With League of Legends’ Teamfight Tactics mode going ranked and a full round of future updates planned, Dota 2 may soon strike back in a big way. As many as 16 new heroes could be coming to Dota Underlords, according to YouTuber Tyler McVicker.
McVicker found the information while searching within the patch files for Dota 2’s ProtoPass update.
Inside are references to Dota 2 heroes Chen, Clinkz, Dark Seer, Dazzle, Earth Shaker, Pangolier, Riki, Rubick, Spectre, Storm Spirit, Sven, Undying, Vengeful Spirit, Weaver, and Zeus.
Of the lot, Storm Spirit seems closest to completion, as his full character model is among the hidden files.
The addition of 16 heroes would be significant, but developer Valve’s exact distribution plans are yet unknown. It’s possible fans will get them all at once, or players may see the heroes trickled out in a series of updates. It’s possible that some might not even make it in at all.
Such is the nature of these leaks. Developers often prep their game clients with new material for future needs, and plans can change daily in the world of game development.
Valve previously mentioned it would rotate heroes in the future, so it’s at least known that a roster shakeup is on the way. How they plan to do it? Those are the details still being sought after.
The game files also had hints of the impending arrival of the Underlords. These characters will probably play a role similar to the couriers from the original Dota 2 Auto Chess mod, or the Little Legends from Teamfight Tactics. Underlords should be purely aesthetic in nature If Valve sticks to the current spirit of the genre.
Dota Underlords will continue to evolve as Valve, Riot, and Drodo — creators of Dota 2’s auto chess mod — keep the one-upmanship going within their competition. It’s hard to imagine how these auto battler games will look a year from now, but their current pace of growth speaks to the possibilities.
