Many current Dota 2 players might read the world “Diretide” and be unfamiliar with the term. This is because the extremely fun Dota 2 game mode has been missing since 2013—until now that is. For those of you that are reading this article and haven’t googled “Diretide Dota 2” yet, here’s the deal.
With the spooky season almost over and October coming to a close, what could be more fun than a Halloween themed game mode in everyone’s favorite MOBA? That’s precisely what Diretide is. As If the stress of carrying a whole DOTA 2 game isn’t enough, Valve has now added candies into the mix. While being a relatively simple game mode, Diretide had been highly speculated, awaited and anticipated. Especially during October, online communities of devoted DOTA 2 would constantly spam Valve’s accounts, practically demanding the return of the game.
In Diretide, players collect Halloween candy all over the map, simultaneously stopping opponents from grabbing it. Even Roshan is included in the fun, becoming liable to attack players unless they feed him candy. The regular rules for a DOTA 2 game still apply. Needless to say, this game mode brings a bonus adrenaline rush to your usual gameplay.
The reasons for Diretide’s apparently random return seven years later might be directly linked to the drop in Dota 2 players this year. Perhaps Valve, by bringing a fan-loved game mode back, is aiming to reignite the former player’s interest in the game. It has definitely sparked mine!
Diretide was first introduced in 2012, and fans absolutely loved it. In 2013, the game mode made a comeback, before disappearing once more until now. In a year where Halloween couldn’t feel less Halloween-y, I am personally glad this feature was added to Dota 2.