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The function of Overwolf DotaPlus is fairly straightforward - it skims through the stats of players on both teams as soon as a player using the app loads into a match of Dota 2. In a few seconds, Overwolf DotaPlus presents the user with all the relevant info about the players. They range from their most played heroes in the last month to their most played role and recent winrate.
Needless to say, Overwolf DotaPlus and similar third-party apps offer their users a tangible advantage over other players who are not using a similar tool. In Dota 2, banning and picking the right heroes is an indispensable part of the game. Overwolf DotaPlus affects this level playing field.
Should Valve ban tools like Overwolf DotaPlus from Dota 2?
While setting one’s Dota 2 account not ‘to expose public match data,’ they can hide from the eyes of Overwolf DotaPlus. However, it also makes checking their stats post-game on sites like Dotabuff, OpenDota, or Stratz impossible.
Hero spammers tend to get affected the most by tools like this, as more often than not, their hero is banned. If the ban isn’t successful, they get denied a pick.
While Overwolf DotaPlus does not work on private accounts as mentioned before, there has been news about Russian software similar to it, which digs out stats of private accounts.
There is no doubt that third-party tools like this hamper the level playing field of a competitive game like Dota 2. Although Overwolf DotaPlus has existed for more than two years now, Valve has not done anything to shut it down.
Players in the Dota 2 community have consistently suggested a fix that would nullify the advantage provided by DotaPlus - setting all accounts as anonymous as is the case in Dota 2’s overwatch system. It just has to be coded into the game so that tools like Overwolf DotaPlus cannot extract information from the Dota 2 API in the drafting phase. This will fix the issue of targeted bans, denied picks, and counter picks.
This article reflects the opinions of the writer.
