This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site onGamers.com, which was dedicated to esports coverage.

　　

Front End Changes

Changelog

GENERAL

　　Ranked matchmaking rating changes are no longer dependent on match length.Fixed hitboxes for Evergreen Stalker treants.Model and animation fixes to Invoker's Forged Spirit and Iceforged Spirit.Model and animation fixes to Osky Ottragon International Courier.WORKSHOP

　　Added Wraith King to the workshop.Added a checkbox for the Spring 2014 event on the publish page.Legion Commander's budget now displays on the workshop.Updated budgets for Ember Spirit, Storm Spirit and Dazzle.Added Stone Summons slot and budget for Earth Spirit.Updated body texture for Pudge.Updated workshop files, including separated fbx and smd, for Lone Druid, Earth Spirit, Faceless Void, Nature's Prophet/Treants, Invoker/Forge Spirits and Riki.Alpha test enabled for Nature's Prophet Treants.New courier animation requirement - flying couriers must be sunk into the ground after a death crash. Valve is applying this fix where needed to couriers that have already been accepted. http://www.dota2.com/workshop/requirements/npcsUI

　　Fixed Dota not taking focus correctly on startup.

New Cosmetic Hero Sets

Abaddon's Set

Darkness Wanderer's Armor Set

　　In game previews.

　　

Broodmother's Set

Webs of Perception Set

　　This set also includes the first custom Spiderling model.

　　In game previews.

　　This set also includes a custom loading screen.

　　

Faceless Void's Set

The Tentacular Timelord Set

　　The head piece and mace from this set come with new Kinetic Gems referred to as Triumphant Timelord, however no new animations for this set have been included with Faceless Void's model yet.

　　In game previews.

　　

Legion Commander's Set

Stonehall Royal Guard Set

　　Alternative "Open Helmet" style for the head piece.

　　In game previews.

　　Legion Commander's Arcana is held in her weapon slot which means it can be combined with the new set.

　　This also includes the alternative helmet style.

　　This set also includes a custom loading screen.

　　

Animation Updates

Fell Spirit Neutral Creep's Animations

The Fell Spirit ghost now has an alternative death animation where he spins and falls into the floor.

　　

Faceless Void's Animations

We have a new running animation for the old Viridi Inanitas set for Faceless Void.

　　

Osky Ottragon's Animations

The International 2013 courier Osky Ottragon now includes a portrait animation for his idle head turn animation.

　　

New League Passes

Nexon Sponsorship League Season 3

"The Nexon Sponsorship League starts its final season. Starting in January 2014, the NSL spans three seasons with a total of KRW 300 million ($267,153) worth of funding. The best team from Korea will compete for Nexon's sponsorship."

　　

Pro Dota 2 Solo Ranked League

"240 players fight to claim the competition with a total prize money of $350!"

　　

Assembly Winter 2014

"Assembly returns with another Dota 2 tournament that will take place at the Helsinki Exhibition & Conventin Centre. Eight teams will compete for a chance at a total prize pool of 5,000 Euros!"

　　

Thursday Evening Cup Series

"The Thursday Evening Cup Series is a new semipro tournament series based on SECS, the longest running DotA tournament series to date. TECS provides an open competitive platform for North and South American teams to gain real tournament experience."

　　

Doteirao League Season 5

"The top 8 Brazilian teams compete for a total prize pool of R$1000!"

　　

League of Dota 2

"League of Dota is an amateur tournament series for casual and semi-competitive teams and players to participate in every week."

　　

New Custom Couriers

We also have a couple of new courier bundles that come with a League Pass.

　　

REDBULL Esports Champion League 2013 Bundle

Snaggletooth Jerry

　　"A fan of the forest, Jerry fashioned wings and horns from the wood of a sacred Windwood tree. But don't believe the rumors that he made his famous teeth out of the same stuff. They're real. Just ask any nut he's bitten."

　　

Nexon Sponsorship League Season 3 Bundle

Kangdae the Dokkaebi

　　"The dokkaebi are mischievous creatures in Korean folklore. They're known to play tricks on travelers and boast their wrestling skills, but are usually more humorous than harmful."

　　

UI Updates

Dashboard UI

The play tab now contains a new button for accessing a region server maintenance calender.

　　The first set of scheduled region maintenance. This information can also be accessed out of client via: http://www.dota2.com/maintenance

　　The removal of Wraith-Night has left behind the "Redeem Fragments" page, you will have until the end of January to redeem your remaining fragments.

