Predictions
The group A is without any doubt the group of death as all teams are very known and strong in the Asian scene besides PT who is less known than the other teams of the group. If Nv.GiGa.cn wins their match against sR, I think that the ranking will look as follow
1. LGD.sGty
2. Nv.GiGa.cn
3. StarsBoba
4. PT
The group B is also a very difficult group but I think that the ranking is pretty obvious but considering the great performance by Prime against Deity during the qualifiers, they may surprise us once again in the group stages. They proved that they are not a team who should be underestimated. Moreover, they are not known in the scene, the other teams do not know how they play whereas Prime knows how they play. It may be an asset for their matches so be careful of the Filipinos.
1. Ks.Nirvana
2. AEON
3. MCiTY
4. Prime
The group C is an easy group for the German team, COMPETO. I do not think they will have a hard time leading this group. They will surely be followed by the Peruvian team who got a free win in the qualifiers against Nirvana.Int.
1. COMPETO
2. Artyk
3. PaiN!
4. V.Inv
The group D is also a very easy group for Lost.eu who will not have a hard time to qualify but they should not underestimate the other teams which would be a huge mistake. DG showed good performances in the qualifiers and I think they will take the second spot.
1. Lost.eu
2. DG
3. pX
4. Akatsuki
The group E will normally be easily won by MYM who should not have much problems to qualify. They will surely be followed by the Bulgarian team, mG who are not totally unknown in the European scene.
1. MYM
2. mG
3. 3DMAX
4. YamatO
I do not think I have to comment the group F. Besides DTS, the three other teams are unknown to me so I will let this ranking as it is.
The group G is surely the most interesting in the European zone as Lost.ru and TeG share the same group. Nonetheless, I think that Lost.ru will lead it despite its new roster. TeG will surely come second followed by pub[Gamers] and wssm
1. Lost.ru
2. TeG
3. pub[Gamers]
4. wssm
Even thought OK and Tribal.Int are in the same group, I think that OK will have the upper hand and will not have much problem to qualify. SLET can also make a surprise by defeating Tribal.Int, I do not think it will happen but Tribal.Int might have a hard time defeating them.
1. OK
2. Tribal.Int
3. SLET
4. hp)
Source: myMYM
The EHOME’s manager called DC was not able to attend to this year’s WCG China and as a result, they ended up at the third place. Is it a coincidence? I do not think so, I really think that a coach can be motivating in important matches especially if this coach was a professional player himself and that is why that LGD.sGty will do tremendously well with 2009 as a coach.
Here is what 2009 said in this statement translated by MYM|MrOw from myMYM.com:
"After this WCG, there are rumours about you retiring to work as a coach instead. What is the real situation? Who will replace you?" I will try to answer this question.
While making this decison, it was hard for me. It means that I will have to give up a lot and face whole new challenges. In reminescence to 2009’s FTD, we can say that this year that there are more people supporting us. The expecting eyes, voices of encouragements at LAN touched me deeply, I thank everybody for this chance of using DotA, this passionate game to relate to our fans on behalf of our team.
As for every DotA professional player, a championship title is the best reward. 2010’s LGD.sGty got the championship title for U9 Cup and 2 in a row for G-League, however in tournaments such as ESWC, ACG and WCG we lost in the final stages, and lost two chances in representing China overseas. This is a solid fact, and championship title will only be one, that is the beauty of e-Sports. A game like DotA which is 5v5, a lot of aspects are included. To my understanding of the game, the crucial aspect which can influence the match’s outcome is the mindset of the players.
As a captain which did not lead my team to victory, I thought long and hard. With these results, in my opinion that lack of concentration is a minor problem. The main problem lies with me, the spiritual leader of the tea, does not have the strong urge for championship like FTD in year 2009. Last year’s IEM, FTD’s virgin tournament, was vs Zhou and Insence as well. ( cD, now Nirvana.GiGa.cn) This year’s WCG, we are much stronger than our team in 2009, also means we had more confidence in beating strong teams. However the results were opposite, compared to my amazing Viper in last year’s IEM. This year my Rasta, after killing Lion and getting rune of speed. I chose not to go mid and went to top to help out my team is one of the things which show my impatientness.
