The 2018 International Battle Pass gave us some surprising and some not-so-surprising new revelations. One of the games that were destined to be the centre of attention no matter what happened was Dota 2. The legendary game has amassed a loyal cult following over the past few years. That loyal following was waiting eagerly to see what the next rendition of this legendary game would come up with. Their questions and intrigue were answered, although it can be argued that what was revealed could’ve been predicted months ago.

Dota 2 will have a plethora of new features, game play improvements, side quests and most importantly, The Underhallow. Underhallow is supposed to be the “next big thing” for Dota 2.

As per the description provided, it is a “new game mode that allows a three-player team to set off on a competitive quest for cheese”. The only problem with that description is that they could’ve made simpler by saying “Dota 2 will have a Battle Royale mode”.

Ever since the record shattering success of Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, it has become en vogue to try and mimic one of the most popular aspects of the game i.e. the battle royale.

There were a lot more details that were released to the public about this new mode. Details such as; the last teams standing would win, you’ll have to navigate safely through the labyrinth to earn XP and Gold to beat your enemies, and that the collapsing map will gradually move towards the middle of the Underhallow, made it clear that this was more like the PUBGing Dota.

It isn’t as if any of the fans or anyone else is complaining. There would undoubtedly have been a furor had there been no such battle royale feature in Dota 2 at all.

Other modes that will be available in Dota 2 include access to the Cavern Crawl. The centre of attention in that mode will be the cosmetically rare Jade Baby Roshan. The Emerald Abyss will be a terrain available to the players as a reward once they unlock it or buy it from the marketplace. However, players will need to unlock it before The International concludes, as it will be closed to the user indefinitely afterwards.

Some of the other features announced include a new mutation mode, tipping inside the game as well as new spray designs. Other features like voice-lines and Arcana Vote which have been a staple of Dota in the past will be making their return too.

However, the centre piece attraction of this year’s Battle Pass was undoubtedly The Underhallow.

Users can purchase the Battle Pass right now for around $9.99. There’s an option to get an automatic upgraded to level 75 Battle Pass for around $36.99. Portions of the sales from these Battle Passes will be added to the International 2018 accolade. There’s no limit to what the prize money can be. Last year the prize pool reached $25,000,000. Industry experts believe that the announcement of the new game modes, especially The Underhallow, means that that number will almost certainly be eclipsed this year.