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Dota 2 Updates: Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future
There are yet more big changes coming to the world of Dota. Vale announced the latest Dota 2 updates in an official blog posted to their site on June 19th. After the disaster of The International 11 battle pass season saw the prize pool fall by several million dollars, it’s no real surprise that something had to change. If the huge drop in revenue is what it took for Valve to take notice, then perhaps it was worth it for the fans, the players and the professional scene as a whole.
No More Cosmetic Conveyor Belts
Battle passes have been a part of the Dota 2 experience almost since its inception 10 years ago. But as more and more games are moving towards this structure, Dota is actually taking a step back. The latest in a long line of Dota 2 updates is that the year will no longer be structured towards TI centric cosmetic ideals.
While Valve have made it abundantly clear in the post that cosmetic drops will remain a key part of the game, they will be delivered in a different way. They have acknowledged that “most Dota players never buy a Battle Pass and never get any rewards from it”. This means the org needs to change tack to retain existing players and entice new players to the game.
Dota 2’s 10 Year Anniversary
It's hard to remember a time when Dota 2 wasn’t a part of our lives. But that time was only 10 years ago. As one of the longest standing and most successful esports games, Valve would like to keep their place on the throne as more and more games gain popularity. That means that the latest Dota 2 updates have been big ones. With the expansion of the map, universal heroes and more, Valve is putting a lot of momentum into the game as it comes up to the anniversary.
This all coincides with TI’s return to its hometown of Seattle, Washington this year.
Perhaps a little disappointingly, it was confirmed in the Dota 2 update post that any 10 year anniversary content will be a little delayed. The one thing we do know is that the devs are definitely not going to hit the July 9th deadline that is listed on Steam. What a surprise.
What’s Next for Dota 2 Updates?
While Battle Passes may be a thing of the past, Valve will still ensure the release of TI content to the game. This is currently pegged for September 2023. That means that fans can probably expect it a couple of weeks after the TI final if we take Valve time into account.
Should the content drop on time, however, it has been confirmed that it will “contribute significantly” to this year’s TI prize pool but that “new cosmetic items won’t play a notable part”. Perhaps this means a divorce from the way arcanas and personas are distributed. That is if new ones will come to the game at all.
There have not yet been any confirmations as to what the new content will entail. It seems safe to say that something big is cooking over at Dota 2 HQ.
