At this point I feel like Valve has completely given up on the idea of introducing new players to Dota 2. Not only was the game insanely complex and hard to master before, but the latest update has just added a brand new ability to every single hero, on top of sweeping balance changes!

These extra abilities can be acquired by purchasing the newly introduced Aghanim’s Shard for 1400 gold. In order to keep things somewhat balanced Aghanim's Shard will only become available for purchase after 20 minutes, though once you consume it, you'll have the new ability or passive effect for the rest of the game.

When it comes to the new effects and abilities themselves, you'll be happy to hear that Valve has definitely not been slacking off. As such, pretty much all of them drastically change the way a hero plays, or simply offer one of their long-forgotten abilities from the original Dota! In other words, it's pretty exciting stuff, and well worth reinstalling Dota 2 in order to experience!

Besides the new abilities and plethora of balance changes, the update has also added Hoodwink as a brand new character. She is a highly mobile ranged hero that's all about sustained pressure and crowd control. In many ways she feels like a sidegrade to Windranger, so if you've been playing Dota 2 for a while, Hoodwink and her playstyle should be instantly familiar.

You can read more about her, as well as check out the absolutely insane amount of balance changes, over at the official website. Have fun!