Dota 2 Shifting Snows Update

Light dwindles and cold creeps in. The Shifting Snows Update has arrived, bringing with it this year’s Winter Map as well as a small gameplay update. As heroes shiver down the lanes to meet their fate, a new effigy material has emerged from the ice, new treasures have brought new armor to warm by the fire, and the arrival of Gift Wrap heralds the season of Givening. Check out the Shifting Snows Update page for more information.

http://www.dota2.com/shiftingsnows/

Gameplay Update 6.83

Dota 2's balance has shifted. This small gameplay update includes new tricks for old friends, and a handful of helpful adjustments to augment your strategies. Want to learn more? You'll find the changelog further down the page.

Winter Map

Winter's grip has tightened, causing the river to ice over as deepening snow settles upon the forest paths. Yet the battle rages on! Heroes must now brave the bitter cold of day, and the freezing dark of night. Each ice-tipped tower that shatters, every shivering creep that dies on the field, becomes another step toward victory.

Fantasy Dota Season 2 Champions' Teleport

Raise a cheer for the victors of Season 2 of Fantasy Dota. Those who placed 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in Season 2 of their Fantasy Dota league will find a new teleport effect and trophy to show off to their friends. Well played!

New on the Dota Store

Treasure of the Frosted Flame

Keep your heroes warm this winter with new armor for Luna, Sniper, Legion Commander, Drow Ranger, and Shadow Shaman. Open a Treasure of the Frosted Flame, and you'll also have a chance to find a new set for Tiny, or a rare Hexgill the Lane Shark courier inside!

Treasure of the Nested Cache

It's a treasure that contains treasures! Open a Treasure of the Nested Cache, and you'll receive a random treasure, and have a chance to earn a special gift. You might even find a Treasure Redemption Token inside, which can be redeemed for another treasure of your choosing. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

Effigy Block of Frost

Create a frosty monument to your favorite heroes with a new material for Heroic Effigies! Available from the Dota Store, the Effigy Block of Frost can be used to design a frozen sculpture in your base for all to see. We're also enabling new animations for the creation of Effigies, which can be used with all materials.

Gift Wrap

Tis the Season of Givening! Purchase Gift Wrap from the Dota Store, then use it on any bundle, courier, or wearable item to create a present for your favorite fellow warrior. You can even add a note to your recipient. After the gift has been wrapped, you can use the gift to send it to anyone on your friends list, or give it to a friend by trading it through Steam. Gift Wrap will be available on the Dota Store until January 12th, 2015.

Gameplay Update 6.83

GENERAL

• Ranked All Pick initial planning phase reduced from 40 to 30 seconds

• First rune spawns are now both Bounty Runes that are twice as effective (50/50 gold/xp to 100/100)
• All Illusions now deal 25% less damage to structures

• Melee and Ranged Barracks bounty reduced from 352-370 to 100-150
• Melee and Ranged Barracks now give 125 and 75 gold to each player, respectively

• Ward location to the right of Roshan is now pathable
• Fixed a ward location near the Dire ancients that could not be easily seen

• Ancient Granite Golem health reduced from 2000 to 1700
• Ancient Granite Golem now has an aura which grants 15% bonus health to its allies

• Private Lobby games now use the Captain's Mode creep spawn timer when in All Pick

• Maximum Attack Speed increased from 500 to 600 (the primary impact of this is on abilities like Windranger's Focus Fire and Ursa's Overpower)
• The following abilities no longer have restrictions when cast on Spell Immune Allies: Kunkka's X Marks The Spot, Magnus's Empower, Treant Protector's Living Armor, and Warlock's Shadow Word

• The tooltips for Vanguard, Stout Shield, Poor Man's Shield and Crimson Guard now reflect their internal proc chance instead of their legacy representation (no actual balance change)
• Vision and Fog of War can now be any numerical value, rather than specific intervals (previously it was 0, 64, 192, 320, 448, 576, 704, 800, 832, 960, 1088, 1216, 1344, 1472, 1600, 1728) 

