In a blog post on Wednesday, Valve has announced a new perk for Compendium owners. Those with over 1000 levels by the end of The International 5 will receive a "Collector's Aegis of Champions," which is a 1/5 scale brass-plated replica of the iconic International trophy.
Owners of the Collector's Aegis can boast about their contribution in-game with a special fountain glow effect, which will last until TI6. Additionally, Valve stated that the long-awaited Immortal Treasure III will be released by the end of the week, along with a new style for the Compendium pet, Almond the Frondillo.
The Collector's Aegis builds upon an apparent initiative by Valve to cater to the "premier customer" of Dota 2. This demographic is willing to pay for cosmetics, in-game tickets, and the ability to support the professional scene. The premier consumer subsidizes the rest of the userbase, who either play Dota as a strictly free to play game or limit their spending to a few select items. Valve's trend towards monetization has occasionally lead to pushback from the community, most notably for the most recent New Bloom event, which many criticized as "pay-to-win." Others have defended Valve, arguing that as long as the base game is not affected, any money flowing in is good for Dota.
In the case of the Collector's Aegis, which will cost US$426.99 minimum, it is almost certain that the community will repeat this discussion (does not include challenges or drops). Regardless of business ethics, one thing is for sure: the TI5 prize pool will continue to grow with this new stimulant. As Valve proudly reminded us to conclude their post, "The International 2015 has become the biggest event in Dota’s history, and one of the largest events in competitive gaming. This wouldn’t be possible without the continued support and passion from everyone in the Dota community."
With only twelve days remaining before the players arrive in Seattle, the hype will begin to pile on even more for the year's most anticipated tournament.
If your Compendium level is 1000 or above, register here to receive your Aegis.
Source: Dota 2
More content on GosuGamers
