Technical Analysis: Unreleased Heroes in DotA 6.77b
Through a direct inspection of the object files within the DotA 6.77b map, I have identified several hero units that, while present in the game data, remain unreleased and inaccessible via the standard hero selection interface. This analysis confirms that these assets are embedded within the public release, suggesting IceFrog maintained these models for potential future development or testing purposes.
Identified Unreleased Hero Units:
- H0E1: Mortar Team
- N0MD: Priest
- N0M9: Wyvern Outrider
- E031: Edgewalker
- N0M2: Dragonhawk
- H0DL: Ghost Revenant
Hands-on Testing and Observations:
To verify these units, I utilized the -clear command in-game, which forces the heroes to spawn at the center of the map. My testing revealed significant stability and functional limitations:
- Mortar Team: The first three abilities are non-functional. The "Flash Bomb" ability triggers a visual effect but lacks gameplay impact. Notably, activating "Siege Form" while holding an Orb Effect item causes an immediate map crash.
- Ghost Revenant: The "Exhaustion" ability is currently misconfigured, functioning as a global-range Thunder Clap.
Methodology and Transparency:
It is important to clarify that this information is not derived from a private beta; these assets are present in the standard public versions of the map. This data is accessible to anyone with the tools to parse the unit text files. This is not a "leak" in the traditional sense, but rather an observation of unused assets remaining in the production build.
Technical Curiosity:
During the file inspection, I also encountered the entry [h05N], labeled "OMG LION TEST." Its purpose remains unclear, though it appears to be a legacy testing object.
For those interested in the specific mechanics of these units, you can download the hero guides in PDF format here.
Download the DotA 6.77b map containing these unreleased heroes:
DotA v6.77b_test_heroes.w3x