The New Frontiers Update arrived in late April and it turned out to be a success. The changes to the map and game mechanics revitalized the interest of the Dota 2 community, bringing back many lapsed players into the fold again. The new interactions of the game’s mechanics also led to new broken combos and exploitable bugs led to funny moments in competitive Dota that pro players hated but the viewing public loved. Needless to say, The New Frontiers Update was a net positive for Dota 2, but its success also unexpectedly led to the death of the Battle Pass as we know it.

Dota 2’s Battle Pass (formerly the Compendium) pioneered in-game microtransactions that subsequent live service games would adopt and model after. It was a great way to encourage players to play the game a lot during a season in return for cosmetic rewards that were otherwise unobtainable through other methods. These exclusive cosmetics usually featured aesthetic upgrades unlike any other, like complete model overhauls of some heroes (Personas) or unique items that changed particle effects, updated ability icons, or completely changed how a character looked and sounded (Arcanas). The Battle Pass was also revolutionary in that it introduced crowd-funding for tournament prizes, with a portion of all players’ spending contributing towards The International’s Prize Pool. This model would be adapted and replicated by other games, with Fortnite’s Battle Pass becoming one of the most successful versions of it in other games.

However, Valve has decided to veer away from the tried and tested Battle Pass, phasing it out as the company decides to move its focus from big updates filled to the brim with cosmetic rewards for those who are willing to spend, to more impactful content updates that would be enjoyed even by those who spend zero dollars on the game. Indeed, The New Frontiers Update was Valve’s first step towards this pivot, and they saw that the community reception to this update was positive. However, Valve noted that they were only able to do this because they shifted the resources that they would have used to create content for a possible Battle Pass into developing The New Frontiers, instead. Hence, we can only expect Valve to deliver more updates that resemble The New Frontiers Update while downscaling the cosmetic updates that they’ll be putting out.

Dota 2’s Future without a Battle Pass

Even without a Battle Pass, Valve promises that it will continue releasing new cosmetics throughout the year, but stressed that more effort and resources will be put into building new features and content for the game, “delivered in different ways.”

One would immediately see how this will affect Dota 2’s economy, as cosmetics have always been an integral part of the Steam Community Market, and any spending on Battle Passes has always contributed to The International’s prize pool. Does this change in design philosophy also mean that there will no longer be a community-backed prize pool for The International? Valve reassures that there will still be a TI-themed update coming in September this year, just in time for when TI season starts once again. This update will still contribute directly to the prize pool, but it is currently unclear how. They did say that cosmetic items will no longer play a notable part here, unlike how cosmetics have been the driving force in pushing the Battle Pass and the TI prize pool forward. Because of this, Valve will be sunsetting the term Battle Pass, and the TI-focused seasonal event will be known under a new, currently unspecified name.

Valve hopes that by shifting this focus, it will be able to make “fun ideas of all scales and shapes,” and have the community give them feedback on what works and what don’t, which will then inform the design of future updates.

Dota 2 Community Reacts to the Death of the Battle Pass

Aside from jokes asking if this new direction and the removal of the Battle Pass from the Dota 2 canon meant that Dota 3 is finally in development (we all know this to not be true, thanks to Valve’s refusal to make any game with a “3” on its title), many fans are thankful that Valve is at the very least, more communicative with its community now compared to before.

As for reactions directed at these changes, most fans are receptive, noting that many cosmetics in the most recent Battle Passes have been lackluster, adding very little value to the game except for adding more items to collect for the player’s armory. Many are also receptive to the idea that there will be more reasons to revisit Dota 2 now throughout the year, instead of all focus being on the Battle Pass season that only lasts for a couple of months.

However, Dota 2 is inexorably linked to The International and its Battle Pass, and there are those who expressed displeasure with the removal of the Battle Pass from the game. Many lamented how Dota 2 will never be the same now. Many are upset that a super Battle Pass, one that would be the best Battle Pass that eclipses last year’s relatively unsuccessful one, will now be just a hopeful dream that will never come.

Regardless of how people feel, this looks a lot like the much-needed refresh and new direction that Valve needs to ensure Dota 2’s survival. This announcement came as the game’s 10-year anniversary draws near, with Valve pre-empting any speculations for any large-scale celebration by declaring what it has in mind to do for the near and far future. Thankfully, Valve is still interested in giving support to this much-beloved game and is looking forward to keeping the game afloat for another decade. With more games coming out every year and new MOBAs coming and going, Dota 2’s longevity has been thanks to its loyal fanbase who have always returned when Valve needed them the most. Now, it’s time for them to give these loyal customers even more reasons to stay, and keep them around longer for ten more years. Is removing the Battle Pass the right move to do this? We don’t know yet, but we look forward to whatever Valve has in mind for Dota 2’s more “fun updates.”