Dota 2 Battle Pass: A 2023 Update

After years of fans bashing the content delivered in the yearly tradition of Dota 2 Battle Pass, in 2023 the developer of the game has finally decided to stop making one, putting a possible end to the popular franchise dating back to 2013. The reason behind this decision was publicly announced by Valve as an effort to move away from the "single focal point around which all content delivery was designed" and towards a more encompassing model of content updates for all players.

No matter if you’re a veteran player who still remembers all the previous years’ battle passes, or a new player who doesn’t know what you’ve missed, let’s take the time to read the following article to reminisce about all the years that Dota 2 players spent trash-talking this monetization model of the video game industry which Dota itself pioneered.

What is Dota 2 Battle Pass?

Dota 2 Battle Pass is a purchasable item that players can buy in order to have access to tournament specials and event features, as well as a wide range of earnable cosmetic items, quests, fantasy leagues, game modes, and more. It is similar to past compendiums and contains numerous quests, achievements, and rewards for those who spend money to acquire it. The Battle Pass usually has a theme and a duration that matches the season of The International or another event. For example, the 2022 Battle Pass is themed around Nemestice, a cosmic event that brings meteor storms to the Dota 2 world.

The Battle Pass also contributes to the prize pool of The International, the biggest and most prestigious Dota 2 tournament. 25% of every Battle Pass purchase made before The International concludes goes directly to the prize pool. This is the monetization structure that Dota created back in 2013 and has since been adopted by many other developers in the video game industry. To date, Dota 2 still holds the record of the highest prize pool for any single esports tournament with over $40 million USD raised in The International 2021.

What perks come with purchasing the Battle Pass?

Some of the rewards for purchasing the Battle Pass are:

• Immortal Treasures: These are chests that contain exclusive cosmetic items for various heroes, some of which have custom effects and animations. There are usually three types of Immortal Treasures, each with different items and rarities. You can earn Immortal Treasures by leveling up your Battle Pass or by purchasing them directly.
• Arcana and Persona skins: These are special cosmetic items that transform the appearance, voice, animations, and effects of a hero. They are usually very rare and expensive, but the Battle Pass offers them as rewards for reaching certain levels. For example, the current Battle Pass offers a Dragon Knight Persona at level 275 and a Spectre Arcana at level 330.
• Cavern Crawl: This is a mini-game where you explore a map of rooms by winning games with specific heroes. Each room contains a reward, such as Battle Points, cosmetics, or consumables. You can also unlock special styles for some of the cosmetics by completing certain paths.
• Weekly Quests: These are challenges that you can complete by playing games with any hero, thereby gaining Battle Points that will level up your Battle Pass.
• Predictions and Fantasy: These are features that allow you to test your knowledge and prediction skills in Dota 2 matches, tournaments, or events. Basically, you will make outcome predictions and earn Battle Points if you are correct.
• Stickers and Chat Wheel: These are ways to communicate with your teammates and opponents in-game. You can use stickers to express your emotions or reactions or use chat wheel sounds to play voice lines from casters or pro players. Some of these sounds are exclusive to the Battle Pass and can only be used during the season.

Most items obtained from the Battle Pass are not tradeable but can be sent as gifts to someone else, as long as you’ve been friends with them in the game for more than 1 month. You can also recycle duplicate or unwanted items for Battle Points and other rewards.

When did the first Battle Pass take place?

The first official Battle Pass took place in 2016, when Valve renamed the compendium to Battle Pass and expanded it to include more features and events, such as quests, seasonal effects, and custom game modes. The first Battle Pass was the Winter 2016 Battle Pass, which was associated with the Shanghai Major tournament.

However, the first known instance of a paid battle pass came via Dota 2 back in 2013, when Valve released a purchasable Dota 2 Compendium for The International 3, the game’s pinnacle event for its esports scene. The Dota 2 Compendium was a digital book that allowed players to follow the tournament and support their favorite teams, as well as earn various rewards and features. It also contributed to the prize pool of The International, as 25% of every Compendium purchase went directly to the prize pool.

