Everyone is eager to see what’s in the new battlepass and try to get as many cosmetics as possible. Here’s how the player number compares to previous years.
A few days ago, Valve released the TI11 battlepass with a plethora of new content and cosmetics. The 2022 battlepass will contribute to the overall prize pool of the TI11 - Dota 2’s annual mega event. The battlepass this year has a different format, with two parts - the first before TI and the other after the event. It brings new arcanas, dozens of new skins, treasures and more to the game and is largely seen as a celebration of Dota 2 - in some ways, a precursor to TI.
Days after the Dota 2 Battlepass release, the game’s player count has seen a significant spike. It reached a peak of 826,804 players, it’s highest number in over two years according to data from Steamcharts.
The number of concurrent players nearly a year ago, in August 2021, was around 700,000. There has been a consistent increase in number of players over the past few months, but the biggest change came in August where Dota 2 saw a 5.37% increase in the number of concurrent players.
Dota 2 had reached its all-time peak in March 2016 when it boasted nearly 1.3 million players. However, over the years, there has been a gradual decline in the number of players, but still remains one of the biggest games in esports.
What’s new in the Battlepass?
The Dota 2 battle pass this year includes the following
- Void Arcana
- Razor Arcana
- PA Persona
- CM Persona
- Primal Beast Prestige Bundle
- Taunts
- Custom Tower
- New Couriers, Wards and more
Despite the long list of new content, it still pales somewhat in comparison to the previous years which also features exclusive terrains, custom creeps and more.
The community also seems largely disappointed with this year’s battlepass due to most of the promised content not immediately available. A common meme going around in the Dota 2 community calls it the ‘Coming soon Battlepass’
Despite the obvious criticisms and frustrations, the battlepass still managed to get players back to the game after several years.
The Battlepass - A celebration of Dota 2
The battlepass is a means for the community to fund the highest level of competition in Dota 2. Valve introduced the battlepass nearly a decade ago and allowed the community to contribute to the TI prize pool. Over the years, TI has easily maintained its position as the largest prize pool in esports history breaking its own record every subsequent year. Last year, the TI prize pool crossed $40 million, an amount that highlights the community’s passion and love for the game.
It’s also important to remember that only 25% of all battlepass sales contribute to the TI prize pool. So if the TI10 prize pool was more than $40 million, it means the community contributed more than $160 million via the purchase of battlepass skins.
At the time of writing, the 2022 TI prize pool has already surpassed $7 million. All eyes are now on the final prize pool and to see whether it will manage to go over last year’s prize pool.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest Dota 2 news and updates.