Valve’s recent release of the TI12 Compendium for Dota 2 has left the gaming community in a state of dismay. The compendium, which traditionally serves as a guide and a means to engage players in the lead-up to The International, has been criticized for its lack of substantial content.

Credit: Dota 2

Stark Contrast to Previous Years

Historically, the Compendium was launched nearly 100 days before the event, as seen with TI8 and TI9. This timeline drastically reduced when the TI11 Battle Pass was introduced only 44 days before the event. This year, the gap has further shrunk to just 16 days. This shift has sparked numerous debates and questions within the community.

Valve, in a prior blog post, clarified their intention to divert more attention to the game throughout the year, thereby reducing the emphasis on the Battle Pass.

The TI12 Compendium has taken a different direction from its predecessors. Unlike previous years, this year’s edition does not feature any cosmetic items. Popular elements like Immortal Treasures, Rank Double Down Tokens, exclusive Arcanas, and other beloved components of the Battle Pass are conspicuously absent from the latest version.

Community Outrage on Social Media

The omission of quality content has led to public outcries from several community members, including professional players like Talon’s Nuengnara ‘23savage’ Teeramahanon and Shopify Rebellion’s Artour ‘Arteezy’ Babaev, who expressed their disappointment on social media.

The disappointment was palpable on various social media platforms:

Reddit: A thread on the Dota 2 subreddit was flooded with comments from disgruntled players. One user remarked:

“I’ve been supporting TI since its inception, but this year’s compendium feels like a slap in the face.”

Twitter: Tim @TheTruexy expressed his frustration with the recent patch changes, hinting at the lackluster content of the compendium. His tweet read, “PATCH 12.11 FULL CHANGES. This one’s a huge followup to 12.10 so sorry for the wall of text. Some added context on our philosophy in the thread (read till the end for Arcane Season 6 spoilers).”

Valve has assured the community that new cosmetic items, including fresh Arcanas and a significant patch, are underway and will be unveiled post-TI12. The Dota 2 community is now keenly awaiting The International’s revelations this year and the new offerings the upcoming season will present.

The TI12 Compendium has undoubtedly stirred the Dota 2 community, eliciting a range of emotions from excitement to disappointment. The shift in Valve’s strategy, focusing more on the esports aspect and less on cosmetics, marks a new chapter in the game’s history. Only time will tell how these changes will shape the future of Dota 2 and its global community.