Battle Pass being reworked - When and what to expect
The Battle Pass system is being reworked. Let’s predict when can expect the official release, and what are the best features the community is waiting.
Wykrhm Reddy, a renowned and trusted member of the Dota 2 community, announced on Twitter that the Battle Pass system is being reworked and more info will be available in the future.
Estimated date
Valve provided no official date, but we can all agree that the new Battle Pass won’t be released in 2017. In a matter of days, they will announce the winners of the Frostivus 2017 custom game contest, and the skins accepted in the next chest.
Check out my article on the best Frostivus skins in the workshop and vote for your favorite!
Spruce Watcher by Dr. Robo
The International 2017 Battle Pass rolled out on May 4, 2017, but waiting so long for the new one is unthinkable.
Valve has not published a Fall Battle Pass this year - as the system is being reworked - and the previous Winter one went live on January 26, 2017. I think we can expect the new system in the same period.
The Chinese New Year
Every Dota player knows how much Valve values the Chinese New Year: every time they celebrate it with custom events/games and a treasure chest.
In 2017, they added the Path of the Blossom in the Winter Battle Pass, available until February 15th. Those who completed the path have been rewarded with an Ember Spirit set, the Rekindled Ashes.
In 2018, the Chinese New Year will take place on February 16, so a Battle Pass in the last two weeks of January would be perfect.
Why we need a new Battle Pass
I already talked about the declining playerbase, and a Battle Pass would greatly improve the situation. Every time it is released, the community goes out of hibernation: even inactive players get back in the game to earn achievements, do quests, and win new skins.
In the past Summer, May and August were the only months in which we had a positive increase of players. In August thanks to The International, and in May for the Battle Pass.
Average players, gain, % gain, and peak players from March to September 2017 - Image from SteamCharts
What we want in the next Battle Pass
The Battle Pass has different features, and every year Valve adds new ones. Let’s take a look at those that Dota players loved the most.
Chat Wheel sounds. Without doubt the best innovation Valve has ever introduced in the game. It contained classic voice lines from famous casters, and helped to boost the team’s morale even in the worst games.
Quests, team quests, paths. Different quests to challenge the players, in solo or in a team. Everyone played more time daily just to finish them and unlock the rewards at the end of each path.
On a note, I believe quests should be removed from ranked games. Often, the entire team risked losing the match because one player refused to end it before completing his quest.
Levels and rewards. "The intent is to provide players with a sense of pride and accomplishment for unlocking different rewards." I really wanted to use this meme :P. Levelling up the Battle Pass we can unlock skins, maps, announcer packs, and effects of any kind. Nothing pay to win, just hats!
Multiplayer campaign. Siltbreaker is the multiplayer campaign added in the previous Battle Pass. Even if not complex, it was nice to diversify the gameplay. I hope in future we will have even better co-op campaigns.
The Battle Pass has more features, but these boosted the amount of players the most and made our games more enjoyable.
What are you expecting from the new system? I am looking for more quests, and also hope Valve will introduce tons of voice lines from casters and players :).
Update: The Battle Pass 2018 is out!
Header Image: Valve
