No Battle Pass Again: Valve Brings Back Fantasy and Predictions for The International 2025

Within the newest Dota 2 replace, Valve introduced again Fantasy, Predictions, and Supporter Bundles for The Worldwide 2025.

Whereas the skilled scene knuckles down to organize for TI14 in Hamburg, followers have a minimum of obtained some long-awaited information from Valve.

What’s lacking as soon as once more, nevertheless, is the basic Compendium and Battle Cross, leaving a lot of the neighborhood underwhelmed and having blended emotions in regards to the occasion and its prize pool.

What’s New in This 12 months’s Replace

Valve has opted to double down on its Supporter Bundle system, which was launched a number of years in the past through the now-abolished Dota Professional Circuit.

Every bundle contains team- or talent-made content material, equivalent to loading screens, stickers, and most significantly, voice traces, giving followers a strategy to immediately help their favorites.

This yr, the system goes one step additional. 50% of each sale goes on to the staff or expertise, whereas a further 30% is funneled into TI’s prize pool.

Usually, solely 25% of all gross sales go to the occasion’s pot, whereas Valve pockets 75%. This yr, 80% of proceeds are going to gamers and expertise.

Although it is a step in the precise path, the distinction is that Supporter Bundles aren’t tied to huge seasonal content material or cosmetics just like the Battle Cross as soon as was. This implies there’s much less incentive for the common Dota 2 participant to contribute funds.

Fantasy and Predictions

Along with bundles, Valve has introduced again some fan-favorite options.

The Fantasy and Prediction challenges can be found to each participant, this time without spending a dime, full with international and pal leaderboards to see the place you stand.

Followers can draft their very own fantasy groups, selecting cores, mids, and helps, whereas additionally attempting their hand at predicting team-related outcomes.

On the finish of the occasion, the highest performers will earn unique rewards, specifically the Tyrian Regalia, a set of Immortal objects themed round TI14. These rewards are account-locked, which means they can’t be bought. The one strategy to earn them is by climbing the leaderboards.

No Compendium or Battle Cross… Once more

Nonetheless, the elephant within the room is what’s not in right here: the Compendium or the Battle Cross. Each beforehand served because the cornerstone of The Worldwide’s hype cycle, not solely giving gamers new content material to grind for, but in addition producing record-breaking prize swimming pools.

Once more, Valve has deserted the Battle Cross in favor of a leaner strategy, leaving hundreds of thousands of followers disenchanted. The result’s more cash going on to gamers and groups, however far smaller totals for the prize pool itself.

Onto The Worldwide

Both method, The Worldwide isn’t merely outlined by cash and prize swimming pools. The occasion continues to be one thing Dota 2 followers look ahead to yearly, and this yr’s iteration will run from September 4 to 14 in Hamburg, Germany.

Whether or not you’re a fan of this new strategy or now, for now, the message is evident: get your predictions in, construct your fantasy rosters, and choose up a Supporter Bundle when you’re eager on supporting your favourite personalities.