Dota 2's Crystal Maiden gets wolf puppy companion

My sympathies go out to anyone who has paid megabucks for Blades of Voth Domosh, Fiery Soul of the Slayer, or really any other Arcana. You see, as part of the New Bloom update, Crystal Maiden is getting a wolf puppy. As such, she now has the uncontested best cosmetic in all of Dota 2.

Look at that dopey face!

Aurora: Wolf Pup of Icewrack joins Crystal Maiden when she equips the Frost Avalanche Arcana. Arcana, if you don't know, is Dota-speak for a special cosmetic that brings new animations and effects to its wearer. It's also not cheap: $35/£23 for this latest one, albeit with a slight discount if its pre-ordered.

That is unquestionably a lot of money, but also, the little guy chases his tale when CM teleports. Sure, it's a non-combat pet, but god damn it's adorable.

Oh yeah, the New Bloom update. It's not just wolf pups. New hero Winter Wyvern has been revealed. She's a big frost dragon, and her ult freezes an enemy and forces their allies to attack them.

In addition, the New Bloom map is back, item drops have been made more frequent, new community-made gear has appeared, and an item recycling system lets you dump unwanted stuff for a chance at a hero item set.

You can find a full rundown of New Bloom's changes over at the Dota 2 microsite. New Bloom isn't live just yet, but you can try it out in the Dota 2 test client.

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Phil has been writing for PC Gamer for nearly a decade, starting out as a freelance writer covering everything from free games to MMOs. He eventually joined full-time as a news writer, before moving to the magazine to review immersive sims, RPGs and Hitman games. Now he leads PC Gamer's UK team, but still sometimes finds the time to write about his ongoing obsessions with Destiny 2, GTA Online and Apex Legends. When he's not levelling up battle passes, he's checking out the latest tactics game or dipping back into Guild Wars 2. He's largely responsible for the whole Tub Geralt thing, but still isn't sorry.