Three days after Tundra Esports claimed (and then lost) the Aegis, Valve released an announcement regarding the Battle Pass. As promised, the new version of the Battle Pass comes in two parts, and the time is nigh. With the Swag Bag offering a free Battle Pass to everyone, Part 2 looks much more appealing than before. Here’s what fans have in store for them with the Battle Pass: Part 2.
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Shifting Tides
Diretide, the classic Halloween game mode, has started a bit late due to the new Battle Pass schedule. Valve described the upcoming Diretide as “Hallo-wintery fun”, which is a fairly accurate description. Though, apart from the Greevils and dramatic announcer, it really seems more like a Christmas-themed game mode. A few more Jack-O-Lanterns and dead trees might have helped to keep the original Diretide flavor present, even after Halloween.
Of course, Diretide isn’t the only feature that the Battle Pass: Part 2 added. While players typically acquire cosmetics through random chance, the Candyworks gives fans more control over their look. Players acquire different kinds of candies as they play games, which they can then spend in the Candyworks. Different cosmetics require different combinations of candies, but players can convert the sugary currencies. Not only that but the contents of the shop can be rerolled to grant better options. Some of the items for sale are exclusive but come with a hefty price tag. Many of the pricier items require a sufficiently leveled Battle Pass, as it grants increased candy capacity. This is nothing new though, and with the Swag Bag handing out free Passes this is nothing too troublesome.
Season of the Wolf
While the Exile Unveiled wasn’t bad, it is outshone by the featured cosmetic in the Battle Pass: Part 2. Conduit of the Blueheart, the new Persona for Crystal Maiden, expands on the wolf familiar in her Arcana. With the new Persona, players instead become a Dire Wolf avatar, entirely replacing the original Crystal Maiden. This alternate identity for the hero also comes with its own wolf pup companion, for those feeling lonely.
The Persona only requires a level 148 Battle Pass, as opposed to the Exile Unveiled’s 296. Along with the lower requirement, it’s also more drastic a change, even compared to all the other Personas. The title of Most Drastic Persona Change once arguably belonged to Invoker’s Acolyte of the Lost Arts, but no more. While that merely turned Carl into a child, Conduit of the Blueheart completely replaces Rylai with another character. Being quadrupedal, the Persona can’t even use any of Crystal Maiden’s original animations. Yet again, Valve has demonstrated that they’re the best in the industry when it comes to cosmetics.
Making A Comeback
First with the Swag Bag and now with the Battle Pass: Part 2, Valve is winning over fans again. While there has always been somewhat of a disconnect between the company and their fans, they never seemed malicious. Their recent gestures of goodwill show that that hasn’t changed, and the player numbers are reflecting that. The Swag Bag brought in more active players, and the Battle Pass: Part 2 is keeping them active. The weeks ahead for Dota 2 look to be filled with Hallo-wintery fun.