“The update will also introduce a new tooltip character. He’ll pop up once in a while to guide new players in the right direction, offering advice when a player may be about to do something dangerous.”

Valve is aiming to make Dota 2 more inviting for new players, right alongside the launch of the new Netflix anime adaptation, Dragon’s Blood. The plans include a smaller pool of heroes for beginners and a dedicated character aimed to nudge you in the right direction.

In a lengthy blog post detailing the changes, Valve says that linear tutorials aren’t effective at learning the game, which can be “overwhelming” for new players. The new tools will provide a “gradual learning opportunities rather than relying on a single dump of complex information.”

A new player quest system will set simpler objectives for new players, guiding them toward some basic skills, and a set of quest rewards will give them cosmetic goodies for sticking with the objectives. A “New Player Mode” will be available with a limited pool of characters, and new players will always be queued against other solo new players instead of parties or vets. New players can also leave this mode at any time without a penalty, and a bot will take their place. The bots have said to be upgraded to be smarter and more flexible as well, to make them more effective learning tools.