Games fighting battle tournament. Complete guide to the Battle Cup winter season: rules, rewards, innovations

“What is this, Dota 3?”, “Has Dota really become paid?” - players greeted the Dota Plus update with these questions. Valve has introduced a subscription system that will allow players to enjoy special features in the game and purchase new cosmetic packs. According to the developers, Dota Plus has become a natural continuation of the Battle Pass idea, which will allow them to constantly replenish the store with rewards and add new quests.

The cost of a subscription for 1 month will be 240 rubles, six months - 1350 rubles, a year - 2520 rubles. You can even give Dota Plus to a friend. Let's figure out what you can get for this money and whether Dota has really become Pay to Win.

The most important part of the Dota Plus system is a set of assistants that are designed to orient players in a complex world. He will accompany subscribers at all stages of the game: from the draft to the closing of the match window.

Draft assistant

Dota Plus offers players heroes that can be used in different lanes. A list of characters for various positions will be displayed next to the minimap in the draft window. The system will analyze both the choice of allies and rivals. True, it still works according to incomprehensible algorithms. For example, he suggests going Bounty Hunter to mid or sending Shadow Shaman to the difficult lane. She even advises going to the mid lane with a double, just like the professionals.

So that you do not completely get confused in the proposed pick, the system will also suggest how to place heroes along the lines. Moreover, useful information on formations will be available to all team players, and not just to the subscription owner.

Build Assistant

Dota Plus will advise players which abilities to take at each level. Percentages will appear above the skill icons, which you can use as a guide when choosing a skill. If you suddenly decide not to use the proposed option, then at the next level the system will adjust its advice depending on the situation on the line and the chosen order of learning abilities.

This doesn't mean that user guides will die completely. Players can still turn off tips from Dota Plus and connect guides that are in the library. You can find them all there, at the top of the inventory.

Dota Plus will also offer its own purchasing guides. And not just one, but three at once. At any time, the sequence of purchasing items can be recalculated or simply ignored.

Game assistant

Dota Plus will guide the player in key indicators. First of all, you should pay attention to the upper left corner, where during the match the system will compare your basic data with the average for the current rank. Green and red arrows next to the counter of killed creeps and KDA will indicate your level in relation to other users.

While in the tavern, you can have a pleasant time analyzing the damage and stun graph from your last fight, second by second.

Post-game assistant

To begin, Dota Plus will analyze the map you played and allow you to compare all key indicators with the average values for your rank. The system offers to evaluate your network, the number of completed creeps, denies, as well as the main KDA indicators.

Another part of the table gives players the opportunity to compare the amount of damage dealt and received by different heroes and abilities. All this is available in the final screen after the game in the tabs with graphs.

In addition, in Dota Plus, Valve implemented a long-standing idea of globally collecting information about each character. All the necessary data, the most popular upgrades and successful talents can be viewed in the hero tab. You can also compare the average performance at each rank.

Know your heroes

Dota Plus offers a new way to interact with characters in . Players will now be able to view the progress of each hero on their profile. He will be marked with a special icon, from a bronze triangle to a purple Aegis. Your teammates will be able to see it during the draft stage.

After each match you will gain experience points on your character. Additional points can be obtained for completing a game (50 experience), winning (5 experience) and completing quests (experience depends on difficulty).

In addition to a beautiful icon, players will also receive special cosmetic bonuses for their character - sound phrases for chat. After opening the first level, users will have access to two quotes, and the collection can be supplemented by leveling up the hero. There are a total of 25 levels available for each character.

In-game tasks

Each Dota Plus subscriber has two types of tasks available. The first is general, which can be viewed on the start screen. They will help you get acquainted with the functionality of the new system and evaluate its innovations. For example, to begin with, Dota Plus suggests taking the suggested hero, using a build-up from the guide or a new landscape, and also contacting an assistant. For completing six tasks in the first part, you can earn 3,600 shards for internal purchases.

The second type is the usual quests that players were so in love with. Each hero in the game has three tasks available for in-game interactions and the use of abilities. Each of the quests has three difficulty levels. Before starting the game, you must select a suitable task under the purchase screen. For completing them, hero experience will be awarded. Keep in mind that some of them will require not only hero ownership, but also certain artifact assemblies. For example, Faceless Void must purchase Mask of Madness and deal a certain amount of damage while under its effect.

