Valve drops big updates for Dota 2 every year around The International as a way to celebrate the game’s community and support its competitive scene. And, instead of the annual battle pass that players have grown accustomed to over the last several years, TI12 is bringing back the Compendium.

Instead of focusing on a content dump of new cosmetics or balance, like players were hoping for, Valve has focused this reformatted approach to TI content on “creating a set of activities to make TI more fun” during and after the broadcast.

That means fewer unlockables to strive for and more fun to be had while participating in the TI revelry through things like Fantasy play and Bingo—in theory.

This decision has left an odd taste in the mouths of players since the actual Compendium 2023 update seems light because Valve is spreading its efforts out in a more balanced approach to content drops. But take a look at everything the TI12 Compendium actually brings before you decide if it is worth the buy.

What is the Dota 2 TI12 Compendium?

Valve announced earlier this year that the battle pass it has been using as the staple for The International since 2013 would be retired in favor of diversifying its approach to Dota 2 gameplay updates moving forward.

The company did promise a TI-centric update would still be released before TI12 begins on Oct. 12, and now we have the return of the Compendium to sift through for the first time since 2021. It has been reworked significantly to focus entirely on new features and activities rather than the usual cosmetics that previous battle passes were known for.

When does the Dota 2 TI12 Compendium release? All dates

The Dota 2 TI12 Compendium was released globally on Sept. 27, 2023, alongside the main announcement from Valve.

There is currently no end date for this collection and its features, but Valve has noted “the next big patch” and a set of Arcanas is being worked on “for after the champions claim the Aegis.” This likely means there is just no set end yet and Valve will announce it at a later date—potentially while teasing what comes next.

All content in the Dota 2 TI12 Compendium

There is a lot of content in the TI12 Compendium despite the early comments about it being light, though most of it is in areas that won’t impact your in-game play.

Profile Showcase

Profiles and Mini Profiles have been reworked so players can show off their Dota items and accomplishments in new ways. This means you can use sprays, loading screens, cha wheels, items, stickers, and even stat graphs to showcase your stuff.

The Road to The International Challenge

Two different challenges have been added that will have players taking on the role of specific heroes used by pro players and teams throughout the current competitive season.

Players will be tasked with winning as specific heroes featured in an actual match at a pro tournament or win using “one of a pro’s most-picked heroes.” You will have a selection of five heroes to pick from each time, along with the full details about how to complete each quest for bonus rewards.

Fantasy Draft

Valve has updated the Fantasy portion of TI this year to let players pick their favorite core, mid, and support players each weekend during TI12.

You will have to use Compendium rewards and earned rerolls to craft stas for your selected players, which can give you an edge when they or their team perform certain actions in their games. Competing players will earn Compendium Points each week, with a chance to grab a unique in-game trophy too.

Bingo

Every Compendium owner will receive a randomly generated Bingo card each weekend of TI12, with each square representing something that could happen during the pro matches. Completing a Bingo on your card will net you some Compendium Points.

The Oracle’s Challenge

Another prediction-based challenge; this time you will have to predict the outcome of TI12 itself.

Starting with the group stage, you will be tasked with predicting the order in which teams progress through the opening bracket or fall out of contention. Each correct pick will earn you more Compendium Points as the tournament goes on.

There are also in-game predictions you can run while watching live via Dota TV or on Twitch, guessing on stats live like the total number of player deaths by a set time in the match or a range of time for the first tower being destroyed. You can earn up to six Compendium Points per day through this voting activity.

Supporter’s Club and Talent Stickers

The Supporter’s Club returns with Bronze, Silver and Gold tier options to support your favorite teams competing at TI12.

Signing up will net you a selection of rewards curated by the teams, such as voice lines and sprays, to use how you please. And, 50 percent of all sales go directly to the team you support—you can view these bundles in the Dota 2 client.

Talent Stickers will also return, giving you a similar option to purchase reward bundles featuring stickers, voice lines, and autographs from your favorite casters, commentators, and analysts appearing on the TI12 broadcast. Details for this are still in the works since a full talent roster hasn’t been shared just yet.

Compendium Rewards

As you complete challenges or just play Dota 2, your Compendium Points and Levels will net you some rewards like player and team stickers, permanent chat wheels that you can keep and use forever, and more.

Some of the TI12-themed offerings feature a new HUD designed to look like stain glass, teleport effects based on your favorite team, new loading screens, and others—which you can view in the Dota 2 client. There are also powerups you can earn for Fantasy and challenges too.

All Dota 2 TI12 Compendium prices

At launch, the TI12 Compendium offers two options for Dota 2 players to pick between, a Standard Compendium and the Upgraded Compendium—with level bundles likely to follow in the coming weeks.

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Both offer similar rewards to start, but the Upgraded Compendium does offer bonus Team Sticker and Player Sticker Capsules, along with more Loading Screen Treasures and a Teleport effect right after your purchase because of the levels you will gain. Here is a full list of the price structure and offerings from both.

Standard Compendium

  • $7.49 USD (Six Compendium Levels and six Boosters)
  • Access to all Compendium features
  • Aegis Emoticon
  • Four Road To TI Culling Blades
  • Six Road To TI Reroll Tokens
  • 36 Fantasy Roll Tokens
  • One Random Voiceline
  • One Player Sticker Capsule

Upgraded Compendium

    • $29.99 (50 Compendium Levels and 28 Boosters)
    • Access to all Compendium features
    • Aegis Emoticon
    • 13 Road To TI Culling Blades
    • 15 Road To TI Reroll Tokens
    • 78 Fantasy Roll Tokens
  • Eight Random Voicelines
  • 12 Player Sticker Capsules
  • Five Team Sticker Capsules
  • Four Team Loading Screen Treasures
  • Two TI Loading Screen Treasures
  • Level One TI 2023 Teleport FX

As always, 25 percent of all purchases will be added to the prize pool for TI12.

Should you buy the Dota 2 TI12 Compendium?

This is a big change for Valve and the Dota 2 community after years of an extensive battle pass with tons of cosmetics, new game modes, and other content dropping around The International each year. And, depending on how much value you put on what the developers are prioritizing in the TI12 Compendium, you might be better off skipping it.

I love playing Fantasy across the board, so the changes made to that mode have my group of friends excited to dive in and try them out. The Bingo and Oracle’s Challenge activities are also welcome changes since I will be active in using them while watching the matches.

That is where my excitement stops, however, because the Compendium is lacking a real incentive to dive back into playing Dota matches. As a lapsed player, I am more than happy to play Fantasy or do the other activities, but the challenge modes and other rewards don’t really catch my eye—and that seems to be the case for a lot of players.

I think a lot of the smaller parts of this update are awesome and will be cool quality-of-life features for the game, like the profile changes. But outside the addition of permanent chat wheels and some neat visuals, the grind for stickers or a physical Aegis doesn’t really appeal to me.

Maybe if there is more content added after TI12 ends on Oct. 29, you can skip this if you’re only interested in the battle pass cosmetics or game modes.