Valve Considering Acquisition of Dota 2 Mod Auto Chess
The Dota 2 mod Auto Chess continues to gain popularity, with reports suggesting that developer Valve is interested in acquiring the property. The mod has reached over four million subscribers and has had a peak player count of 300,000, attracting a significant portion of Dota 2’s player base.
Auto Chess: A Unique Turn-Based Strategy Game
Dota Auto Chess is a turn-based strategy game where you compete against seven other players. Unlike its name suggests, the game is more like a deck-building game than Dota 2 itself. It has gained a massive following since its release in November 2018, attracting both professional Dota players and casual gamers.
Valve’s Interest in Auto Chess
Auto Chess has become a sensation due to its unique gameplay and has even attracted players from other games like Hearthstone. Valve has recognized the mod’s success and is looking into various ways to acquire and support its development. Valve has a history of turning mods into standalone games, as seen with Team Fortress, Counter-Strike, and Dota.
Artifact’s Struggle and Valve’s Options
Valve’s sudden interest in Auto Chess comes at a peculiar time for the company, as their own game Artifact is struggling. While Artifact was highly anticipated before its release, it has failed to maintain a substantial player base. Valve now faces a decision: focus resources on Auto Chess, potentially taking away from Artifact, or keep a smaller team dedicated to reviving Artifact in the future.
The future remains uncertain, but Auto Chess has the potential to join Valve’s list of successes if the acquisition happens.