Dota 2 had a dry year in terms of cosmetics in 2023. With all the cosmetics tucked away in Valve’s closet, fans slowly started losing interest—so much so that one player dived into the Dota 2 game files and dug up hints for the next big update, Crownfall.
The findings of this Crownfall datamine surfaced on Reddit on Feb. 13, giving the community a new sense of hope. The datamine hints toward an upcoming PvE event, as the Redditor found a health bar for a Queen of Pain Boss. In addition to the new hero, Ringmaster, they also found a substantial number of skins and cosmetics in the files.
Skywrath Mage and Vengeful Spirit Arcanas, and event-themed cosmetics for Crystal Maiden, Oracle, and Drow Ranger, also appeared in Dota 2‘s Crownfall update leaks. The update was originally expected to arrive in September 2023 but was delayed.
The alleged PvE event might also double with a Candy Shop where players can redeem event currencies for cosmetics. In 2022, Dota 2 fans could even get Arcanas from the Candyworks, which was part of the Diretide event.
As the icing on the cake, Valve may also treat Dota 2 players to a lore-filled novel covering important plot points for heroes as part of the event. Though Dota 2 has received multiple balance changes that changed the meta, there hasn’t been a notable event in the game since 2022.
Even the most competitive players love events, as they often feature custom games and give players the chance to add more cosmetics to their collections. These events used to happen around TI time, but Valve decided there would be no battle pass for Dota 2 in 2023, and many players considered its replacement disrespectful.
Considering Valve also ended the Dota Pro Circuit, Dota 2 players anticipated more content patches. While one is on the way, it took Valve longer than expected to deliver, so filling this event with elements beloved to the community would be in the developer’s best interest.
