Dota 2 Reborn in Source 2 engine
Beta available to all now.
The beta for Dota 2's huge Reborn update is out now and available for everyone to download and play.
Reborn adds a new user interface to the massively popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game, as well as a visual upgrade with a move to the Source 2 engine.
The Source 2 engine does more than improve the game's graphics, though. It reduces the latency between issuing a command and seeing your hero react - an important improvement for a game so focused on competitive play.
There's a deep dive on the new engine on the Dota 2 website.
Elsewhere, Reborn adds Custom Games to Dota 2. These are mods, essentially, created by the community and playable within the game.
"These games can be anything from a grand brawl between ten Invokers, to a story-driven dungeon adventure, to something creative that no-one has seen before," Valve said.
"For us, Custom Games represent a continuation of the tradition that gave birth to Dota, Team Fortress and Counter-Strike. We'd like to build an ecosystem where you can experience something new every time you launch Dota 2."
The addition of Custom Games is an interesting move for Dota 2, which is itself the sequel to one of the most successful mods ever created: The Defense of the Ancients mod for Blizzard's real-time strategy game Warcraft 3.
To install the Dota 2 Reborn beta, start up Dota 2, go to the Play tab and select Dota 2 Reborn Beta. Click install to begin your download. Once the beta is installed, whenever you launch Dota 2 you'll be asked which version of the game you want to play.