　　For those of you who preferred one of the older Dashboard UIs such as The International 2012/2013 or Frostivus can now reactive these old versions by changing your Dota 2 launch options.

　　Support Dashboards

　　-dashboard international_2012-dashboard international_2013-dashboard frostivus_2013-dashboard spirits_2013

Back End Changes

Updated Strings

Strings for the new maintenance tab.

　　"DOTA_UpcomingMaintenance" "Upcoming Server Maintenance"

　　"DOTA_UpcomingMaintenance_Details" "Click for Details"

　　The Workshop now has a flag for directly submitting items for the upcoming Year of the Horse update.

　　"DOTA_Workshop_Event_Spring2014" "Spring 2014"

　　A number of courier animations are no longer optional and are now required for the submission process.

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_Animation_IdleAlt" "ALTERNATE IDLE"

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_Animation_IdleRare" "RARE IDLE"

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_Animation_RunAlt" "ALTERNATE RUN"

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_Animation_RunRare" "RARE RUN"

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_Animation_RunHaste" "HASTE RUN"

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_Animation_RunInjured" "INJURED RUN"

　　Workshop support for Lone Druid's True Form.

　　"DOTA_Import_Trueform" "True Form"

　　"DOTA_Import_Trueform_Desc" "Lone Druid's True Form requires a single model."

　　Workshop animation support for Lone Druid's True Form and Spirit Bear specific animations.

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_LD_Trueform_Ability1" "SUMMON SPIRIT BEAR"

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_LD_Trueform_Ability1_Desc" "40 frames long, the summon takes place on frame 15."

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_LD_Trueform_Ability2" "RABID"

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_LD_Trueform_Ability2_Desc" "30 frames long, the summon takes place on frame 0."

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_LD_Trueform_Ability4" "BATTLECRY"

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_LD_Trueform_Ability4_Desc" "40 frames long, the summon takes place on frame 15."

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_LD_Trueform_AbilityUlt" "DRUID FORM"

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_LD_Trueform_AbilityUlt_Desc" "Morph back into Druid Form. 70 frames total, should disappear beneath the ground on frame 58."

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_Animation_Victory" "VICTORY"

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_Animation_Defeat" "DEFEAT"

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_Animation_IdleOutOfRange" "IDLE (OUT OF RANGE)"

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_Animation_IdleOutOfRange_Desc_SB" "This Idle is used when Lone Druid is too far from his bear for it to attack."

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_Animation_RunOutOfRange" "RUN (OUT OF RANGE)"

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_Animation_RunOutOfRange_Desc_SB" "This Run is used when Lone Druid is too far from his bear for it to attack."

　　"DOTA_ItemTest_Animation_Die_Forward" "DIE FORWARD"

　　The Workshop also has a new section for event submissions for the tournament organisers.

　　"DOTA_Workshop_EventTitle" "EVENT SUBMISSION?"

　　New store banners.

　　"StoreBanner_Header_LC_StonehallRoyalGuard" "Legion Commander: Stonehall Royal Guard"

　　"StoreBanner_Text_LC_StonehallRoyalGuard" "You can always trust the Stonehall armorers!"

　　"StoreBanner_Header_FV_TentacularTimelord" "Faceless Void: The Tentacular Timelord Set"

　　"StoreBanner_Text_FV_TentacularTimelord" "The most important of features, now without the usual facial requirement."

　　"StoreBanner_Header_BM_WebsofPerception" "Broodmother: Webs of Perception"

　　"StoreBanner_Text_BM_WebsofPerception" "As if eight eyes were not enough already."

　　"StoreBanner_Header_Abaddon_DarknessWanderersArmor" "Abaddon: Darkness Wanderer's Armor"

　　"StoreBanner_Text_Abaddon_DarknessWanderersArmor" "From the cold mist, he rides."

　　There is a new Kinetic Gem that comes with the Faceless Void's Tentacular Timelord set.

　　"DOTA_Anim_Mod_triumphant_timelord" "Triumphant Timelord"

　　The Royal Guard Helmet for Legion Commander comes with two alternative styles.

