The International 2020 Battle Pass “coming early next week” says Valve

A Valve employee has given a strong tease regarding the release date of The International 2020 Battle Pass.

A Dota 2 developer took to Reddit and stated that “FROM THE GHASTLY EYRIE I CAN SEE TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD, AND FROM THIS VANTAGE POINT I DECLARE WITH UTTER CERTAINTY THAT THE BATTLEPASS IS COMING EARLY NEXT WEEK!”

That isn’t a definitive release date, but Valve traditionally likes to roll out major Dota 2 updates on Tuesdays. 

As such, the TI10 Battle Pass will likely launch on May 26 or June 2, 2020.

Valve has not yet delved into any specifics regarding new components for the TI10 Battle Pass, but fans can likely predict what will be included. Over the last few years, the centerpieces of The International Battle Pass have included new cosmetics for heroes, limited time game modes, and a reward system based upon playing different heroes and achieving varied goals.

Odds are that all of those things will be included with The International 2020 Battle Pass, albeit with some minor variations. 

TI10 Battle Pass details still a mystery

The 2019 installment of the battle pass included four premium cosmetic items. Alongside an impressive Earthshaker Arcana were two unique immortals for Axe and Tiny. It also introduced a new class of items in “Hero Personas” that completely reimagined heroes, with the debut installment being the Acolyte of the Lost Arts item for Invoker. This item turned the hero into a young apprentice magician.

Though many were impressed by the cosmetics in the TI9 Battle Pass, fans were underwhelmed by the limited-time game mode. Wrath of the Mo’Rokai was essentially a reskinned and slightly altered rerelease of the Year Beast Brawl event from years prior. When compared with the cooperative game mode Siltbreaker or competitive dungeon crawler The Underhollow, it was underwhelming to many.

In the middle of it all was the Jungle Expedition. The feature tasked players with winning games as various heroes for a number of different potential rewards. It was nearly identical to the Cavern Crawl of 2018, albeit with a larger map.

It’s unknown what direction The International 2020 Battle Pass will go in at this point, but fans will have answers before long. A price tag hasn’t been announced, but expect it to start at $9.99 with a premium offering that includes a bundle of levels.

TI10 date remains a mystery

After months of uncertainty and cancellations of esports events, Valve made the decision to indefinitely postpone The International 2020. The publisher is hoping to have the event take place in 2021, but no exact date has been announced at this point. Despite the lack of certainty, the TI10 Battle Pass will still be used to crowdfund the prize pool for the event when it’s eventually held. 

As per usual, 25% of the revenue generated by the battle pass, including extra levels and treasures, will go into the TI10 prize pool.

The International 2019 saw its prize pool balloon to an astounding $34,330,068. The prize pool for TI has grown each year, but it will be interesting to see whether that trend can continue in spite of the delay.