VALVE to Introduce In-Game Bundles to Support Dota 2 Teams

VALVE have announced that in the coming weeks they will release special content packages in Dota 2, the sales of which will help to support professional teams. The bundles will include in-game effects, sprays, emotes, loading screens and chat-wheel lines. The content is designed by the teams themselves.

This is an effort to fix the situation, known for most people following esports – for clubs, it is often not profitable to host a Dota 2 team. Despite The International events giving out the highest amount of prize money in the industry, only a small amount of it goes to the organizations, while the lion’s share of the money is taken by the players. Not to mention how hard it is to qualify for a TI and the fact that last year there was no TI due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On top of all that, most top Dota 2 players ask for a hefty salary, at a level of other more sustainable esports.

Meanwhile, VALVE currently do not provide any direct support for teams. Which is quite unusual – their other esports title, CS:GO, has a special Stickers feature, which allows the participants of majors to capitalize on selling their logos in the game. Moreover, in the first few years of Dota 2 it was possible to buy Team Pennants, with part of sales going directly to the clubs. However, VALVE dropped the system after The International 2. Why? No one knows for sure.

VALVE have not specified which teams will get their bundles in game. It is safe to assume that teams not participating in the Dota Pro Circuit will not be represented. However, currently there are six regions with two divisions, each division consisting of 8 teams, which totals at 96 teams. Compare it to CS:GO, where the only 16-18 participants of majors get their stickers at a time. If VALVE do end up adding 96 bundles, there is a high chance that many teams will not get support they need, especially those competing in lower divisions.

The 2021 season of Dota Pro Circuit starts this week in all regions. To this occasion, VALVE have revamped the in-game Watch section, which now has a comprehensive scheduled and current team standings. Besides that, the company has updated the mobile DPC application.