Valve has released the Dota 2 compendium, the in-game item that will be used to crowdfund the prize pool for The International 12. However, despite lowered expectations, it really is quite underwhelming.
The compendium seems to be going back to the very early roots of what in game crowd funding for TI was 10 years ago. Gone are all the cosmetics, custom game modes and other extras and all that remains are the things related to the pro scene. Predictions, fantasy and some basic game related cosmetics such as a HUD and loading screen all return and are now the headline features.
There’s also a weird bingo game that seems to reward you entirely based on RNG if certain things happen in pro matches, as well as the one actually interesting addition that gives you challenges related to pro matches, asking you to win with heroes teams drafted or are favorites of pro players.
The compendium is still being used to fund the prize poll for TI, with the base compendium costing $7.49 and an upgraded option that gives you 50 levels costing $29.99. 25% of all sales will go to the TI prize pool.
Also launching with the update is a change for all players, not just those with the compendium. The profile section of Dota has been overhauled, allowing you to showcase your best cosmetics and really make it unique, which is long overdue.
Other than that there really isn’t much here. Supporters packs are back and are now permanent, which they should have been from day one, although this is probably related to the death of the DPC. Talent stickers and voice lines will also return at a later date.
Valve announced earlier this year that it would not be releasing the traditional Battle Pass this year, instead focusing efforts on more regular updates to the core game. This methodology has been really good over the past few months, with the massive 7.33 patch being the first in a long line of more regular and sizable patches now the team has more time to focus on the core game. However, many players expected that the new system to fund The International would have a little more to offer than The Compendium which has just been released.
2022 was the first time the prize pool for The International did not break its own record, reaching a total of $18,930,775, which was less than half the previous year. Now with the smaller Compendium and difficult year for the pro scene, it is very likely that number will drop even further this year.
This is the second major update from Valve today, with Counter-Strike 2 finally becoming available for everyone as well.
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