<a href="http://www.dota2.com/springcleaning/"><img class="alignnone" alt="" src="http://media.steampowered.com/apps/dota2/images/blogfiles/spring_cleaning.jpg" width="100%" /></a>

Ah, spring! The birds chirp, the flowers bloom, Ursa leaves his den, and Dota 2 gets a shiny new update. In this single-day event, we’ve taken the wraps off the 6.81 gameplay adjustments. Check out the changes coming to your favorite heroes in the <a href="http://www.dota2.com/springcleaning/">changelog</a>.

Plus, we called in a few exterminators and squashed a pretty mean colony of bugs throughout the game. The <a href="http://www.dota2.com/springcleaning/">update page</a> has the gooey details.

Once the update is released next week, you’ll also find two new Treasures available. Unlike previous Treasures, these are purchased directly from the Dota 2 Store, and do not require a seal to open. Simply purchase, then crack it open to obtain one of several new hero sets.

Meanwhile, in tournament news, we’re about two weeks away from The International’s Regional Qualifiers. Stay tuned for more information on the Teams and match times.

Ah, spring! The birds chirp, the flowers bloom, Ursa leaves his den, and Dota 2 gets a shiny new update. In this single-day event, we’ve taken the wraps off the 6.81 gameplay adjustments. Check out the changes coming to your favorite heroes in the changelog.

Plus, we called in a few exterminators and squashed a pretty mean colony of bugs throughout the game. The update page has the gooey details.

Once the update is released next week, you’ll also find two new Treasures available. Unlike previous Treasures, these are purchased directly from the Dota 2 Store, and do not require a seal to open. Simply purchase, then crack it open to obtain one of several new hero sets.

Meanwhile, in tournament news, we’re about two weeks away from The International’s Regional Qualifiers. Stay tuned for more information on the Teams and match times.

Tickets for The International go on <a href="http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0F004C7FF36C9F07" target="_blank">sale tomorrow</a> and we wanted to answer a few questions we've seen come up often:

<strong>Q. How many tickets can I buy?</strong>
Ticket purchases are limited to 5 per household.

<strong>Q. Can I sit anywhere or are there preassigned seats?</strong>
Yes, you can sit anywhere.

<strong>Q. Can VIP ticket holders access the After Party if they're under 21?</strong>
The After Party is limited to VIP ticket holders that are 21 and over. There are no restrictions for the other VIP ticket features.

<strong>Q. Can I trade my ticket if I can't attend?</strong>
Yes, but please note that if you're picking up your badge from Will Call, you will have to contact Ticketmaster and request a badge holder name change.

<strong>Q. I'm not attending, does this mean I won't be able to purchase the new items sold at the venue?</strong>
Some items will be available on the Dota 2 Store during the event. More details to come.

<strong>Q. I'm a Workshop Contributor, will there be a place for me at the International?</strong>
This year we'll be setting aside a larger space for Contributors to meet fans, work together, and show off their creations. If you're interested in participating, we'll have a signup space for you soon. In the meantime, make sure you purchase your ticket when they go on sale on Friday.

You can find the purchase page for the tickets <a href="http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0F004C7FF36C9F07" target="_blank">here</a>. We recommend going there and creating an account ahead of time so you're ready for the sale.

Tickets for The International go on sale tomorrow and we wanted to answer a few questions we've seen come up often:

Q. How many tickets can I buy?
Ticket purchases are limited to 5 per household.

Q. Can I sit anywhere or are there preassigned seats?
Yes, you can sit anywhere.

Q. Can VIP ticket holders access the After Party if they're under 21?
The After Party is limited to VIP ticket holders that are 21 and over. There are no restrictions for the other VIP ticket features.

Q. Can I trade my ticket if I can't attend?
Yes, but please note that if you're picking up your badge from Will Call, you will have to contact Ticketmaster and request a badge holder name change.

Q. I'm not attending, does this mean I won't be able to purchase the new items sold at the venue?
Some items will be available on the Dota 2 Store during the event. More details to come.

