Dota 2 gets a new hero and its 7.29 update in April

It’s a big ol’ day in Dota land. The MOBA game’s tie-in anime show Dota: Dragon’s Blood has come to Netflix and Valve has dropped a surprise – and enormous – overhaul to the Dota 2 new player experience, making it far easier for newbies to get into the game. But, the news doesn’t stop there – Valve has also revealed the release date for the multiplayer game’s next big patch, which will usher in a brand-new Dota 2 hero.

Tucked away, right down at the bottom of its mammoth post announcing the new player experience overhaul, Valve has given us an idea of what it’s cooking up for Dota 2 next. “We’re aiming for the Friday following the Singapore Major as the day the next update ships,” the studio reveals. “The 7.29 update will include the next hero as well as a balance-focused gameplay update.”

So, as popular Dota community member Wykrhm Reddy has posted on Twitter (below), the Dota 2 7.29 update release date should be April 9, 2021. That being the Friday following the Singapore Major’s grand final on April 4.

It’s unknown exactly who this mystery new hero will be right now, but some in the game’s community are guessing it could be a character plucked from Dota lore, and who will actually feature quite prominently in the anime series: Goddess of the Moon, Selemene.

Dota 7.29 will come with a new hero and a balance-focused update on April 9, 2021. #Dota2 pic.twitter.com/qZNu7KoGl6

— Wykrhm Reddy (@wykrhm) March 25, 2021

Recently revealed in a ‘Meet the Heroes’ clip from Netflix, Selemene is worshipped by (existing Dota hero and big series character) Mirana, and a figure of contention – “to some, pure evil – the great usurper – but, to others, a saviour, the healer of the broken”. As we reported at the time, Selemene has dominion over the ancient and mystical Nightsilver Woods and draws great power from her followers. While her role in the anime is confirmed, her addition as a new hero definitely isn’t – but, we won’t have too long to find out, anyway.

If you just can’t wait for more Dota, the Dragon’s Blood series is available to watch on Netflix right now. Keep an eye out for news on April 9, and we should see what the next update brings then.