The alpha release of the Workshop Tools required to create Custom Games is now publicly available for users. This means that modders and map makers can start creating custom content for Dota 2 and upload it to the Steam Workshop which you get to try out if you want.

This guide will take you through the process of detailing out how the system works and the steps you need to follow to get started with PLAYING custom games. So let's get started.

• Do note that this guide will NOT tell you how to make custom games but instead just play.
  
• Additionally, do note that the Workshop tools are currently an Alpha release and the custom games are user created. So the quality assurance is not guaranteed. You will need to be the judge of that.
  
• This guide has been written keeping the Alpha release of the Dota Workshop Tools in mind. This process is bound to change over time. The guide will be updated accordingly. Last Updated: December 17, 2014.

The current release of the Alpha tools are only compatible with the following system configurations. You also need the following requirements to play Custom Games in Dota 2 currently.

• 64-bit version of Windows - recommended
  
• 32-bit version of Windows [XP]
  
• Direct3D 11 / Direct3D 9 compatible GPU.

If your system does not have the above mentioned requirements, then you will need to wait for now. Upcoming future releases will extend support to more systems (including 32-bit and Direct3D 9) and it will be made easier for players to download, find matches and play custom games.

How do I know if I have a compatible system?

That's simple.

• Press 'Windows + R' to load up the Run window.
  
• Type 'dxdiag' and press Enter. This will open up the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
  
• In the first tab, you can check your Operating System and DirectX Version to verify if you match up to the requirements.

In order to run Custom Games, you need to have the Dota 2 Workshop Tools installed. To install these tools, follow the steps given below.

1. Go to Library and right click on Dota 2 and go to the Properties tab.

Once you are in the Properties tab, go to the last tab called 'DLC' and TICK the 'Dota 2 Workshop Tools DLC'



Click Close and the Workshop tools content will start downloading for you. The size of this download shoulbe approximately around 6 GB. So do not panic.

Note: You no longer need to opt in to the Steam Beta in order to download the Workshop Tools as of the August 15, 2014 Update.

2. As that downloads, go to the Tools tab from your Library menu.



Once there, scroll down and find the 'Dota 2 Workshop Tools Alpha' and Install it.



3. Now wait for both the Tools and DLC from the above steps to finish downloading.

4. Done? Nice. You've now setup what you need to play Custom Games currently.

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Fun Fact: If you want to check out the Workshop Tools yourself, just double click the 'Dota Workshop Tools Alpha' you downloaded from the tools tab and they will load up for you. Some documentation to help with the tools can be found here on the Developer Wiki.

You can find all the list of uploaded Custom Games on the Steam Workshop at given point of time. Just visit the Workshop and click on the first category tab that reads 'Custom Games'.



Click and open the Workshop pages of any of the mods you like and you can learn all about them there like with other Workshop items.

For eg: here is a look at the submission page for the much-popular Pudge Wars mod that is currently on the Workshop.



All these Custom Games use the Subscriber System of the Workshop. So once you are done reading about the mod, all you need to do is press the Subscribe button.



Once you press the 'Subscribe' button, the mod will start downloading for you. Let it finish.



Once the download is complete, you have everything you need to start playing.

Note: Any time the mod is updated by the creator, you will be notified to update your version to the latest. Doing so is just as simple as installing it. This way, you will be able to automatically manage all your custom games easily.

Now that you have all the files and everything else setup it is time to jump in to the game. But before we do that, a couple of things to keep things smooth.

The Workshop tools and the custom game are currently in an Alpha release state and there are some technical issues as one would expect. They will be refined with the future updates but until then to ensure smoother play, here are a couple of things you are suggested to do when trying to play.

• Disable '-override_vpk' if you are using for other cosmetic mods for the time being.
  
• Do not keep the Workshop Tools or any other unneeded programs running when playing.

Done? Now let's jump in to the game.

1. Launch your Dota 2 client.

Before we get started, another couple of things.

• Custom Games are hosted locally and hence the player that wants to host one needs to have a comparatively strong system to support the game and other players.
  
• You can currently only join Friend Lobbies for custom games. So the players trying to join a custom game need to be the friend of the hosting player.

2. Once you are in the game and go to the Play Tab. If you did everything mentioned in the above steps, then you should have a new tab here that says 'Custom Games'.