HEROES 

Abaddon

• Borrowed Time duration increased from 3/4/5 to 4/5/6

Alchemist

• Greevil's Greed base bonus gold increased from 4/6/8/10 to 6/8/10/12
• Greevil's Greed extra bonus gold per stack from 1/2/3/4 to 3
• Greevil's Greed max bonus gold from 30 to 12/20/28/36
• Greevil's Greed recent kill window duration increased from 25 to 30

Axe

• Battle Hunger duration from 10/12/14/16 to 10
• Battle Hunger damage from 15/20/25/30 to 16/24/32/40 [?]
• Battle Hunger cast range from 900 to 750
• Battle Hunger movement and slow from 10 to 12%
• Battle Hunger mana cost from 75/85/95/105 to 75

Bane

• Nightmare cooldown from 15 to 16/15/14/13

Beastmaster

• Call of the Wild now always provides a Hawk and a Boar at each level, and each now scales per level
• Hawk health from 50/50/100/100 to 40/60/80/100
• Hawk movement speed from 270/270/400/400 to 250/300/350/400
• Hawk day sight from 500/500/1600/1600 to 700/1000/1300/1600
• Hawk night sight from 500/500/1200/1200 to 700/800/900/1000
• Hawk kill bounty from 30/30/65/65 to 30/40/50/60
• Boar health from 0/400/400/500 to 200/300/400/500
• Boar base damage from 0/26/26/46 to 15/30/45/60
• Boar base attack time from 0/1.5/1.5/1 to 1.25
• Boar poison slow from 0/20/20/35% to 10/20/30/40%

Bloodseeker

• Added to Captain's Mode 
• Bloodrage no longer amplifies outgoing damage if the damage has the no-reflection flag

Bounty Hunter

• Track bonus gold for self increased from 150/200/250 to 200/275/350
• Track cooldown reduced from 10/7/5 to 4

Brewmaster

• Base Armor reduced from 4 to 2
• Thunder Clap hero slow duration from 4.25 to 4
• Thunder Clap cooldown from 12 to 13

Bristleback

• Quill Spray stack damage increased from 30 to 30/32/34/36

Broodmother

• Spiderlings' day vision reduced from 1400 to 1100

Chaos Knight

• Reality Rift damage increased from 25/50/75/100 to 60/80/100/120
• Reality Rift mana cost from 70 to 50
• Phantasm illusion duration increased from 34 to 42

Chen

• Test of Faith now teleports all of your units to you when cast on yourself 
• Holy Persuasion max units increased from 1/1/2/3 to 1/2/3/4

Clinkz

• Base attack range increased from 600 to 630

Clockwerk

• Battery Assault damage increased from 15/35/55/75 to 20/40/60/80

Crystal Maiden

• Crystal Nova attack speed slow from 20 to 30
• Frostbite cooldown from 10 to 10/9/8/7
• Freezing Field duration increased from 7 to 10 seconds
• Freezing Field explosion spawn radius and slow radius increased by 150
• Freezing Field explosion damage radius increased by 50

Dark Seer

• Base armor increased by 1
• Vacuum pull duration increased from 0.4 to 0.5

Dazzle

• Base attack range increased from 500 to 550

Death Prophet

• Strength growth reduced from 2.2 to 1.9

Disruptor

• Glimpse mana cost rescaled from 160/130/100/70 to 100
• Glimpse cooldown reduced from 65/50/35/20 to 60/46/32/18
• Kinetic Field cooldown reduced from 14/13/12/11 to 13/12/11/10
• Static Storm cooldown from 85 to 90/80/70

Dragon Knight

• Elder Dragon Form level 3 now maintains the Corrosive Breath ability from levels 1 and 2

Drow Ranger

• Illusions now benefit from the Marksmanship bonus

Earth Spirit

• Rolling Boulder no longer reduces attack speed by 80 for 2 seconds
• Rolling Boulder no longer does an additional 45 damage when used with a stone remnant
• Rolling Boulder base damage increased from 90 to 100

