14 DAY TRIAL // The development team at Valve might be getting ready to celebrate New Year's Eve, but they are still focused on making sure that DOTA 2 offers the best possible experience to all those who play it, with a new version of the big 6.86 update now available to all those who connect to it.
The C version tweaks some powers and abilities, especially when it comes to duration, the cost to cast and strength, aiming to make the various characters as balanced as possible regardless of the combat situation they are engaged in.
The Radiant small camp spawn box has also been increased in size, and a full list of the changes made can be seen by clicking on the button at the end of this article.
Valve has clearly based some of the changes made to DOTA 2 on the feedback offered by the player community and on its data obtained from the many gamers the community is playing.
Given the big tweaks made to the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena experience in 6.86, it's very likely that smaller patches will continue to arrive over the coming weeks, as the players and the development team work together to create a new stable long-term meta-game.
Valve might also be preparing a special New Year's Eve event for DOTA 2, but it has not yet announced any details about the kinds of experiences that gamers will get when 2016 rolls around.
DOTA 2 has recently added the Arc Warden as a character
The Balance of Power update for the MOBA allows gamers to use the new hero and control his various powers, which include Flux, Magnetic Shield, Spark Wraith and Tempest Double.
Zeus has been enhanced with much improved cosmetic options in the update, and there are also new options for the maps and the placement of various neutral elements that influence gameplay.
Balance of Power for DOTA 2 has been well received by the fan community, although plenty of those engaged with the game are annoyed with the fact that familiar strategies need to be tweaked based on the changes made to the various heroes.
Valve has been saying that it wants to make sure that 6.86 is as balanced as possible before thinking of adding any new kind of content for the title, including new heroes.
DOTA 2 needs a constant stream of tweaks and new heroes to stay attractive to fans of the MOBA genre, which features very capable competition like League of Legends from Riot Games and Heroes of the Storm from Blizzard.
In 2016, the developers will once again deliver a Compendium linked to the International tournament, allowing the fans to get access to a wide array of rewards as long as they are willing to add to the prize pool.
The Valve-organized tournament continues to be the biggest event in eSports, and the 2016 edition will probably deliver more spectacular matches and plenty of data for the studio to once again tweak DOTA 2 in interesting ways.