The win and loss of every DotA game is accounted to all 5 people in the team, however I am not satisfied with the outcomes and will not wait for us to continue losing. We need changes. The first thing which needs to change is my mindset. From Kingsurf to NV.my, Malaysia to China, Chuan has changed a lot of teams, the one thing that did not change for him is his wish to become champion. Those changes may be due to other reasons, but from what I can see I’m touched by his enthusiasm. You will find him playing for us during IEM, I hope that him joining can recall our urges for championship titles, which is something we direly need. The regretting thing is that he is Malaysian citizen, he can not play the Chinese National e-Sports tournament in 8th of August. I will use IEM as a holiday for myself, I will step down from captain and act as a coach and use my experience to guide my team through difficulties. This will count as a holiday for myself during IEM to change my mindset and return to the stage for the National Tournament on 8th of August.
Finally, thanks to Bryan (Star) and N, Tianyijue is amazing, great graphic and in-game data analysis. New heroes brings new experiences. Also thanks to my team-mates and the friends that continue to support us.
2009
27/07/2010 3pm
Moreover, there was a rumor saying that the Malyasian player, ChuaN would be joining LGD.sGty to replace 2009 but it turns out that the rumor is wrong and ChuaN denied it in an interview with SGamer. Nonetheless, he will be joining another Chinese team, ToT.
You can read the full change log by clicking here and you can download the new map on this link
Source: IceFroG Blog
In his second preview, he also confirms that there will be a lot of improvement, new items and new skills. He also introduced a new way to play the CM mode with a different ban/pick system.
1- Captains Mode: There is a new ban and pick system for CM in 6.68. Instead of 4 bans and then 5 picks, now it is 3 bans and then 3 picks followed by 2 bans and 2 picks. Information about the exact drafting order will be detailed in the changelog.
2. A new basic item, Orb of Venom:
3. Tiny with a new ability he gains from Aghanim’s Scepter:

4. Kinetic Field, an ability on one of the new heroes:

Share your thoughts about this preview. Many questions are still without answers.
1. What do you think of the new Captain Mode?
2. What will the new item called Orb of Venom do? Will it look like the item from Warcraft III where you will have more damage as well as poison?
3. How will tiny improve with aghanim?
4. What will kenetic field do?
Source: IceFrog’s blog
He also recount all the good and bad moments he got during his DotA career and gives a last shout-out to a person he seems to admire for all the work he did for DotA and therefore for the community, I talk about IceFroG.
After his departure, his formers Nirvana.Int team mates Clinton "Fear" Loomis and Jimmy "Demon" Ho left a message to Merlini and now it is time for Merlini to do the same. You will also see the reasons for which he decided to quit DotA.
Merlini’s farewell blog:
Final Thoughts on DotA
Most players who quit Dota don’t write a blog. Dota, for many professional players, becomes more than a hobby. More, even, than a job– it becomes a staple part of your life, and sometimes can be hard to give up. But I have greatly enjoyed my time as a Dota player, and I’m ready to continue with my life. I would like to share my final thoughts on Dota, its player base, and the high and low lights of my Dota career.
First and foremost, I would like to thank the following people for making my Dota experience memorable and enjoyable:
Thank you, Jacob "Maelk" Toft-Anderson, for being a good friend, an astounding captain, and an all-around honorable person. I choose the hero Chen to represent you, for Chen is the Holy Knight and representative of chivalry, honor and gallantry.
Thank you, Brian "MaNia" Strandby. You were a reliable teammate, who never underperformed. You always showed up on time for practice or matches, and you always kept your temper. You were also the best initiator I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing with, and in my opinion, you are one of the best ES/SK players in the world. The hero I choose for you is Tiny, because you’re like the rock that stays steady, no matter what we’re faced with.
Thank you, Martin "Pusher" Mogenson, for always keeping the mood around our team light, and for being a selfless player. I admired how you always tried your best in our matches and scrims, and maintained a very lively and funny attitude. To me, you’re most like Ezalor, Keeper of the Light, because you are as wise, old and white as they come!