Earthshaker

• Enchant Totem mana cost reduced from 50 to 20/30/40/50

Elder Titan

• Astral Spirit damage reduced from 60/100/140/180 to 60/90/120/150
• Fixed a few cases where Elder Titan could move his Astral Spirit while casting Echo Stomp

Enchantress

• Base movement speed increased from 315 to 335

Faceless Void

• Time Walk no longer slows attack speed
• Chronosphere cooldown increased from 130/110/90 to 130/115/100
• Ward unit types are no longer able to attack while inside the Chronosphere

Gyrocopter

• Call Down area of effect increased from 450 to 600
• Call Down missile one slow amount reduced from 50% to 30%
• Call Down missile two slow amount increased from 20% to 60%
• Force Staff can now be used on Homing Missile

Huskar

• Inner Vitality base health regen from 2/4/6/8 to 10
• Inner Vitality regen bonus when hurt form 30/45/60/75% to 20/40/60/80%

Io

• No longer requires turning to perform any actions

Jakiro

• Liquid Fire damage reduced from 15/20/25/30 to 12/16/20/24

Juggernaut

• Base agility increased from 20 to 26
• Blade Dance critical strike chance rescaled from 15/20/25/35% to 20/25/30/35%

Keeper of the Light

• Chakra Magic mana cost from 25/45/65/85 to 25/35/45/55
• Blinding Light blind duration increased from 3/4/5 to 4/5/6

Kunkka

• X Marks the Spot enemy delay from 1/2/3/4 to 4, and allied delay from 2/4/6/8 to 8
• X Marks the Spot cast range from 500/650/800/950 to 350/550/750/1000
• X Marks the Spot cooldown from 14/13/12/11 to 19/16/13/10
• X Marks the Spot Return mana cost reduced from 50 to 0

Leshrac

• Diabolic Edict duration increased from 8 to 10 seconds
• Lightning Storm slow duration increased from 0.5 to 0.75
• Lightning Storm cast range increased from 700 to 800

Lich

• Chain Frost cooldown from 145/115/60 to 120/90/60

Lifestealer

• Infest now allows you to control the unit you are in using a sub-ability

Lina

• Attack projectile speed from 900 to 1000
• Dragon Slave damage increased from 100/170/230/280 to 110/180/250/320
• Dragon Slave mana cost increased from 90/105/125/140 to 100/115/130/145
• Light Strike Array damage rescaled from 90/150/210/280 to 120/160/200/240
• Light Strike Array mana cost increased from 90/100/110/125 to 100/110/120/130
• Light Strike Array stun duration increased from 1.6/1.8/2/2.2 to 1.6/1.9/2.2/2.5
• Fiery Soul duration increased from 9 to 10

Lion

• Base attack damage increased by 7
• Mana Drain drain interval from 0.25 to 0.1 [?]

Lone Druid

• Removed the cast time on Spirit Bear's Return
• Battle Cry cooldown increased from 30 to 60
• Battle Cry duration reduced from 8 to 6
• Battle Cry bonus damage increased from 20/40/60 to 50/75/100
• Battle Cry bonus armor increased from 2/4/6 to 5/10/15

Luna

• Moon Glaive level 4 bounces increased from 5 to 6
• Eclipse beam count increased from 4/7/10 to 5/8/11 (Scepter increased from 4/8/12 to 6/10/14)

Meepo

• Divided We Stand respawn time reduction now 20% instead of 10/20/30%

Morphling

• Adaptive Strike stun max duration increased from 0.75/1.5/2.25/3 to 1.25/2.25/3.25/4.25

Night Stalker

• Base attack damage increased by 4
• Crippling Fear mana cost reduced from 90 to 50
• Darkness now sets all enemy vision to a maximum of 675, instead of reducing it by 25% [?]
• Darkness no longer pauses the day/night timer
• Darkness duration from 40/60/80 to 50
• Darkness cooldown reduced from 180/150/120 to 160/120/80

