Dota 2's Blue Shell disabled after Patch 6.84 Release in Preparation for the International; Matches gets back to Normal Duration

By Staff Writer

May 14 2015, 10:15 AM EDT

Dota 2's game equalizing Bounty Rune, dubbed by some as "Blue Shell", was toned down in Valve's most recent major patch (6.84) released last April.

"In its current incarnation, Dota 2's "Blue Shell" accomplishes the goal - adding a bit of tension and chaos to the competition. This latest patch shows that Valve stands by comeback gold as a valuable part of DotA, though it is more than willing ensure the first-place team never feels the need to voluntarily slam on the brakes," IGN's Steve Strom wrote in his latest article.

"It's (Bounty Rune) still present, but the formula has been dialed back significantly to turn what was once oppressive into a gentle nudge towards tension," he added.

The Bounty Rune was pointed out as the main reason why fans saw the longest professional DotA game ever. The game lasted over 200 minutes and broke records such as the longest game, most kills in a team, and most deaths in a team. The tide of the battle kept swinging since the losing team was able to keep the attackers at bay with the gold and xp they got from the rune.

The toning down update is most likely a part of the preparation for the upcoming The International game, which is the fifth iteration of the worldwide Dota event. The tournament is going to be held this year from 3 to 8 August in Seattle USA. Aside from receiving the Aegis of Champions, winners will also receive the total prize money taken from the US$99 participant fee and crowd funding. As of now, the total cash pot has reached US$7 million with three months left before the event.

The so-called "Blue Shell" - taken after the infamous Mario Kart feature that allows a dead last to effectively take out the race leader without fail - is actually the randomly-appearing Bounty Rune. Introduced last September's Dota2 patch 6.82 Rekindling Soul, the rune actually gives players additional XP and gold with the current game minute as a multiplier. This gives players doing support or coming from the losing side a chance to even the game and tilt the balance.

With the DotA 2's "Blue Shell" Bounty Rune being tamer, the matches are expected to be back to the normal 30-45-minute game time while bringing a bit more excitement to each one.