Q. I'm a Workshop Contributor, will there be a place for me at the International?
This year we'll be setting aside a larger space for Contributors to meet fans, work together, and show off their creations. If you're interested in participating, we'll have a signup space for you soon. In the meantime, make sure you purchase your ticket when they go on sale on Friday.

You can find the purchase page for the tickets here. We recommend going there and creating an account ahead of time so you're ready for the sale.

Save the date. This year <em>The International</em> moves to KeyArena, taking place July 18th through the 21st in Seattle.

<img class="alignnone" title="mad purps" alt="mad purps" src="http://media.steampowered.com/apps/dota2/images/blogfiles/blog_tickets_ti4.jpg" width="576" height="340" />

For those interested in attending there are three types of tickets available:

- General Admission ($99)

- Floor Seats ($199)

- VIP package ($499) that includes:
<ul>
<li>Access to all 6 days of Playoffs (formerly Group Stage) taking place on July 8th, before the Championships Event</li>
<li>Floor Seating</li>
<li>Exclusive VIP Meet &amp; Greets</li>
<li>Access to the After Party</li></ul>
Every ticket includes access to all four days of the Championships Event at KeyArena. Tickets will be sold through Ticketmaster beginning this Friday April 4th at 3PM PDT, so check back later for more information.

This year there will be 11 teams invited directly as well as four Regional Qualifiers taking place May 12th through the 25th. The winner of each Qualifier will receive an invitation, with the four runner-ups competing in Seattle for the final spot.

Here's a handy list of times to help you get ready for the sale:
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Seattle: 15:00 Friday</li>
<li>Rio de Janeiro: 19:00 Friday</li>
<li>London: 23:00 Friday</li>
<li>Moscow: 02:00 Saturday</li>
<li>Beijing: 06:00 Saturday</li>
<li>Singapore: 06:00 Saturday</li>
<li>Seoul: 07:00 Saturday</li>
<li>Sydney: 09:00 Saturday</li></ul>
Don't see your time listed? Here's a sweet <a href="http://www.thetimezoneconverter.com/">time zone converter.</a>

Save the date. This year The International moves to KeyArena, taking place July 18th through the 21st in Seattle.



For those interested in attending there are three types of tickets available:

- General Admission ($99)

- Floor Seats ($199)

- VIP package ($499) that includes:

• Access to all 6 days of Playoffs (formerly Group Stage) taking place on July 8th, before the Championships Event
• Floor Seating
• Exclusive VIP Meet &amp; Greets
• Access to the After Party

Every ticket includes access to all four days of the Championships Event at KeyArena. Tickets will be sold through Ticketmaster beginning this Friday April 4th at 3PM PDT, so check back later for more information.

This year there will be 11 teams invited directly as well as four Regional Qualifiers taking place May 12th through the 25th. The winner of each Qualifier will receive an invitation, with the four runner-ups competing in Seattle for the final spot.

Here's a handy list of times to help you get ready for the sale:

• Seattle: 15:00 Friday
• Rio de Janeiro: 19:00 Friday
• London: 23:00 Friday
• Moscow: 02:00 Saturday
• Beijing: 06:00 Saturday
• Singapore: 06:00 Saturday
• Seoul: 07:00 Saturday
• Sydney: 09:00 Saturday

Don't see your time listed? Here's a sweet time zone converter.

Release Notes for 3/26/2014

[UI]
- Scoreboard changes:
-- Added ability to use mouse cursor in scoreboard.
-- Cursor will be enabled on the scoreboard by default in halftime and endmatch.
-- When alive or spectating, if the scoreboard is visible, the cursor can be enabled by using secondary fire.
-- Players in scoreboards have left click context menus that allow you to commend, report, block communcation, etc.
-- Scoreboard will adjust to the size of the number of players in the match. Max is still 24 players.
-- Combined clan tag and name tag into one field.
- Fixed the CZ-75A icon not showing overhead during freetime.
- Added Commonwealth of Independent States flag, uses alpha 2 code "CC".
- Fixing aspect ratio of a few flags.
- On community servers after mp_swapteams or vote to swap teams the game will also swap team names and flags.


