11th richest man in China, Wang Jianlin, is more than a little pleased with his team winning this year’s International, and decided to throw them a party in celebration. And when you’re the son of the 11th richest man in China, that means you’re going to make it a proper party. With balloons and probably even a clown.
Mark "March3llo" Averbukh announced today through Moscow 5's site that the Dota team would be disbanding, leaving two of the original members to form a new team.
On Sunday, The International came to a close with a final that almost felt like an anti-climax; after so much drama, and so much upset, in the previous two games, it would have to do something pretty spectacular to keep the curve of excitement on the upwards. Ultimately, it was just two very good teams playing very good games of Dota 2. 
I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t stay up til 8am watching Dota. My mind was willing, but my body is weak and frail and far too pale to surrender sleep to the day. And so I’ve been relegated to watching replays, like some sort of plebeian. Regardless, this is it, the game that we’ve spent the last week looking forward to. The last year, really. Natus Vincere against Invictus Gaming.
Here we go, the main event, the big kabosh, the rumble in the jungle, and the lanes, and in that bit of water around Roshan. This is the final day of the Interantional 2012, where we will find out, once and for all, who the best Dota 2 team in the world is. Until next year when we’ll find out all over again. Things kicked off with iG vs DK to decide who’ll be heading into the Loser’s Bracket final, with iG losing the first game, before coming back with two solid victories to secure them the place.
You’ve got a little time left. Just a little, before the finals start to emerge, these thrashing, unruly beasts that could go either way, in matchups that no one could really have predicted, a week ago. The International is wide open, and last night the Semi-Finals pretty much rewrote everything I thought was going to happen in this tournament. 
Second only to LGD in terms of the sheer strength of their lineup and their performance so far, Invictus Gaming came out of Group B with a single loss to their name, and thirteen lovely wins. Evil Geniuses, on the other hand, weren’t quite so indomitable, instead emerging out of Group A with a respectable eight wins to six losses. 
We’re onto the second match, slotting Zenith, second place in Group A, against Complexity Gaming, who did awfully well in Group B. While both teams have had some losses (only LGD have a lovely unbeaten streak), they have both performed above the curve. America’s Complexity was on the Radiant side, where Zenith creeped into the Dire. 
Relentlessly, 
And relax. Let out that breath you’ve been holding for the past three days, and glance out of the window, blinking as your eyes adjust to the light. The International Preliminaries are over, and the standings have been decided for once and all. We know who’s headed to the Winner’s Bracket, and who’s headed to the Loser’s. In two days, on Friday, the Main Event will start, where teams will be knocked out, and everything will get a little bit insane. 
