Dota Underlords is leaving Early Access on February 25

(Image credit: Valve)

Update, January 30: Valve has confirmed that Dota Underlords will launch into 1.0 on February 25. "This release will be the beginning of Dota Underlords Season 1, and will come with new content, more rewards, and new alliances," the update confirmed.

Original story:

This week's Dota Underlords update was accompanied by the news that it's almost broken free of Early Access and will soon hit 1.0. It launched on Steam back in June, and in February the first season will officially kick off.

It's not a moment too soon, as Valve's auto battler has been losing traction. Initially it boasted a player count that was double Artifact's at its peak, but it's steadily been declining, now down by around 90 percent, and so far has shown no signs of plateauing. No update has managed to move the needle significantly, but the 1.0 update should get a bit more attention.

There's only one more update to go before the milestone, along with some balance tweaks and fixes, and one more Underlord. The 1.0 patch that follows will include the battle pass, hero/item rotation, a UI update and more.

Check out this week's patch notes here.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.