We explain the Great Confluence, Dota 2’s future mega-event

The Great Confluence is on its way to Dota 2 and it’s set to be a cataclysmic event of some sort, but what exactly does that mean?

Dota 2 lore is a strange beast, but it looks like Valve is cooking up something big for the game’s storyline. Several characters and events have referenced some kind of event called the Great Confluence. Some signs point to it being a massive game update while others paint it as a future event that will always be on the horizon. Here’s what we know about the Great Confluence and what it means for Dota 2 players.

The Great Confluence first appeared in Dota 2 lore as part of the Void Spirit reveal at The International 2019. After an augmented reality Void Spirit appeared on stage and offered a warning.

“Prepare yourselves, mortals. The great confluence approaches. And my time finally comes,” he said, according to Valve’s official translation.

The general concept behind Dota 2 lore is that every real-life game is a canonical part of the story. This includes everything from Team Spirit’s victory at The International 2021 to your own game last night where Templar Assassin died twice, then started intentionally feeding while spamming all-chat. In the story, all 10 of the heroes in the game happened to find themselves on the battlefield, with different reasons for their allies and enemies.

A confluence is defined as “a coming together of people or things.” It’s easy to imagine different ways that this could lead to a “Great Confluence” event in Dota 2.

With the closure of Heroes of Newerth and popular requests for transplanted heroes, the Dota 2 community is once again abuzz. Leaks that later turned out to be false only stoked the flames. So what exactly is the Great Confluence and what will it mean for Dota 2?

The Great Confluence could be a new Dota 2 battle pass

Whatever the Great Confluence is, it will definitely shake up the game in one way or another.

Based on the name, the Great Confluence will be a gathering of several important figures in the Dota 2 world. Void Spirit’s relation to it may mean it includes celestial beings like his fellow spirits, the Fundamentals, and the recently added Dawnbreaker. It may include more mundane figures as well so any Dota 2 hero could be included. As for what will happen at the Great Confluence, there’s very little information. It could be a realignment of Dota 2 heroes back to the radiant and dire sides. It could also be a music video.

As for what it means for players, the Great Confluence will probably be used as a backdrop for a major battle pass or event. It could wind up as an alternate Dota 2 game mode or just flavorful dressing for a new batch of cosmetics. Alternatively, the Great Confluence could also just be a story thread that the game will never quite reach.

Seeing as the ancients actually reset the Dota 2 universe every time one dies, the mysterious event could hang forever in the future. It would be anticlimactic, but knowing Valve, it’s a very real possibility.