Skip to main content

First 'Dota 2' campaign comes free with every Battle Pass purchase

Dota 2 is getting a cooperative, story-driven campaign, suggesting Valve is not done producing narrative content just yet. Players can gain access to the campaign, called Siltbreaker, by buying into the International 2017 Battle Pass. Although you can spend a lot on it if you want, the base-level cost is just $10.

Valve’s Battle Pass has been a hit with Dota 2 fans for years now. It offers masses of in-game content for Dota 2 and 25 percent of the money from purchases of the game goes to the prize pool for the annual Dota 2 world championships, otherwise known as The International. This year, as well as the usual visual upgrades and couriers, Valve is also giving buyers access to the Siltbreaker campaign.

Recommended Videos

Although as a MOBA, Dota 2 is focused on the player-versus-player multiplayer matchups, Siltbreaker will take things in a different direction and open an adventure for players to experience as they explore the Dark Reef. They’ll need to traverse dangerous and strange lands, battle fearsome beasts, and ultimately earn even more in-game rewards.

Since the campaign is cooperative though, you’ll need to work together with friends or online acquaintances to battle through the two acts that comprise the story. The first, Sands of Fate, is set to arrive by the end of May, with the second, A Vault In The Deep, making its appearance in July.

To gain access to the campaign, you’ll need to put down $10 for the Battle Pass, though of course you can spend much more if you prefer. While those with time to spare may like to earn their experience naturally through play, Valve also offers level upgrades that range from just a few dollars for a few levels, to $10 for a bonus 24 levels.

Buying your way to the top would get rather expensive though, as there are 1,000 levels to make your way through for those who love the grind. There are tons of new skins, sounds, taunts, and more to unlock this year. If you do make it all the way though, you’ll have the chance to receive The International 2017’s Collector’s Aegis, a real, one-fifth-scale alloy replica of the prize this year’s world champions will walk away with.

At the time of writing The International 2017’s prize pool has reached $4.23 million and according to PrizeTrack, is well on its way to beating last year’s total of $20.7 million.

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is a freelance evergreen writer and occasional section coordinator, covering how to guides, best-of lists, and…
Frostpunk 2 will come to PC Game Pass when it launches this year
A city in Frostpunk 2.

11bit Studios confirmed that Frostpunk 2 will be released on PC sometime during the first half of 2024 and will be on Game Pass from day one alongside the first full gameplay reveal for the highly anticipated survival city-builder.

The new gameplay trailer for Frostpunk 2 is just over two minutes long and gives the public a first look at the game's city-managing mechanics. Frostpunk 2's gameplay significantly departs from its predecessor in some ways, as it's more focused on the macro management of a city that's survived an apocalypse rather than the micromanaging of resources for basic survival. After getting an extended hands-off look at Frostpunk 2 in action last year, I said it "scales its challenges and gameplay systems up while also holding on to the ethical dilemmas and emphasis on consequences that made the original so great (and depressing.)."

Read more
Try these 2 indie greats before they leave Xbox Game Pass next week
An orb sits in an alien desert in Exo One.

I’m always excited for those two days every month when Xbox drops a blog post detailing the new additions coming to Game Pass. Even in slow months, there’s usually a hidden gem on there that I’m curious about digging into. Though as curious as I am about checking out what’s new, I often forget to scroll to the bottom and see what’s leaving the service. And just as there are a few standouts added to the service each month, Game Pass also tends to quietly lose just as many with each new batch.

That’s exactly the case this July. While the service gains Grand Theft Auto V and Exoprimal this month, it’s also losing two standout indies: Spelunky 2 and Exo One. If you’re looking for some games to play during a slow month for big releases, here’s why you should check out both before they leave the service on July 15.
Spelunky 2

Read more
Warzone 2.0’s ranked mode fixes my biggest battle royale pet peeve
Characters from Warzone 2.0 in the ranked mode.

As part of the Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 Season 3 Reloaded update, Activision finally added a long-awaited Ranked mode. While the mode plays almost exactly like standard battle royale on Al Mazrah, it has a number of minor differences that give it an edge. Though there's one feature in particular that stands out, as it fixes one of my biggest pet peeves in the battle royale genre.

In Ranked, players are discouraged from quitting partway through a match, giving squads a better chance of coming out on top. Placement is key in the mode, and you aren't going to place high if your squad leaves you partway through. To support that idea, players are heavily penalized for quitting a match early. The whole premise of the mode is to climb the ranks, so it's not worth losing Skill Rating (SR) points for quitting before the match is over.

Read more