Ogre Magi

• Fireblast damage reduced from 60/120/180/240 to 55/110/165/220
• Fireblast cast range reduced from 600 to 475

Outworld Devourer

• Astral Imprisonment intelligence steal increased from 4/6/8/10 to 4/7/10/13
• Astral Imprisonment intelligence steal duration reduced from 60 to 50

Phantom Assassin

• Coup de Grace critical strike damage from 250/350/450% to 230/340/450%

Phoenix

• Supernova attacks required to destroy increased from 5/7/10 to 5/8/11
• Fixed Stop Icarus Dive ability sometimes being interrupted by auto-attacks

Pudge

• Meat Hook range increased from 700/900/1100/1300 to 1000/1100/1200/1300

Pugna

• Decrepify movement slow on allies reduced from 50% to 25%
• Netherward attacks required to destroy increased from 3 to 4
• Blademail no longer reflects Nether Ward damage onto Pugna

Queen of Pain

• Blink range increased from 700/850/1000/1150 to 1300
• Blink cooldown from 12/10/8/6 to 15/12/9/6
• Sonic Wave now does Pure Damage and affects Spell Immune
• Sonic Wave damage reduced from 350/475/600 to 290/390/490 (Scepter reduced from 350/530/725 to 325/450/575)

Riki

• Blink Strike max charges increased from 3/4/5 to 4/5/6
• Blink Strike charge restore time increased from 30 to 35
• Blink Strike bonus damage from 50/70/90 to 40/70/100

Rubick

• Fade Bolt mana cost from 150 to 120/130/140/150
• Scepter Spell Steal cooldown reduced from 5 to 2

Shadow Fiend

• Shadowraze damage increased from 75/150/225/300 to 100/175/250/325

Silencer

• Glaives of Wisdom intelligence into damage bonus from 30/48/66/84% to 30/50/70/90%
• Last Word cooldown reduced from 36/28/20/12 to 30/24/18/12
• Scepter Global Silence no longer increases duration by 1 second

Skywrath Mage

• Base agility reduced from 18 to 13

Slardar

• Sprint duration reduced from 20 to 16
• Sprint cooldown reduced from 28 to 23
• Amplify Damage cooldown reduced from 10 to 5

Slark

• Pounce damage reduced from 60/120/180/240 to 55/110/165/220

Sniper

• Shrapnel no longer does damage to buildings
• Shrapnel now has 3 charges with a 40 second replenish time [?]
• Shrapnel mana cost reduced from 120 to 50
• Shrapnel duration increased from 9 to 10

Spirit Breaker

• Empowering Haste cooldown from 20 to 16

Storm Spirit

• Turn Rate improved from 0.6 to 0.8

Sven

• Warcry duration increased from 7 to 8 seconds
• Scepter God's Strength ally bonus damage from 40/60/80% to 50/75/100%

Techies

• Added to Captain's Mode [?]
• Land Mines damage increased from 225/300/375/450 to 300/375/450/525

Terrorblade

• Reflection cast point reduced from 0.5 to 0.3
• Sunder minimum HP from 25/20/15% to 20%

Tidehunter

• Base movement speed reduced by 5
• Ravage damage reduced from 200/325/450 to 200/290/380

Tinker

• Heat-Seeking Missile damage increased from 100/175/250/325 to 125/200/275/350

Tiny

• Toss duration increased from 1 to 1.3 seconds
• Grow move speed bonus rescaled from 20/40/60 to 40/50/60

Treant Protector

• Eyes In The Forest's Overgrowth damage increased from 135 to 175 per second
• Eyes In The Forest cooldown reduced from 55 to 25

Troll Warlord

• Fixed Fervor stack count being 1 stack too slow

Tusk

• Ice Shards projectile speed from 900 to 1100
• Ice Shards shard duration from 5 to 7 seconds
• Walrus PUNCH! is now an enemy target ability, and is auto-castable
• Walrus PUNCH! cooldown reduced from 25/20/15 to 20/16/12

