Following on from the hugely successful The International 4 tournament this summer, Valve's Dota 2 is soon going to get one of its biggest makeovers since its release. The headline figure for patch 6.82 is the Shadow Fiend hero, who's getting a big cosmetic redesign, but there are more important changes afoot on the map upon which this game of swashbuckling and sorcery is played. Unlike most online multiplayer games, Dota 2 is played on only a single asymmetric map, and familiarity with its nuances is part the game's strategic depth. The Roshan pit has been repositioned slightly, along with small terrain and path alterations all over the map.

Other notable hero changes include the addition of new skills for the Bloodseeker and Phantom Lancer characters, along with the usual comprehensive rebalancing of hero abilities. As expected, many of the most commonly used heroes from the pro scene have seen their powers trimmed down: Faceless Void, Death Prophet, and Tinker have all suffered at the hands of the Dota 2 designers who are eager to encourage players to use the full roster of over 100 heroes.