Following its release, Diretide has breathed new life into Dota 2, with many players returning to the game to check out Valve’s latest game mode. This is evidenced by the fact that Dota 2’s peak player count exceeded 720,000 on October 30. This was the first time the game had crossed this mark since June 2020.
Declining Dota 2 Player Count Gets a Lifeline From Diretide
Earlier last month, we reported that Dota 2 had lost players for five consecutive months (May 2020 to September 2020) for the first time in the history of the game.
Despite the hugely successful TI10 Battle Pass, there was a continuous dip in the player count which became more and more drastic as the months rolled on. In total, Dota 2 lost nearly 100 thousand players since May 2020. It finally looks like Valve has managed to arrest this rapid descent.
Image via SteamCharts
At the time of writing, Dota 2 posted its highest peak player count (722k+) since June 2020. Whilst the average concurrent player count is still in the negative, the rate of its decline has been stopped to an extent.
Diretide’s Role In Increasing The Dota 2 Player Base
The number of concurrent Dota 2 players began going up after the release of the custom game mode ‘Diretide’. It looks like old players are returning to check out the seasonal event and all that it has to offer.
Diretide has been receiving positive reviews from all corners of the Dota 2 community. Many have praised the sheer amount of content on offer and the significant changes that Valve has incorporated in this game mode.
The fact that there is no pay-to-win aspect in the Diretide game mode/rewards section is also a plus point that could help grow Dota 2’s player count.
Dota 2 is Not Dead Yet
For many games, hitting the 772k~ peak player count (Current peak player count) is still a pipedream. Dota 2 has only lost out to CS:GO and PUBG (two of the most popular games on the planet) in this department. Even if Dota 2 loses half its players overnight, it will still remain as the third most played game on steam, just behind PUBG and CS:GO. The game still has plenty of gas left in its tank.
On October 29, Valve released an update dedicated to Halloween. In it, developers have added an in-game event "Diretide", a popular custom game in which you can win cosmetic rewards including exclusive sets, treasures and couriers.
