More strangely, today’s update also introduces experimental gamepad support. “From choosing your hero to smashing an Ancient, you can battle your way to victory in Dota by plugging in any PC controller that allows Steam Input (including PS/XBOX/Switch Pro Controllers and more) and steering your hero into the fray,” reads the announcement. Valve have been making changes to some of their older games recently seemingly to prepare them for next year’s release of the Steam Deck. Half-Life 2, for example, received a beta branch update that added support for new resolutions, a scalable UI, and a Vulkan renderer that will make it more compatible with Steam Deck’s Linux operating system. Given that Steam will label games based on their compatibility with the Deck, I imagine Valve want their own games to tick all the boxes - and that means working with anaologue sticks and X/Y/A/B buttons as Dota 2 now does. You can also read more about the free event and new battle pass at its microsite. Fourteen of the game’s roster of heroes can enter Aghanim’s labyrinth, with new powers unlocked as you play. The battle pass, which you can buy into for $7.49, will grant rewards including a Mirana persona from the Dota: Dragon’s Blood anime.
