Dota Underlords releases Head to Head update
This is Dota Underlords’ biggest update to date.
The latest update for Valve’s auto-battler has plenty for players to digest.
The patch adds Head to Head combat, ranked and casual matchmaking, visual updates to upgraded heroes, and other gameplay and balance tweaks.
Read on for a breakdown of changes.
Head to Head combat
The update’s titular feature will now have players paired off to fight directly against each other in every match, with each pair both taking part in the same shared combat.
This new feature will also be reflected on the match leaderboard so players know who they’re facing. If there are an odd number of players left in a match, then one of the players will be paired off with a clone of an actual player.
While this new combat feature may not look like much at first glance, it goes a long way towards giving Underlords a distinct flavor that separates it from the other Auto Battlers on the market.
Ranked and Casual matchmaking
The new update also implements Ranked and Casual matchmaking modes to the game, letting players choose between playing serious matches in Ranked or a more lax setting in Casual.
In Casual matchmaking, players are free to either experiment with their builds and strategies, or grind for the achievements from the game’s Daily Challenges. This mode also allows players to queue up for matches with friends.
Meanwhile, Ranked matchmaking will only allow players to queue up solo, with their rank determining who they will be matched up against. This mode is available after five Casual games for new players, while those already opted into the Underlords beta will have it available after one Casual match. While Ranked will certainly be the more serious and competitive game mode, Daily Challenges and Achievements are still accessible.
The new update also makes the ranking system more transparent, with changes determined by the player’s placement in a Ranked match.
Here’s the breakdown for the per match Rank point changes and Rank tier progression:
Visual updates
Most of the heroes in Underlords will now receive a new look once they have been upgraded, helping players get a sense of progression as they power their heroes up. Rank 1 heroes use the default models from Dota 2, and upgrading them bestows a new look from cosmetic item sets made by the Dota community for each respective hero.
Check them out on the gallery below:
Gameplay and Balance Tweaks
Round damage has been removed for Rounds 4 to 9, with Round damage starting at Round 11 with 2 damage, then proceeding as with the previous progression (3 starting at round 20, 4 at round 30, etc.).
This addresses the issue of matches ending too quickly in the previous update, with most players getting eliminated as early as Rounds 20 to 25. This new system should help keep things competitive and more players alive by even Round 30.
In addition, whenever a player loses a round against another player, the loser gains a non-stackable free reroll in the next round. Alongside the additional gold gain for lose streaks, this new mechanic will help losing players stay competitive in a match, or even stage a comeback.
Witch Doctor
Item changes:
Alliance items such as Unstoppable and Pocket Sand have been removed, with their effects being transferred to new items or the Alliance bonuses themselves.
New Items
In addition, Cloak, Recruiter, Vicious Intent, and Wicked Intent have also been removed.
Brooch of the Martyr
Force Staff
Alliance changes:
For the full list of changes, check out the patch noteshere.