Thank you, Clinton "Fear" Loomis, for always finding the patience to deal with the more dramatic and immature members of our team (in EG and Nirvana). EG and Nirvana both would have fallen apart long ago, if not for this resilient little "robot". You’re a good friend, both in game and out. Clinton is like Clinkz, because he’s one pale, skinny mofo.
Thank you, Steve "Durty" Nam for being the first person I really enjoyed playing with. You were the one who kept my passion for the game alive. For Durty, I pick the hero SpiritBreaker, because in my mind, he’s just a really fun hero, just like Steve.
Thank you, Joseph "Protease" Kuo, for always supporting me when it comes to real life matters. Your loyalty is admirable, and you’re the best friend I’ve made during my Dota career. He’s like Spectre – he’s always there for me when I need him.
Saving the best for last, thank you, Emily "Sayuri" Weiss, for being my loving, caring girlfriend. She’s shown me my true passion during a time in my life when I was lacking both direction and motivation. Some associate my budding relationship with her as the cause of my lackluster performance, but to me, it’s the opposite. I’m finally at my best.
Lowlights
August 2008, ESWC
I think ESWC San Jose was a definite low-point for me, because I remember putting forth so much effort to make sure that MYM was the best team in the West. In my head, being one of the most dominating and talented teams in the Western hemisphere qualified us to be pretty close to the best in the world.
I was wrong, and we took 3rd.
After winning Dreamhack in 2007, I felt fairly confident that our team was strong, and a force to be reckoned with on an international scale. After losing to Kingsurf at ESWC, I realized how far there was left to go to accomplish my goal of being one of the best in the world.
April-May 2010, Nirvana.int
I’ve been very lucky to compete on many amazing teams, with great people. I was very unhappy when the "Demon-Puppey" conflict started to affect my team, my friends, and myself. I was even more sorry when our Sponsor, Loveen Chang, was forced into the middle, and into an uncomfortable position. Loveen has always been a supportive and reliable sponsor to me, and I regret that the situation could not have been resolved in a more mature manner.
Dreamhack 2009
I was unable to attend Dreamhack 2009 with Ravens!. When I was on Ravens! I really enjoyed myself. I really liked playing with each and every team member, and I was looking forward to being able to participate in Dreamhack again. When I was unable to go, I realized for the first time, how unfortunate it was that Dota, (for such a long-standing competitive game) had such low prize-pool money, and even lower sponsorship finances. Because I was American, it was out of the question for a sponsor to send me, and it was the first time I fully realized how much Dota was hampered by insufficient funding. One of my largest Dota regrets is not being able to compete in Dreamhack 2009.
2006-Present
Another lowlight in my Dota career has been the fanbase. I never set out to be a famous Dota player; I enjoyed the challenge the game presented, and I enjoyed the game itself, for fun. Along the way, I’ve encountered so many Dota fans, some of which would fanatically support a team one day, then flame and bash them the next. I always found it hard to accept that people could be so fickle, and at times, just plain rude. It was pretty common, throughout my Dota career, to see a team praised for an exemplary performance, then completely smashed just hours later, if their performance was not as strong.
If I could change one thing about the Dota community, it would be to ask the Dota fans to have more loyalty.
Highlights
Dreamhack 2007
Attending Dreamhack 2007 was one of the most memorable Dota experiences of my career. Not only because we won, but because I appreciated Dota as more than just a game. If it wasn’t for Dota, I wouldn’t have met so many extraordinary people, including Levent, H4nn1, p0c, Maelk and Mania. Being able to finally meet the people I’d spent hours collaborating and working with was a truly remarkable experience, and one that I will always remember.
Farm4Fame 2010
I really appreciated Farm4Fame. Even though I couldn’t be there to play in the finals, I was really impressed by the way our team pulled itself together and set aside their differences in order to win. It’s something that you rarely see in the competitive Dota scene.
IceFrog
Being able to collaborate, even in a small way, with IceFrog was one of the best experiences I had in Dota. To Date, I have 132 e-mails from IceFrog, every one of which I am very flattered to have received. IceFrog spends so many countless hours developing a game that was such a big part of my life– the fact that my opinion meant something to him, anything to him, really, was something that made me very happy. When a new Dota map is on the horizon, IceFrog sends out the pre-emptive changelist to a couple of people. I was very honored to have been one of those people. I always enjoyed giving my feedback and suggestions.