[GAMEPLAY]
- Adjusted the rules for dropping a grenade upon death: you now drop your most recently selected grenade. If you never selected a grenade, you will drop the most expensive one.
- Improved player hitbox alignment.
- Players shot in the head from the side will play a new left or right headshot flinch animation, instead of forward or backward.
- Defuse kit art has been adjusted to make them more visible.


[MISC]
- Reduced client virtual memory usage.
- Fixed an out of memory crash that could occur while downloading workshop maps.
- Fixed a hitch related to inventory icon loading.
- Players that fail to properly validate with VAC will no longer get the generic "Invalid STEAM UserID Ticket" message and instead see "An issue with your computer is blocking the VAC system. You cannot play on secure servers."
- Started a trial of official competitive matchmaking on servers in South Africa.


[MAPS]
- Overpass:
-- Added connector from T water to T tunnels
-- Opened up small concrete hut near Bombsite A
-- Made wood stack near door to A tunnels climbable
-- Made it possible to shoot through wood wall near Bombsite B
-- Made area near fountain in park slightly larger
-- Tweaked environment light

- Dust2:
-- Removed some small gaps between crates in Bombsite B

- Inferno:
-- Added wallbanging on low wall near barbecue (Thanks Spunj!)
-- Revised clipping on balcony near mid

Release Notes for 3/26/2014

[UI]
- Scoreboard changes:
-- Added ability to use mouse cursor in scoreboard.
-- Cursor will be enabled on the scoreboard by default in halftime and endmatch.
-- When alive or spectating, if the scoreboard is visible, the cursor can be enabled by using secondary fire.
-- Players in scoreboards have left click context menus that allow you to commend, report, block communcation, etc.
-- Scoreboard will adjust to the size of the number of players in the match. Max is still 24 players.
-- Combined clan tag and name tag into one field.
- Fixed the CZ-75A icon not showing overhead during freetime.
- Added Commonwealth of Independent States flag, uses alpha 2 code "CC".
- Fixing aspect ratio of a few flags.
- On community servers after mp_swapteams or vote to swap teams the game will also swap team names and flags.


[GAMEPLAY]
- Adjusted the rules for dropping a grenade upon death: you now drop your most recently selected grenade. If you never selected a grenade, you will drop the most expensive one.
- Improved player hitbox alignment.
- Players shot in the head from the side will play a new left or right headshot flinch animation, instead of forward or backward.
- Defuse kit art has been adjusted to make them more visible.


[MISC]
- Reduced client virtual memory usage.
- Fixed an out of memory crash that could occur while downloading workshop maps.
- Fixed a hitch related to inventory icon loading.
- Players that fail to properly validate with VAC will no longer get the generic "Invalid STEAM UserID Ticket" message and instead see "An issue with your computer is blocking the VAC system. You cannot play on secure servers."
- Started a trial of official competitive matchmaking on servers in South Africa.


[MAPS]
- Overpass:
-- Added connector from T water to T tunnels
-- Opened up small concrete hut near Bombsite A
-- Made wood stack near door to A tunnels climbable
-- Made it possible to shoot through wood wall near Bombsite B
-- Made area near fountain in park slightly larger
-- Tweaked environment light

- Dust2:
-- Removed some small gaps between crates in Bombsite B

- Inferno:
-- Added wallbanging on low wall near barbecue (Thanks Spunj!)
-- Revised clipping on balcony near mid

<a href="http://www.dota2.com/leaderboards"><img src="http://media.steampowered.com/apps/dota2/images/blogfiles/blog_leaderboards.jpg" width="100%"></a>

Today the Dota 2 team is introducing <a href="http://www.dota2.com/leaderboards">public leaderboards</a>. These leaderboards show the players with the highest solo MMR in four geographic divisions:

• Americas
  
• Europe and Africa
  
• China
  
• Southeast Asia

Here is an FAQ with some details. (We may need to change the requirements in the future. The latest information will always be on the Leaderboards website.)