With Dota 2 Battle Pass 2023 off the map, what to expect now for Dota 2 players?

Now that Dota 2 Battle Pass 2023 release date is not imminent, and a future Battle Pass 2024 is dim, what do Dota 2 players have to expect for the remainder of this year? Keep an eye out for a The International-themed update in September 2023, which will include some new features and rewards for all players, not exclusively for those who pay for a pass like usual. The September update will not introduce any new cosmetic items, which will break the tradition of past Battle Pass iterations and might be a letdown to some. Most likely, what players can expect from this update are something along the lines of in-game stickers, player fantasy cards, or talent voice lines. Also, there will still be a crowdfunding aspect that contributes to the TI prize pool, but we don’t expect it to break any funding records.

Besides, there’s also the annual Dota 2 tournament - The International. It is the biggest and most prestigious event on the Dota Pro Circuit, where global top Dota 2 teams will compete for the massive prize pool that was traditionally partially crowdfunded through the Battle Pass system. Valve contributes $2 million USD of its own money as the starting pot for the prize pool every year. The Battle Pass usually contributes the majority to the prize pool of The International, but Valve has not revealed how they will handle the crowdfunding this year. Dota 2 The International 2023 will take place in Seattle, the United States from 14th-19th October 2023. The venue will be the Climate Pledge Arena. Fans can expect more details and announcements from Valve in the coming months.

Here is a list of the previous winners of The International, the annual Dota 2 world championship tournament:

• The International 2011: Natus Vincere (Ukraine)
• The International 2012: Invictus Gaming (China)
• The International 2013: Alliance (Sweden)
• The International 2014: Newbee (China)
• The International 2015: Evil Geniuses (USA)
• The International 2016: Wings Gaming (China)
• The International 2017: Team Liquid (Europe)
• The International 2018: OG (Europe)
• The International 2019: OG (Europe)
• The International 2020: Postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• The International 2021: Team Spirit (Russia)
• The International 2022: Tundra Esports (Europe)

What is Dota 2 Compendium?

Dota 2 Compendium is a free tournament pass that features items made for The International, the biggest and most prestigious Dota 2 tournament. It contains a set of rewards that can be unlocked by leveling the compendium. In it, players can purchase Autograph Runes from casters, Player Cards, create a Fantasy Lineup, and make Tournament Predictions or Bracket Predictions.

The compendium was first introduced in 2013 as an interactive book that allowed players to follow the tournament and support their favorite teams. It was later renamed “Battle Pass” in 2016 and expanded to include more features and events. The current compendium is part of the Battle Pass 2021, which is themed around Nemestice, a cosmic event that brings meteor storms to the Dota 2 world. The compendium also contributes to the prize pool of The International, as 25% of every Battle Pass purchase before The International concludes goes directly to the prize pool.

So essentially, a Compendium is a specific type of Battle Pass that is associated with a specific tournament or event, such as The International or the Dota 2 Asia Championship. It allows players to follow the tournament and support their favorite teams, as well as earn various rewards and features. 

On the other hand, a Battle Pass is a more general term for a purchasable item that grants access to tournament and event features and a wide variety of earnable cosmetic items. It can include compendiums, but also other seasonal or thematic events, features, and rewards, such as Nemestice or Aghanim's Labyrinth. A Battle Pass usually has a theme and a duration that matches the season of the event.

Conclusion

Effectively, Valve said that over the years the Battle Pass had become the way that all significant Dota updates had been delivered, and they basically realized that this strategy was limiting themselves since most Dota players never buy a Battle Pass. We will have to wait and see what this monetization model is replaced with, and whether Valve has a plan to still make plenty of money from Dota without having to rely on the Battle Pass. A possible hypothesis is that the demolition of Battle Pass is a case of them not caring about making money from Dota as much, because at the end of the day, Steam is the single most important thing that matters to them.