I remember very vividly the first time that IceFrog made a change that I had suggested– I had lobbied very hard for the ForceStaff cooldown to be altered from 30 seconds to 25, and the manacost reduced from 100 to 25. In the end, after explaining my reasoning, I told him that it would mean a lot to me. He sent me back the changelog, set for the next Dota patch. I truly feel much honored to have been able to keep in contact with someone who has done so much for the gaming community. My last and final thank you goes to IceFrog, for all of the time and effort he has spent to ensure that the game is enjoyable for all of us. If you read this, I wish you luck in your future endeavors. Thank you.
Dota was a chapter in my life that I really enjoyed. From meeting amazing people, to being able to travel across the world, I will never forget the truly incredible experiences it has brought me.
Thank you,
Ben "Merlini" Wu
Source: myMYM
———- Post added at 10:30 AM ———- Previous post was at 10:29 AM ———-
Sad that such a talented player quits DotA =/
What hero would you attribute to him? ^^
For a few days, there have been rumours saying that IceFrog worked in the development of Heroes of Newerth and it seems that Pendragon confirms these rumours.
Here is an extract of his blog post regarding IceFrog and S2Games.
"While I originally intended to leave this out of this letter, in light of the fact that this information is now out in the open, I think it’s important to set the record straight. Many believe that Icefrog left because I wanted to commercialize, and he did not. In reality – I had learned that Icefrog had been secretly working for S2Games after conducting a series of meetings where he was attempting to sell a full DotA game concept to a number of companies (including Riot). The differences of opinion that we had were merely that I chose to be transparent and honest about the project that I was working on, and the direction my career was going."
Source: DotA-AllStars
myMYM conducted an interview with Wei Poong ‘YamateH‘ Ng as well as Chan ‘Winter‘ Litt Binn and here is what they said regarding the current situation:
Wei Poong ‘YamateH’ Ng, Captain of Ks.Nirvana
Q: YamateH, thank you for taking this interview on such short notice. First of all, why did Kingsurf decide to end the partnership with MUFC and join up with Nirvana.my instead?
Ymt: At first, Kingsurf was interested to merge with Nirvana.my to form a dream team. After they failed to reply us, we decided to try things out with MUFC instead. A few days ago, the Nirvana.my guys contacted me and asked if Kingsurf was still interested to play with them. After a few practice sessions, we achieved some good results together and Ks.Nirvana was born. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to sincerely apologise to MUFC for all the inconvenience caused.
Q: Why isn’t Nirvana.my’s leader, MuShI, a part of this team?
Ymt: I’m wondering about that as well. You will have to ask our manager Juzaguy about that.
Q: Speaking of managers, will Kingsurf-Ken remain as co-manager?
Ymt: You can say so. Juzaguy will be taking care of Ice and the Nirvana guys who are in Kuala Lumpur while Ken and I will remain in the state of Johor Bahru to manage Kingsurf.
Q: Your new team name is Ks.Nirvana; what happened to your sponsor LGD?
Ymt: I am not clear about that. I will have to wait for LGD’s owner to get online and fill me in on the details as he is a very busy man.
Q: Ice and the rest of the Nirvana squad are either studying or working in Kuala Lumpur while you will be staying in Johor Bahru. Will this hinder the team’s training together?
Ymt: I was also a bit worried about this issue. Before the merger, I made it clear that I won’t be able to train with them on LAN anytime soon. However, after discussing this with my team mates, we don’t think it will be a problem.
Q: Last of all, who is the newcomer Zix?
Ymt: Good question! Again, you have to ask Juzaguy about him. But I think he (Zix) will do just fine.
With this roster change, Ks.Nirvana looks as follow:
Wei Poong ‘YamateH‘ Ng (Captain)
Chee Chai ‘Ice‘ Chua
Joel ‘XtincT‘ Chan
Wai Pern ‘Net‘ Lim
Zix
Ken Wee ‘Ken‘ Low (Manager)
Leon ‘Juzaguy‘ (Manager)
Chan ‘Winter’ Litt Binn, MUFishClub.SunCity’s leader:
"Regarding the departure of YamateH and Ice to Ks.Nirvana, I fully respect their decision and wish them all the best. Life is like that and we can do nothing but move on with our lives.
