Valve adds new anonymous mode to Dota 2 in an effort to stamp out toxicity

Valve has added a new anonymous mode to Dota 2 which blocks and limits interaction with others. It comes as a much-needed effort to stamp out abuse and toxicity.

Dota 2 has always been a toxic place, which is odd since the community is so passionate and dedicated. Valve has tried to make the game less toxic throughout the years. They’ve done everything from making the game more inviting for newcomers to adding an avoid player feature. 

Unfortunately, nothing has seemed to work. Dota 2 is arguably the hardest competitive game on the market. It’s hard to learn and even harder to master. The games are long, and one small mistake can be the difference between a win and a loss. What’s more, the ranked grind is not for the faint-hearted.

The nature of the game itself is what fosters toxicity. That’s probably why Valve has had a hard time trying to extinguish the noxious flame. But that might all change now.

In one of the latest updates, Valve has added a new feature called anonymous mode which blocks avatars, nicknames and in-game chat messages.

Dota now has an Anonymous Mode. When you have this options enabled, you won’t see avatars, nicknames or ingame chat messages from people you aren’t friends with. Additionally, you will see not guild information from guilds that you don’t belong to. #Dota2

— Wykrhm Reddy (@wykrhm) July 1, 2020

This new feature is a welcome addition. Blocking in-game chat messages isn’t a new feature, but anonymous mode makes it easier and gives you more control over what you want to see.