Valve is changing Dota 2 to make the experience less frustrating for new players

Dota 2 has received a new update designed to make the game more inviting for new players.

The patch brought two features that Valve says will help remove "unnecessary challenges" that faced newcomers in the past.

First, the game's hero selection screen has been changed to only show 20 heroes to new players. This list is curated by Valve, and will showcase heroes the developer feels new players should start with.

New players will continue to see the same group of heroes until they've played 25 games. The entire roster will then be unlocked.

The other big addition builds upon the first by matching new players only against those with "consistently high behaviour scores". Meaning, you'll only play with and against non-assholes.

This also takes player skill into consideration, but it's the social experience that's the focus. MOBAs are incredibly challenging games that demand a lot from players, so it's easy to see how they could have a toxicity problem.

This comes after Valve recently introduced a story-driven, co-op mode to the game. It's available only to Battle Pass holders, but it's easy to see why it was included.

This update is now available, but the changes likely won't impact those who already play the game.