Bulletin:

DotA 2 spectator client released

DotA 2 has been in “closed” beta (I put closed in quotes because you can buy a beta key for $29.99 in the ingame store) for just under a year now. With the International 2 fast approaching, and only 18 heroes left from the original roster left out of the game, it seems high time something for the game is released to the public.

The spectator client is exactly what you think it is: it allows you to spectate live games and recent matches. All matches have a numeric ID number for quick access, as well as being searchable by several parameters including steam username, hero being used, and skill level.

The spectator mode in DotA 2 is pretty robust, allowing several different camera styles (hero chase, player perspective, and free) and lots of charts and pop-up windows for mid-game statistics. Check it out on Steam if you’re interested in DotA 2 at all, as it’ll give you a pretty good feel for what playing the game feels like — other than actually playing it, obviously.