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Valve has finally delivered one of Dota 2’s most quietly-requested features, a co-op story campaign, through Siltbreaker. “Act I: The Sands of Fate” is the first-ever “multiplayer campaign” released within the Dota 2 client.
Valve quietly hinted at the game’s new slew of characters, including a mysterious figure called Siltbreaker, awakening from the depths of Dark Reef. He has summoned “Rhyzik the Corruptor,” who fans must track down through the course of the game through a number of settings.
The game also includes new quest-exclusive items called “Artifacts,” which they describe as “mythic objects of power that can be equipped in your inventory as you progress through the challenges of the campaign.”
Further, fans kept on the edges of their seats for lore are likely in for a treat, as the company has been quietly hinting at new powers that be in the Dota 2 universe. Many of the names that have been brought into the Siltbreaker campaign, including the namesake himself, are entirely new to the universe. The campaign may draw connections between existing characters, these new figures, and those that may emerge in the future.
The only catch? It’s exclusively available to those who buy The International 7 Battle Pass.
While $10 for a co-op campaign seems steep on its own, the Battle Pass itself is a trove of goodies for Dota 2 players, including in-game quests, in-game wagering, the game’s infamous “hats” and much more. All of this can be grinded out through constant successful completion of quests, bets and achievements, or players can choose to buy “levels,” with an added perk of adding 25% of the purchases to the increasingly-deep TI7 prize pool.
The game mode itself will probably keep fans busy, as the game rewards the Battle Pass’s leveling currency, Battle Points, for good effort. Outstanding gameplay will earn fans a treasure with chances to earn a variety of fresh items, including a special rare courier resembling the game’s famous NPC-objective, Roshan. Fans that have already poured enormous amounts of time and effort (or money) into their pass get extra rewards from the mode, including an extra treasure.
Whether for the goodies or the stories, fans have been waiting for this release since the Battle Pass announcement. Now, it’s time to make a splash.
And for the fans that can’t get enough, Valve has announced Act II’s release for the month of July.