Regarding MUFC, the team will now consist of Silvercross, DeejaySharky, Redsun and myself. As for our fifth player, it will be either INC^eXcello’s xiaoling or ex-Nirvana.my’s xigz. I will release more updates in due time."
Source: myMYM
———- Post added at 11:06 AM ———- Previous post was at 11:05 AM ———-
Do not miss their first match as Ks.Nirvana this afternoon at 1:30 PM CET in the MYM Prime Defending #12, Asian Finals Qualifiers against FFF.
Enjoy
Source: IceFrog blog
DotASG together with their sponsors have announced a new tournament with $3.000 cash prizes. The registration already started and will end on 29th July. The tournament itself will last about two months, from 1st August to 30th September. The format used for this tournament will be a Mini-League to KO.
Registration date – Now -> 29th July
Tournament – 1st August -> 30th September
Format – Mini-League to KO
Game - Defense of the Ancients
Prizes distribution:
1st – $1.500 cash + 5 x MSI Big Bang-XPower Gaming Motherboard + 5 x Razer Abyssus™ Gaming Mosue
2nd – $1.000 cash + 5 x Razer Destructor™ Mousepad
3rd – $500 cash + 5 x Elite 430 Case
4th – 5 x Hyper 212 plus
Teams will be random drafted into mini league groups where they will play against each other to determine the winner of each group. These winners will then proceed to the knock-out stages of the tournament, where an intense battle is bound to ensue as teams get closer to winning the attractive prizes as well as the inaugural title of Champions of MSI War Heroes.
Here is a statement by Jason Lee, Marketing Director of MSI Computer
"We are extremely excited to announce such a gaming competition,” said Jason Lee, Marketing Director of MSI Computer. ” MSI continues to be the 1st choice for worldwide successful pro gamers. As we work to add new features to our products, we look forward to offer better gaming experience as delivered by the MSI flagship gaming products like Big Bang-XPower motherboard.”
If you are interested by playing this tournament, feel free to click on this link for more information.
Nonetheless, the team had only four players and they had to add another one and the captain of the team, Andreas ‘Ducky‘ Søgaard officially announced the addition of the former Nirvana.Int player, Alex ‘Santa‘ Koltan.
Here is an extract of the blog of Andreas ‘Ducky‘ Søgaard about his new additions.
"Today im happy to annouce our 5th player Santa, that we been scrimming with since we got home from paris. Santa has really proven to be outstanding the games we played with him, and he is a solid lan player. Every team need a bit russian blood in their team. Mirakel, Misery and I knew Santa from china and he is very faithfull to the team, a great player aswell as a friend. He plays and talks about the game just the way we like in this team, and with this add we are sure to do good not only online but on Lan aswell. Santa is joker, if you think santa is limitid then im really looking forward showing you that it isn’t the case. Please welcome our new player as you welcommed any other member of this team and keep supporting us if we are the team you like. Best of luck from me to Santa."
There will also be a 6th player in the team but for only for scrimming in case there wouldn’t be enough players.
"So our new rooster looks as following: Misery, Mirakel, Babyknight, Santa and I. We are currently scrimming a bit with a 6th man, but our last add will simply be a player that standin when needed and helps us scrimming when we are not enouth online. The 5 man rooster as it is now is the main fokus."
Source: Ducky’s blog
———- Post added at 09:48 AM ———- Previous post was at 09:47 AM ———-
Good additions but I am surprised they picked Santa instead of another Nordic player. I hope they will do good with their new squad.
Despite his departure from the competitive scene, he admits that he will still play DotA in public games and will surely come back to the competitive scene.
SpotGamers conducted an interview with the Malaysian star about the reasons of which he decided to stop playing DotA competitively and here is what he said.
Hello XXF, thank you for conducting this interview with us. Please briefly describe yourself although most people know who you are.
Hi everyone, I am XXF… I am studying bakery course in Penang currently.
There is rumor that you are quitting from Dota Competitive, is that true?