3. In order to Host A Game, go to the 'Subscribed Game Modes' tab from the drop down to see a list of all your subscribed mods. Click on the one you want to play and press "Create Lobby".



You are then presented with the warning I mentioned above that hosting requires higher system requirements. Press Create.



Once you do that, you will get the familiar local lobby settings panel where you adjust your lobby settings. All you need to make sure here is to ensure that the Custom Map is set to 'pudgewars' (in this case) and the rest of the settings as per your wish.



After you press 'Create Lobby' you should now have the lobby where your friends can join in for a game just like other regular lobbies.



Once all your friend are in, press - Start Game and you're good to go. You will load in first while the rest of the players wait. Once you are loaded in as the host, the rest of the players will connect through.

When you press 'Start Game' and the game begins to load, the Dota 2 client that you are on will close down. So it might seem like it CRASHED but do not worry. It did not crash but instead is just booting up the 64-bit Dota 2 Client that is packed with the Workshop tools on which the Custom Games are played currently.

Give it sometime and the other client will load up in to your Custom Game.

When you are not hosting, you can just simply jump in to someone elses server and enjoy Custom Games.

1. In order to Join A Game, once your friend has hosted the lobby, you just go to the Friend's Lobbies tab in Custom Games and see all available lobbies in your region.



You can also use the Private Lobby finding tab to use a password to find a game that is hosting the custom game you want without adding people to your Friend List.



Once you join the lobby, you can check the lobby settings to ensure you are in the same lobby as the custom game you want.

Then wait for the rest of the players to join in and the host to start the game.



When the lobby host starts the game, as a regular player, you will need to wait for the host to load up first. After which you will be booted in to the game.



When the game stats to load, the Dota 2 client that you are on will close down. So it might seem like it CRASHED but do not worry. It did not crash but instead is just booting up the 64-bit Dota 2 Client that is packed with the Workshop tools on which the Custom Games are played currently.

Give it sometime and the other client will load up in to your Custom Game.

Enjoy!!



2.Spectating and Broadcasting a Custom Game works the same way where you take the slot of a spectator or a broadcaster instead of the player slot.



However, rememer that each spectator needs to load in to the game and due to the unstable state of the alpha release, it is advised to keep a check on the number of connections as it will increase the load on the host leading to crashes.

3. When you are done with the game, just exit the client and you will automatically boot back in to the regular Main Client back to the lobby.

Time to play one more game!

I addressed most of these in the guide already but I will detail out some commonly asked questions and answer them here.

Q. Why can't I find the Custom Games tab in my Play Tab?
- This is because you are not opted in to the Steam Beta. Do so and then relaunch the game.

Q. The 5.5GB download does not start for me. What is the issue?
- It's possibly because you are on a 32-bit system or do not match the requirements mentioned in the guide.

Q. I am on 64-bit but the download still does not start for me. What do I do?
- Restart Steam and see if that resolves the issue.

Q. I can't select any custom maps when hosting a lobby. It's empty. I did subscribe. What is the issue?
- It is because you might have '-override_vpk' enabled in your launch settings. Remove that and give it a shot again.

Q. I don't have many friends who will play with me. Any suggestions?
- Most of the popular mods have custom chat channels in the game that have players always looking for a game. You can get a lobby password there and join in for a game. You could also try to find other forum boards and websites for the same.

Q. All this is a bit complex for me but I love custom cames. Any hope?
- Of course. Remember that the Tools are currently an alpha release and this is primarily for testing. As time progresses, everything will become more streamlined. Sit tight until then. Keep hype.

Q. My client is just closing or minimizing when I launch? What do I do?
- This is a rare occurrence but it seems to be caused by the Windows Aero theme. Disable that and see if it resolves your issue.

Q. After I load the game, the console covers up my entire screen. I can't close it. What do I do?
- Try using the console command "hideconsole" (without quotes) to close the dialog box and see if it helps.

Q. How do I uninstall the tools?
- You can go to the DLC tab in the Properties of Dota 2 (check Step 1) and untick the Workshop Tools DLC to uninstall the tools from your computer.

Over the release cycle of the Workshop Alpha Tools, some stuff is bound to change. I will try to keep this guide as updated as I can.

For any queries, feel free to buzz me on Facebook[www.facebook.com] or on Twitter. I'll try to get back to as many as possible. Have a great day.