Professional Dota 2 player, Ammar 'ATF' Al-Assaf, shared his amusing reaction to the latest Dota 2 patch that introduced restrictions on Immortal Draft replays and APIs. In response to the changes, ATF humorously mentioned selling demos of his pubs, sparking a conversation with fellow player Bryle during a game, with the screenshot ending up on Reddit.
Valve's significant alterations on March 19 made accessing Immortal Draft games exclusively available in real-time, prohibiting other forms of access. This move is believed to encourage players to explore new strategies and builds independently, minimizing reliance on smurfs. However, it poses a challenge to data collection services such as Dota2ProTracker, Dotabuff, and Spectral Stats, limiting their insights.
For casual players accustomed to replicating professional setups, the new restrictions mean seeking reviews of pro matches or awaiting content creators to fill the void. The impact on the professional scene remains uncertain, though team analysts are likely to face increased workload. While top-tier players still have access to ample reviews, duplicating playstyles or builds may now require more effort.
