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Update: According to the data miners, this was caused due to an error on "Valve's CDN server" that unintentionally resulted in non-existing "heroes and event" being shown in the files. Unfortunately, this likely means that all the new heroes and the event mentioned in this article will not be making its way into the Dota 2 client.
The original article was published as follows:
Dota 2 fans have been hoping for a significant change for a long time and it now finally seems like something meaningful is in the works. Dota 2 mining group DОТА_DM_SPAM has discovered evidence of five new heroes, a new Battle Pass, and Diretide 2022 in Dota 2 files, in what may be the biggest Dota 2 update in recent years. All of these developments have been dubbed "The Great Confluence." The five heroes discovered in Dota 2's game files are Fymryn (from the Dota 2 anime), Vanessa (from Artifact), Engineer and Puppet Master, (from HoN), and Durana. However, all of these possible new aspects have now been hidden from the general public.
The Great Confluence might be bringing new heroes, Battle Pass, and more to Dota 2
A possible Great Confluence has made headlines across Dota 2's community since it was discovered by a mining group and shared extensively on social media websites such as Reddit.
In the past years, only one or two heroes have been released at a time in the game, but if these game file details hold true, the fans will be treated to five heroes at once in the near future.
Fymryn has appeared in the Dota 2 anime DOTA: Dragon's Blood. Puppet Master and Engineer are characters from the now defunct MOBA, Heroes of Newerth (HoN). Vanessa is a character from Artifact, Valve's failed digital collectible card game based on Dota 2.
Puppet Master has been the most speculated amongst these five heroes to be brought to the game in the last two years but was never released. Data mining has resulted in the hero's abilities and skills being discovered in game files, along with indications from the voice lines of current heroes. The discontinuation of HoN has resulted in the community theorizing that heroes from HoN such as Puppet Master may find their way into Dota 2 in some versions.
Furthermore, fans have begun to speculate that the Great Confluence here refers to the merger of HoN, most likely its heroes, with Dota 2.
Aside from the heroes, the Great Confluence event has hinted at a new Battle Pass, most likely for The International 11 (TI11) and the game mode Diretide. According to Valve’s communication earlier this year, the Battle Pass, which is normally released in May, has been pushed back to around the time TI11 takes place and will continue beyond the tournament. Valve stated that this adjustment was made to keep up the hype surrounding the Battle Pass after TI concludes.
All of these potential new elements are simply leaks and guesses for now, and how much shall truly materialize into something new for the game remains to be seen. Any updates shall be expected to arrive after, or maybe during, the PGL Arlington Dota 2 Major, which runs from 4th to 14th August. It's worth noting that the third season of DOTA: Dragon's Blood will also be released on 11th August so, the period during the Major may hold some pleasant surprises for the Dota 2 community.