Undying

• Soul Rip max units from 5/10/15/20 to 10/12/14/16
• Soul Rip damage/heal per unit from 25 to 18/22/26/30
• Tombstone armor increased by 1
• Flesh Golem max slow increased from 15 to 20%

Vengeful Spirit

• Wave of Terror cooldown increased from 15 to 20

Visage

• Gravekeeper's Cloak recovery time from 12/10/8/6 to 6

Warlock

• Fatal Bonds cast range increased from 800 to 900
• Fatal Bonds radius increased from 575 to 700

Windranger

• Powershot travel range increased from 1825 to 2600
• Powershot max damage is now dealt after 1 second channel instead of 0.7 [?]
• Powershot cast point improved from 0.3 to 0
• Reduced the area of the lingering vision at the end of Powershot from 800 to 400
• Focus Fire attack speed bonus increased from 400 to 500

ITEMS 

Animal Courier

• Cost reduced from 150 to 120

Armlet of Mordiggian

• Recipe cost reduced from 600 to 500

Blink Dagger

• Blink is no longer disabled if you take no damage (e.g. Spiked Carapace, Refraction, etc)

Bottle

• A courier carrying a non-full bottle will always be slowed [?]

Broadsword

• Replaced Talisman of Evasion with Broadsword in the Side Shop

Circlet

• Cost reduced from 185 to 165 (Null Talisman, Wraith Band, and Bracer Recipe costs increased by 20)

Clarity

• Mana restore increased from 135 to 150

Crimson Guard

• Guard duration increased from 9 to 10

Diffusal Blade

• Diffusal Blade is no longer a Unique Attack Modifier
• Multiple Manabreak type abilities do not stack

Drum of Endurance

• Endurance charges increased from 5 to 6

Eul's Scepter of Divinity

• Recipe cost increased from 500 to 650

Healing Salve

• Cost reduced from 115 to 110

Helm of the Dominator

• Dominated unit bonus health increased from 250 to 500

Magic Wand

• Max charges increased from 15 to 17

Medallion of Courage

• Recipe cost increased from 200 to 325
• Valor can now be cast on allies to give them armor
• Passive armor and exchange armor increased from 6 to 7

Pipe of Insight

• Recipe cost reduced from 900 to 800
• Barrier duration increased from 10 to 12

Refresher Orb

• Cooldown increased from 185 to 195

Shadow Amulet

• Cost reduced from 1600 to 1400
• Your movement is now only interrupted when the invisibility starts rather than when you cast it

Additional Changes

Gameplay

• When spectating a game with a team's Fog of War selected, you now only see what they can see in-world and on the minimap. This applies to player perspective as well
• Improved server stability under UDP packet flood attack by moving packet processing off of the game thread and onto worker threads.
• Added a sound effect that plays when Sange and Sange & Yasha's maim procs on an attack

Alt-Click

• Alt-Clicking now works on Passive and Unlearned abilities
• You can now Alt-Click your own, and your enemies', health and mana bars to announce the current health and mana
• If you Alt-Click an item or ability but do not have enough mana, the amount of mana needed will be shared
• You can now Alt-Click buffs and debuffs on your hero to announce them to your team
• Alt-Clicking now works for items without activation (such as Aegis of the Immortal)
• Alt-Clicked abilities that are ready now also include the level of the ability
• Alt-Clicking on a dead enemy's icon in the top bar will announce that they are dead, and when they will respawn
• Alt-Clicking your respawn timer announces your respawn time to your team
• Alt-Clicking on the Glyph button will announce its status, and Ctrl-Alt-Clicking the button will suggest not using the Glyph yet
• Alt-Clicking an enemy's bottle now shows what rune is inside of it

Bug Fixes

• Fixes for several effects being erroneously visible through the Fog of War
• Fixed a case where users had very large control group settings files, which was causing long delays after selecting their hero (some users in this situation have had their control groups reset)
• Fixed not being able to taunt sometimes after using a prediction charm
• Fixed Death Effects not playing

Workshop

• Fixed not being able to edit .pcf particle files when launching Dota 2 with "-tools -nop4"