Dota 2‘s Korean release has been a long time coming, with developer Valve and Korea-based publisher Nexon announcing their partnership four months ago. The time for the game’s release has come — three days ago, as a matter of fact.
Earlier this year, Nexon promised to invest upwards of $1.6 million dollars into Dota 2‘s future in the Korean market, hoping to gain it a seat in the country’s eSports industry. If the Korean casters during The International 3 were any indication, the game may have an uphill battle in the region.
Nexon may be handling Dota 2‘s in Korea, but Perfect World Entertainment is handling the game’s beta just across the way in China. It may come as a bit of a surprise that the Chinese release has been delayed thus far considering the overwhelming popularity of DotA in China, but localizing for the market comes with its own unique challenges over the Korean release.
Meanwhile, the rest of the world is learning a new Dota with the recent release of patch 6.79. This latest patch has brought several changes to the game that affect every player, as well as a number of hero balance changes (Wisp tether no longer stuns, Broodmother webs now insane, etc.) that have rocked the game’s meta. Check out the patch notes if you’re a little late to the party.
