“Should I do it? Is this going to be a positive thing? Is this something that is a net positive for the scene in Dota 2 in general? Like, is this creating something good? I think so.”
In his first development vlog of 2024, Jake "SirActionSlacks" Kanner talked about his plans to once again create Midas Mode for the third time. Midas Mode is a non-Valve Dota 2 tournament that Slacks produced twice in the past. It is a tournament by the community and for the community with an emphasis on fun and random shenanigans.
Slacks released two iterations of Midas Mode, one in 2017 and another in 2019. Both were well received. Now, he is planning to develop the third Midas Mode, focusing on the narrative aspect and drawing references from Dungeons & Dragons and Game of Thrones.
What is Midas Mode?
Not too long ago, we spoke with Slacks in an interview where he revealed his desire of reviving Midas Mode for the third time. But we did not expect him to follow through with the idea so soon. In less than three weeks, Slacks explained his plans on making Midas Mode 3. He added that he will release more vlogs in the following weeks regarding his project as well. But what exactly is Midas Mode for those who aren't already aware?
In 2017, Moonduck, a studio and agency that Slacks and many other reputable talents are a part of, released a custom game tournament known as Midas Mode. Midas Mode is a tournament with a core concept that centers around economy. Simply put, players must collect an in-game currency called Moonbucks in order to influence the outcome of games. This ranges from basic actions such as drafting heroes to game-breaking insanities, including giving viewers the ability to control Roshan.
The mad genius of this game made it popular. In fact, Slacks and his team even managed to get NASA to sponsor the event. In 2019, Slacks produced the second Midas Mode and said he would never do it again until he can forget how painful doing the last one was for him. Five years later, Slacks has begun his exciting journey in making the third iteration of Midas Mode.
So how will Midas Mode 3 be different?
While the essence of economy management will remain the same, Midas Mode 3 will have a variety of new concepts that draw references from Dungeons & Dragons and Game of Thrones. It will be a narrative-driven tournament where players, not teams, will act as mercenaries and band together under a house led by Banner Lords. These Banner Lords will likely be one of the pros or talents, and they need to utilize their Moonbucks to hire mercenaries to fight for their cause. He is hoping to get up to 20 players to duke it out in one game.
The mercenaries will not be limited to the pros. Additionally, their price tags will vary depending on their skill levels as well as other factors. For example, players who have high ping due to participating outside the tournament server will cost nothing or even provide a payout to those who hire them. With more money, the Banner Lords can have more opportunities to manipulate the outcomes of the tournament by sabotaging other houses and strengthening their own through various quests and twists.
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How will the tournament build its prize pool?
Like the previous Midas Modes, Slacks will rely on donations and sponsors. Whether the pros win or lose, Slacks plans on paying them a base stipend to incentivize them to join. This means that he will need an additional source of income, which is where you come in.
You, the viewers, will be given the opportunity to join the tournament. For example, if you want to join house Pyrion Flax, you will need to contribute to the prize pool through a donation. Once you are a part of the house, you get to discuss strategies with other members in a Discord group to achieve one goal: to win!
If your house becomes the victor, you get a share of the winner's portion of the prize. Say that your 100-member house wins $1 million. This means you get to keep $10,000. Of course, this is just a visualization of Slacks' plans as he still needs to explore the legality and feasibility of the system. But surely, such an idea will generate a lot of interest.
When will Midas Mode 3 launch?
"I think that bringing back third-party events that are made by community members, that are more of a celebration of just having fun in Dota and putting people in funny weird situations, is super cool."
While it is still in the early stages, Slacks is hoping to launch Midas Mode 3 between April and July. There will be a lot of work and he is looking to onboard a full-fledged production company for the tournament. He will also take a back seat this time and will not appear on camera if he doesn't have to so that he can focus on making sure things run smoothly.
The Midas Mode is loved by many because it is by the people, for the people. With the dissolution of the Dota Pro Circuit, there is now more room for third-party tournaments such as Midas Mode. Toward the end of his video, Slacks gave his closing remarks on whether he should do Midas Mode 3.
"Should I do it? Is this going to be a positive thing? Is this something that is a net positive for the scene in Dota 2 in general? Like, is this creating something good? I think so. I think that bringing back third-party events that are made by community members, that are more of a celebration of just having fun in Dota and putting people in funny weird situations, is super cool."
How can you support Slacks?
Slacks will need a lot of support to bring Midas Mode 3 into realization. The easiest way to do that is by following his journey on his Midas Mode 3 dev blog, which he will release more of every week. You can also leave comments and feedback to help him solidify his ideas or reach out via his business email, [email protected].
We will let you know when information on Midas Mode 3 surfaces. Keep up with more Dota 2 news and updates on esports.gg!
