Now of course, the excitement is already building up for every Dota2 fan out there. The International 2016 is set to take place in August and open qualifiers for the event is scheduled to start in June!
This year, Valve is looking to go gung-ho with offerings as they seek to increase the prize pool beyond the amount they’ve managed to rake in over the years. As of now, the prize pool stands at $6,098,885 and judging by how incredible the new Battle Pass is, the amount will definitely increase substantially.
What is a Battle Pass?
Well, it’s essentially a virtual front-row ticket to the greatest Dota2 tournament on the planet. Imagine being handed grandstand ticket to every FIFA World Cup match – that’s precisely how it feels, though in this case, the virtual aspect of the tournament allows Valve to accommodate incredible amounts of ‘grandstand tickets’.
When you purchase this battle pass, you’re essentially contributing to the prize pool and in return, you get a number of things from Valve, including exclusive access to the whole tournament, virtually.
What does the new Battle Pass provide?
Judging by the reception it has received from all over the world, the latest Battle Pass is nothing short of stupendous! Here’s a quick list of the initial stuff that’s included in it.
- Three Immortal Treasures
- Exclusive seasonal terrain
- Taunt
- Weather effect
- Music pack
- Cursor pack
- Evolving Courier
- Evolving Ward
- Emoticon pack
- HUD
- Loading screens
- Effigy Block
- Announcer pack
The Quest system has been refurbished and players can now choose paths and difficulties. Now of course, each path and difficulty offers specific rewards, accordingly. As soon as you reach level 225, you’d be eligible to receive a Legion Commander immortal item.
The more exciting bit, is their decision to maintain the wagering system, which was a major success in the last two Battle Passes. Every week, players will receive a balance of tokens that can be used in the wagering system. Only thing to be careful of, is using all your tokens accordingly, because unspent tokens will not be carried to your balance in the following week.
There’s a new Community Challenge as well, where communities compete and reach certain collective goals to gain rewards. But perhaps the biggest bit of it all is Valve’s ultimate offer. Assuming the total prize pool exceeds last year’s, which was $18,429,613, Valva will be granting every Battle Pass owner with three ‘Trust of the Benefactor’. Each ‘Trust of the Benefactor’ treasure will offer a chance to receive a 2016 Immortal Treasure, a Random Hero Set, an Arcana Set, or an ultra rare chance at one of the following limited-run prizes:
200 x Fire Lotus Belt
200 x Golden Ornithomancer Mantle
200 x Dragonclaw Hook
200 x Rainmaker
200 x Pipe of Dezun
200 x Perceptions of the Eternal Mind
200 x Kantusa The Script Sword
200 x Shattered Greatsword
200 x Golden Gravelmaw 100 x Drodo the Druffin
100 x Golden Grasping Bludgeon
100 x Golden Shards of Exile
100 x Golden Staff of Perplex
100 x Golden Huntling
100 x Golden Severing Crest
100 x Golden Sullen Hollow
100 x Golden Lamb to the Slaughter
100 x Lockjaw the Boxhound 50 x Golden Doomling
50 x Murrissey the Smeevil
50 x Ice Baby Roshan
50 x Fire Baby Roshan
25 x Guard of the Red Mist
25 x Axe of Phractos
25 x Monarch Bow
25 x Burning Fiend
Didn’t you say it was interactive?
Yes, we were just getting there. Besides all these in-game offers, Valve is also introducing the Weekend Battle – a mode that’s specifically designed to replicate the experience of competing in major tournaments, to regular and casual players out there. If you think you’re not competitive enough to play Dota2 professionally, don’t worry. This mode will allow you to step into the shoes of your favourite Fnatic player! As Valve eloquently described it: “During scheduled, weekly events, participants can party up and battle through eight-team, single-elimination brackets. Teams are placed in a skill tier against evenly-matched opponents competing in one of four geographic divisions.”
Then comes the democratic part of Dota. As part of Valve’s efforts to constantly get players more involved, you can now decide which hero receives the next Arcana set. Once all votes are counted, the final winner will be announced during The International 2016.
And to maximize your The International 2016 experience, Valve will also be providing the Compendium, which includes accustomed predictions, profiles as well as new features and activities that will be unveiled as we move closer to The International 2016.
How much does it cost?
If you’re only looking for a level 1 Battle Pass, it would cost you $9.99. Additionally the level 50 pass would cost you $26.99. You can also buy extra levels at $2.49 for 5 levels, $4.99 for 11 levels and $9.99 for 24 levels. As always, 25% of every purchase will go directly into the prize pool.
The International 2016 – When? Where?
As always the main event will take place at the KeyArena in Seattle, United States of America. This year, it’s scheduled to happen from Monday August 8th through Saturday August 13th. However, open qualifiers for the event will start on the 21st of June while Regional Qualifiers will happen on the 25th of June.
Tickets for the event is already on sale and you can purchase it on www.ticketmaster.com. There are two types of tickets – The Midweek Ticket and The Finals Ticket. Midweek Tickets—available for $75—will allow access to KeyArena for the first four days of the event August 8th – 11th. Finals Tickets—available for $100—will allow access to KeyArena for the final two days of the event August 12th – 13th.
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