The Dota 2 International 2019 doesn’t get underway until August, but The International Battle Pass, which grants owners access to exclusive content, features, and rewards, is available for purchase today. The “standard” Battle Pass can be had for $10, while higher level passes—with more rewards—are also available at discounted prices.
This year’s pass includes Wrath of the Mo’rokai custom game mode, a Jungle Expedition, and unlockable “Guardians of the Lost Path” custom towers that “will never be tradable or purchasable on the marketplace”—you either unlock them with the Battle Pass, or you miss out.
New consumables, like the Trusty Shovel, the Snake Balloon, and the poop-flinging Silly Monkey will help you along the journey, a new Coach’s Challenge will test your ability to guide lower-MMR players through matches, and new Party Finder will help you find fun people to play Dota 2 with, without having to screw around with your Steam Friends list. (Avoid Player, which does precisely the opposite, is also in there.) There’s a new avatar banner, a High Five action, MVP voting, a new Versus screen, and more—it’s a really extensive list.
Returning features—because that’s just the new stuff—include the ability to double down MMR rewards (or losses) once per week, Immortal item recycling, wagering, ranked roles, in-game tipping, trivia, predictions, the Daily Hero Challenge, and a slew of rewards that increase with Battle Pass levels.
The point of all this, aside from loading up Dota 2 fans with stuff, is to pump up The International prize pool: 25 percent of Battle Pass sales are contributed to the pool, which is already pushing $2.7 million. The big show this year runs August 20-25.