　　"DOTA_Item_Stonehall_Royal_Guard_Helmet_Style0" "Closed Helmet"

　　"DOTA_Item_Stonehall_Royal_Guard_Helmet_Style1" "Open Helmet"

　　

Third Party Compendiums

We have a batch of new error strings specifically made for the Compendium system, the errors listed confirm the planned addition of custom/third party Compendium submissions which provides the tournament organisers with a large range of options for putting together their own Compendiums making use of such systems as predictions, text blocks, images etc.

　　"CouldntFindCompendium" "Couldn't load the compendium test file: %s1"

　　"CompendiumPageError_Pages" "Couldn't find a 'pages' block in the compendium data file."

　　"CompendiumPageError_Template" "Couldn't find a 'template' entry for compendium page '%s1' (page number %s2)"

　　"CompendiumPageError_Template2" "Couldn't find a template called '%s1' in compendium page '%s2'"

　　"CompendiumPageError_Image" "Couldn't find an image called '%s1' in compendium page '%s2'"

　　"CompendiumPageError_Text" "Couldn't find a text block called '%s1' in compendium page '%s2'"

　　"CompendiumPageError_Selection" "Couldn't find a selection called '%s1' in compendium page '%s2'"

　　"CompendiumPageError_SelDesc" "Couldn't find a 'description' key for selection '%s1' in compendium page '%s2'"

　　"CompendiumPageError_Points" "Missing (or zero) 'points' specified for selection '%s1' in compendium page '%s2'"

　　"CompendiumPageError_SelType" "Missing 'choice_type' for selection '%s1' in compendium page '%s2'"

　　"CompendiumPageError_SelTimer" "Unknown timer named '%s1' in compendium page '%s2'"

　　"CompendiumPageError_SelNoTimer" "No timers found in compendium page '%s1' (it has selections, which need a timer)"

　　"CompendiumPageError_SelUnknown" "Invalid 'choice_type' of '%s1' for selection '%s2'"

　　"CompendiumPageError_SelChoices" "Missing 'choices' block for selection '%s1' in compendium page '%s2'"

　　"CompendiumPageError_NoHero" "Couldn't find Hero with a Hero ID of '%s1' for selection '%s2'"

　　"CompendiumPageError_Unknown" "Internal compendium logic error. Contact Valve to resolve this."

　　"CompendiumPageError_ImageDL" "Failed to start downloading compendium image '%s1' (%s2)"

　　"CompendiumPageError_ImageDLErr" "Failed to download compendium image '%s' (%s2)"

　　"CompendiumPageError_SelIndex" "Selection '%s1' in compendium page '%s2' has missing or invalid 'selection_index'"

　　"CompendiumPageError_SelUsed" "Selection '%s1' in compendium page '%s2' doesn't have a unique 'selection_index'"

　　"CompendiumPageError_Timer" "Timer '%s1' has an invalid epoch time"

　　"CompendiumSel_Default" "Make A Selection"

　　An example test Compendium has also been included to act as a test bed for the third party Compendium system.

　　

Crafting Item List Updates

Common Items Crafting List

Items Added

　　Bracers of the Tentacular Timelord

　　Cloak of the Resentful Spectre

　　Crown of Perception

　　Legs of Perception

　　Mace of the Tentacular Timelord

　　Shoulderplates of Evil Spirit

　　Stonehall Royal Guard Arms

　　

Uncommon Items Crafting List

Items Added

　　Abdomen of Perception

　　Armor of the Tentacular Timelord

　　Cold Light of the Mist

　　Skirt of the Tentacular Timelord

　　Stonehall Royal Guard Banners

　　Stonehall Royal Guard Pauldrons

　　

Rare Items Crafting List

Items Added

　　Grudge in the Mist

　　Hood of the Font Guard

　　Perceptive Spiderling

　　Primal Form of the Tentacular Timelord

　　Stonehall Royal Guard Dragonslayer

　　

Mythical Items Crafting List

Items Added

　　Stonehall Royal Guard Helmet

　　

Item Drop List Updates

Uncommon Items Drop List

Items Removed

　　Sacred Orb Helm

　　Sacred Orb Venom Claws

　　

Rare Items Drop List

Items Removed

　　Ol' Chopper's Grizzled Face

　　Sacred Orb Carapace

　　

Other Changes

Bonus Battle Boosters

The Bonus Battle Boosters earned from unlocking Treasure Chests have been updated to reflect the fact that they are now minute based.

　　The "80% Battle Point Booster (500 minutes)" is what is now included in the chests are as a bonus item.

　　

Predictions For The Next Hero