Yes… I would like to quit from Dota competitive scene but I will still play Dota, I like to play it (haha).
Players of Nirvana.MY treat you good along this time?
They treat me really good, thanks you all for guiding me along this time <3
Your last tournament was teaming up with Nirvana.MY in Asian WCG, is the the result of failing to grab champion title had somehow contributed in making this decision? or there are other hidden agenda ?
It is not the problem of ACG… It is just that I prefer to play public game.
Are that means that Dota Competitive no longer give you the excitement?
Well, I can still get the excitement through it… Just that I am always destined to get 2nd places.
Are you satisfied with the results of playing with Nirvana.MY in Asian WCG and ESWC? What are the main causes for you guys failed to prevail in both tournament?
The main problem in ESWC would be me I guess,(haha)… Sorry to all Nirvana’s Fans, I have let you all down…
About ACG… Mushi said that all of us have mistakes… (haha^^)
Who will take over your spot in Nirvana.MY?
I don’t know anything about that. (==")
Nevermind, can you named all the teams that you had join before?
Inc, Little, Mski.MY, KS, Nirvana.MY and more…
Which team gave you the happiest moment and also achieved the best result?
Mski.MY is the happiest team… As there were the legendary of 3 X HAHA ^^ and also the scolding of xiaoxiaopia (haha)
So you like him (xiaoxiaopia) to scold you? (lol)
Ya,(haha)… That is not only me I guess, (haha)…
Ever think of playing HON or LoL and other Dota-Like games?
No, (haha)
In your opinion, how long will Dota continue its popularity?
Should be quite long I think, most Malaysian satisfied with this game.
Despite all players is concerning about the up-coming SMM, you chose to quit Dota Competitive now, don’t you have any expectation towards this year SMM?
None, but I would still hope Malaysian team will get a good result in it… hehe
There are a lot of audiences felt that your play style is not consistent and unable to cope with team play, what do you want to refute them about it?
Well, there are different play style of everyone, criticizes are to make me a better player, I will remember about what they said… especially Mushi’s advices.
Will you return to Dota Competitive anytime in the future?
Yes I will.
So you are just having a rest from Dota Competitive?
Yes, I will take a rest for quite some time.
Anything in your mind to spill out before we end this interview?
Sorry to all my fans, I hope you all will continue to support me after I return to Dota Competitive… Of course, thanks you to lala, the one who accompanied me to play TD.
Source: Spotgamers
Indeed, the Swedish superstar, Jonathan ‘Loda’ Berg, Pelle ‘Pajkatt’ Olsson-Lille and Björn ‘Twisted’ Alquist decided to leave the team. Nonetheless, another talent joined them, Jon ‘13abyKnight’ Andersen who left ONLINE-KINGDOM. We could have thought that he would join the German powerhouse, MeetYourMakers after their brilliant performance and their third place in ESWC in Paris, France. We still don’t know who their fifth player will be.
In addition, the LOST project also added the famous Russian team, TeamHome despite the departure of their two key players, Clement ‘Puppey’ Ivanov and Kuro ‘KuroKy‘ Salehi Takhasomi. Nonetheless, many of you will be happy to know that the former Virtus Pro player, Vasilii ‘joliE’ Pepelyaev will be reinforcing the team.
You thought that was all? Not at all! Ibrahim ‘Luccianoz’ Zebdeh has another surprise for you as he recruited another team, not as known as the two others since it is a local team from Jordan.
Here is what Ibrahim ‘Luccianoz’ Zebdeh, Agopcsa ‘Broesly’ Botond and Fayez ‘ze7-rejlak’ Ollayan said about these additions:
Ibrahim ‘Luccianoz’ Zebdeh, CEO of LOST Project:
"My partner ze7 and I were thinking of sponsoring a new team other than LOST, so we looked around, with the help of Broesly, for another team to sponsor in Europe. TR [TeamHome] were the perfect candidates. We talked to PGG and he showed so much interest and passion. I think with our guidance they will be one of the strongest teams in Europe."