<strong>Q. Who is eligible to appear on the leaderboard?</strong>
To qualify, a player must have all of the following:

• At least 300 lifetime matchmade games played. (Unranked or ranked PvP matches only.)
  
• At least 100 lifetime solo ranked games
  
• At least 15 solo ranked games in the last 21 days in the same division
  
• Official player info on file

<strong>Q. How do I know what division I'm in?</strong>
It's the division in which you have played the most solo ranked games in the past 21 days. (In case of a tie, we use the division that has the more recent match.)

<strong>Q. Does a match still qualify towards the recency requirement if somebody abandons, times out due to network problems, etc?</strong>
Yes, provided that MMRs are updated. If the match is thrown out for any reason, then it is not a qualifying match.

<strong>Q. How do I give you my official player info?</strong>
If your solo MMR puts you within reach of a leaderboard, and you meet the eligibility requirements but have not provided your official information, we'll send you a notification in game that will make it possible to provide this information.

<strong>Q. Which server regions are assigned to which divisions?</strong>

• Americas: US West, US East, South America
  
• Europe: Europe West, Europe East, Russia, South Africa
  
• China: Perfect World Telecom, Perfect World Unicom
  
• Southeast Asia: South Korea, SE Asia, Australia

<strong>Q. When are leaderboards updated?</strong>
Daily at 22:00 GMT.

<strong>Q. Where's the global leaderboard?</strong>
The MMR of each division is on a different scale, and comparing MMRs across divisions is not currently meaningful.

<strong>Q. I’m on the leaderboard and I want to change my official information. Is it too late?</strong>
We’ve unlocked everyone’s official information, giving all players one more chance to make edits. Once you enter the information again, it will be locked for a period of time and you will not be able to change it! Please note that there may be a delay of up to one day between the time you change your information and the time the new information shows up on the leaderboard.

Today the Dota 2 team is introducing public leaderboards. These leaderboards show the players with the highest solo MMR in four geographic divisions:

• Americas
  
• Europe and Africa
  
• China
  
• Southeast Asia

Here is an FAQ with some details. (We may need to change the requirements in the future. The latest information will always be on the Leaderboards website.)

Q. Who is eligible to appear on the leaderboard?
To qualify, a player must have all of the following:

• At least 300 lifetime matchmade games played. (Unranked or ranked PvP matches only.)
  
• At least 100 lifetime solo ranked games
  
• At least 15 solo ranked games in the last 21 days in the same division
  
• Official player info on file

Q. How do I know what division I'm in?
It's the division in which you have played the most solo ranked games in the past 21 days. (In case of a tie, we use the division that has the more recent match.)

Q. Does a match still qualify towards the recency requirement if somebody abandons, times out due to network problems, etc?
Yes, provided that MMRs are updated. If the match is thrown out for any reason, then it is not a qualifying match.

Q. How do I give you my official player info?
If your solo MMR puts you within reach of a leaderboard, and you meet the eligibility requirements but have not provided your official information, we'll send you a notification in game that will make it possible to provide this information.

Q. Which server regions are assigned to which divisions?

• Americas: US West, US East, South America
  
• Europe: Europe West, Europe East, Russia, South Africa
  
• China: Perfect World Telecom, Perfect World Unicom
  
• Southeast Asia: South Korea, SE Asia, Australia

Q. When are leaderboards updated?
Daily at 22:00 GMT.

Q. Where's the global leaderboard?
The MMR of each division is on a different scale, and comparing MMRs across divisions is not currently meaningful.

Q. I’m on the leaderboard and I want to change my official information. Is it too late?
We’ve unlocked everyone’s official information, giving all players one more chance to make edits. Once you enter the information again, it will be locked for a period of time and you will not be able to change it! Please note that there may be a delay of up to one day between the time you change your information and the time the new information shows up on the leaderboard.