In the latest Dota 2 update, Valve brought back Fantasy, Predictions, and Supporter Bundles for The International 2025.
While the professional scene knuckles down to prepare for TI14 in Hamburg, fans have at least received some long-awaited news from Valve.
What’s missing once again, however, is the classic Compendium and Battle Pass, leaving most of the community underwhelmed and having mixed feelings about the event and its prize pool.
What’s New in This Year’s Update
Valve has opted to double down on its Supporter Bundle system, which was introduced several years ago during the now-abolished Dota Pro Circuit.
The International heads to Hamburg for 2025 Image Credit: Valve
Each bundle includes team- or talent-made content, such as loading screens, stickers, and most importantly, voice lines, giving fans a way to directly support their favorites.
This year, the system goes one step further. 50% of every sale goes directly to the team or talent, while an additional 30% is funneled into TI’s prize pool.
Typically, only 25% of all sales go to the event’s pot, while Valve pockets 75%. This year, 80% of proceeds are going to players and talent.
Though this is a step in the right direction, the difference is that Supporter Bundles aren’t tied to massive seasonal content or cosmetics like the Battle Pass once was. This means there is less incentive for the average Dota 2 player to contribute funds.
Fantasy and Predictions
In addition to bundles, Valve has brought back some fan-favorite features.
The Fantasy and Prediction challenges are available to every player, this time for free, complete with global and friend leaderboards to see where you stand.
Fans can draft their own fantasy teams, picking cores, mids, and supports, while also trying their hand at predicting team-related outcomes.
At the end of the event, the top performers will earn exclusive rewards, namely the Tyrian Regalia, a collection of Immortal items themed around TI14. These rewards are account-locked, meaning they cannot be purchased. The only way to earn them is by climbing the leaderboards.
No Compendium or Battle Pass… Again
Still, the elephant in the room is what’s not in here: the Compendium or the Battle Pass. Both previously served as the cornerstone of The International’s hype cycle, not only giving players new content to grind for, but also generating record-breaking prize pools.
Again, Valve has abandoned the Battle Pass in favor of a leaner approach, leaving millions of fans disappointed. The result is more money going directly to players and teams, but far smaller totals for the prize pool itself.
Onto The International
Either way, The International isn’t merely defined by money and prize pools. The event is still something Dota 2 fans look forward to annually, and this year’s iteration will run from September 4 to 14 in Hamburg, Germany.
Whether you’re a fan of this new approach or now, for now, the message is clear: get your predictions in, build your fantasy rosters, and pick up a Supporter Bundle if you’re keen on supporting your favorite personalities.