The International is the highlight of every Dota 2 year, and it comes bundled with the battle pass, which allows players to become a part of a tradition through various rewards.
From cosmetics to voice lines, players get to unlock once-in-a-year items that rev up the TI spirit. The battle pass has also been an essential part of Dota 2’s competitive scene since it’s been funding the event’s prize pool.
The crowdfunding nature of the battle pass allowed Dota 2 to have some of the highest prize pools in esports over the years. With The International 2023—or TI12—fast approaching, fans are already curious about when the latest iteration of the battle pass will be available or if Valve has cooked up other plans in 2023.
When will The International 2023 battle pass for Dota 2 become available?
In a June 19, 2023 announcement, Valve decided to scrap the battle pass system Dota 2 players have grown used to over the years. This means there won’t be a battle pass filled with cosmetics and rewards in 2023.
Despite moving away from the battle pass system, Valve announced there would still be a “TI-themed update” that would ship in Sept. 2023. This new TI update will still aim to crowdfund TI but will try to do so without the cosmetic rewards.
Related: No battle pass for Dota 2 in 2023 as Valve starts work on something new
Considering how cosmetics served as the primary fuel for players to purchase the battle pass, the community responses to this change have been mixed at best. Pro players expressed their concerns over how the tournament would now be funded, especially after Dota 2’s Major prize pools shrunk as they became stepping stones for TI.
Though no Dota 2 fan wouldn’t mind more constant updates throughout the year, we’ll have to wait and see whether Valve can take advantage of this situation to deliver more quality content scattered evenly throughout the year.