Agopcsa ‘Broesly’ Botond, LOST.eu and LOST.jo manager:
"It’s a great oportunity to be in a project that is so ambitious. I’ve always wanted DotA to spark interest in people who have the power to promote this game to the level it deserves to be at. We have high hopes for all three teams, while their objectives are diffrent their determination lead them to be part of the LOST Gaming family. I would also like to welcome our new partner, Ze7 and to give a shoutout to SirNeo."
Fayez ‘ze7-rejlak‘ Ollayan:
"I’ve known luccianoz for a long time now and we’ve always shared the same thoughts and ambitions. When I saw how serious he was in making project LOST successful, I contacted him and decided add my partnership in the whole project.
I hope I can be of good assistance to the guy moving the project forward and onward."
With the addition of these two teams as well as Jon ‘13abyKnight’ Andersen in LOST.eu, here is the roster of the three teams:
LOST.eu roster:
LOST.ru roster:
LOST.jo roster:
Owners of the teams:
Source: GosuGamers
Here is what the player has to say about this fantastic movie:
I’m very pleased with the movie itself, even tho it was rushed at the end. This movie has been long awaited mainly from all the fans, but the times up and disappointment is over. Thank you Slurmz for finishing what you started, & always having a positive attitude towards it! Without further ado, the movie.
Source: Nirvana
Dota 6.68 will be a map that usually contains heroes and items balance after the huge changes on Dota 6.67. Do you feel an item or hero skill is imbalance? Post your hope here and maybe it will implemented on Dota 6.68.
Update 1 from IceFrog (25 April 2010): IceFrog has just confirmed that there will be new heroes on Dota 6.68!
“I am still working hard on 6.68. We plan to release a preview video in the near future to showcase some of the new content. There are quite a few new heroes in development so we are taking extra time to make sure they are high quality. There will also be balance work done for the current content as well various other improvements and features.
If there is anything you’d like to see in the next patch, please let me know.”
Update 2 from IceFrog (1 May 2010):
Woot! On the Q&A session, IceFrog reveal that one of the new heroes on Dota 6.68 is Icarus the Phoenix! Check the details in IceFrog Q&A #4.
Update 3 from IceFrog (23 May 2010):
IceFrog is making status update on his blog. Looks like there will be more than 2 heroes on the Dota 6.68.

Is the above image from the Dota 6.68 beta? I just found out that image from the Dota forums.
Currently, there’s still no confirmation about this, but the image seems real. We can see Icarus the Phoenix there along with the new face, a hero called Ragnar the Kodo Rider.
The question is, is this image real? I leave the answer to you.. What do you think?
Update: Ok, its not. Playdota forum stuff (beta testers) confirmed it is not beta screenshot.
p.s. Seems like a real one to me!
Dota 6.67 has a new fun game mode that somewhat requires more teamwork and coordination than the usual game. This mode is called Capture Point. In this mode, you can capture certain point by standing on the spotted location on the map above. The duration to capture the point is depends on the how many heroes are there. The more the faster you are.

Now we’re not only fight to kill enemy heroes and destroy their tower. The capture points appear after 10 minutes at the fixed locations around the map. Once the capture points are created, those areas are permanently visible to both teams for the rest of the game.
As I said before, we must standing at a certain amount of times. If you’re alone, it takes 60 seconds. If all five heroes are there, it only takes 12.5 seconds. The important thing is there cannot be any enemy heroes at a point you are trying to capture. So, you must kill any enemy heroes approaching your targeted point. Heroes cannot be invisible while on a capture point area. Illusions do not count as heroes when on top of a Capture Point.
The capture points consist of 3 types. If you get 2 of the same type then they stack. For example, if you have both Combat you get 28 bonus damage and 8 bonus armor.
Duplicates of each type are available on opposite sides of the map.
The game announces when an enemy captures a point. It is also visible on the minimap which areas you have captured and which areas the enemy has. When you capture a point, your team’sheroes gain bonuses to various attributes as stated above and all allied heroes in that area will get healed for 200 hp/mp, gain 150 bonus gold and bonus xp (4 creeps worth).
Even though it will need some times to let the players learn the rule, looks like Capture Point Mode will be a fun alternative mode when you’re tired with the usual Captain Mode or All Pick mode. I will update this post when i got more information, tips and guide. Meanwhile, share your experience and your though about this new mode in here