Dota 2 has been around for a full decade, and Valve is celebrating by giving you a whole bundle of free gifts for its landmark MOBA. Just by logging in and playing a few games of Dota 2, you’ll be able to snap up a baker’s dozen of commemorative treasures for one of the most popular games on Steam.
“There are some elders who whisper that the Ancients have always existed, and always will exist – unknowable eldritch tentacle-shards of a mad moon, outside of time, doomed to battle forever,” Valve remarks in a post on the game’s Steam page. As someone who enjoys how ridiculous the Dota lore hole goes, I’m glad to see any mention of the true nature of the Ancients.
Valve continues: “Other elders eyeball it at around ten, maybe 13 years. It really depends what wizard you’re listening to in the forest. Either way, we tend to side with the elders who say ‘Look, it’s got to be something,’ and ten’s a nice round number.” While Dota 2 first made its appearance on Steam around 13 years ago in an early access form, its full release arrived on July 9, 2013, putting us at the official ten-year mark.
To celebrate, Valve has 13 presents for you. From now until Thursday September 7, 2023, you’ll get one present for each game of Dota 2 you win. Yes, you’ll have to come out victorious – so make sure you’re caught up on the Dota 2 7.34 patch notes first. Still, if you’re interested in these gifts then presumably you’re planning to play anyway.
Each of the gifts contains a special item “tied to each of Dota’s storied years.” You’ll get one per win, meaning that you’ll need a total of 13 victories to collect them all. “All jokes aside,” Valve concludes, “we’re really lucky to have a community as supportive as Dota’s. We’re happy to have been able to share this journey with you so far.”
“So for the next couple of weeks, jump in a match and help us celebrate the decade behind us. We look forward to all the games to come.” It’s been a while since I strode out onto the Lord’s Pitch, but with the excitement of The International 2023 hanging in the air and all these freebies up for grabs, it might just be time to lace up my boots once more.
If you’re just getting started, take a look through the best Dota 2 heroes for beginners to help you get going. You’ll also want to check out the best Dota 2 custom games for all manner of cool alternate ways to play.