Shards

A special currency available to Dota Plus subscribers. It is earned by leveling up your Hero Badge, winning the Battle Cup, and completing challenges and quests. The shards themselves can be spent in the store. More on this below.

Shop

Dota Plus subscribers have access to a store where they can purchase exclusive and retired sets, as well as relics.

The second section with sets is more extensive: 36 different popular sets. Their price varies from 2 thousand to 5 thousand fragments.

A random relic per hero (there are 14 in total) costs 800 fragments. Relics of the fourth level (heroic) will cost 10 thousand fragments.

Battle Cup

Weekly competitions for team fans return to the client. Since Dota Plus is a logical continuation of the Battle Pass, it could not do without the Battle Cup. As during the pass, players will be able to take part in small in-game tournaments every week.

For winning, users will again receive icons and emoticons, and in addition Valve will give 20,000 shards, which can be spent in the store on relics or sets.

But you can take part in Battle Cups even if you are not a Dota Plus subscriber. To do this, you need to buy a one-time ticket in the store. It will cost $0.99 or approximately 56 rubles.

What are they saying about Dota Plus?

The first reaction of many players was unambiguous: Pay to Win was introduced. In theory, the new system offers advice that will improve both your draft and builds, and will help you choose the right ability and talent.

But no one guarantees that the information collected, even from millions of matches, will lead to victory. The game itself will not start pressing buttons, and it does not provide information that is not available in open sources (like Dotabuff or OpenDota). A sort of Battle Pass with built-in statistics without the need to change the window. Its main advantage is that you don’t need to waste time searching for this data. But you still have to use it wisely.

“It only gives you an advantage if you're an idiot. If they tell you what artifacts to buy and what to upgrade, you won’t become any smarter,” commented Alexander RobotVice Dagher, an American streamer, on the innovations.

The item build assistant is based on statistics and win rates. Therefore, he does not always give useful advice. It also does not explain the choice of abilities, as most guides do, but only displays the percentage of popularity and success at a certain level of pumping.

However, the new system will seriously hit precisely those services that previously sold detailed information in monthly subscriptions. And with the advent of official guides, the authors of previously created guides will lose their users.

In addition, many players suggested that having Dota Plus for a player would at least mean that he is serious about the game. Still, paying 240 rubles a month for a game that you just play to get burned and ruin someone’s evening is not the most reasonable way to spend your money. Especially with the chance of getting a ban.

However, for now many people buy Dota Plus just to see what’s inside. And it is quite possible that they will not renew the subscription for the next months.

The most important part of the Dota Plus system is a set of assistants that are designed to orient players in the complex world of Dota 2. It will accompany subscribers at all stages of the game: from the draft to the end of the match window.

Draft assistant

Build Assistant

Dota Plus will also offer its own purchasing guides. And not just one, but three at once. At any time, the sequence of purchasing items can be recalculated or simply ignored.

Game assistant

While in the tavern, you can have a pleasant time analyzing the damage and stun graph from your last fight, second by second.

Post-game assistant

Know your heroes

Dota Plus offers a new way to interact with characters in Dota 2. Players will now be able to view the progress of each hero on their profile. He will be marked with a special icon, from a bronze triangle to a purple Aegis. Your teammates will be able to see it during the draft stage.

In-game tasks

The second type is the usual quests that Dota 2 players were so in love with. Each hero in the game has three tasks available for in-game interactions and the use of abilities. Each of the quests has three difficulty levels. Before starting the game, you must select a suitable task under the purchase screen. For completing them, hero experience will be awarded. Keep in mind that some of them will require not only hero ownership, but also certain artifact assemblies. For example, Faceless Void must purchase Mask of Madness and deal a certain amount of damage while under its effect.

Shards

Shop

Dota Plus subscribers have access to a store where they can purchase exclusive and retired sets, as well as relics.

The second section with sets is more extensive: 36 different popular sets. Their price varies from 2 thousand to 5 thousand fragments.

A random relic per hero (there are 14 in total) costs 800 fragments. Relics of the fourth level (heroic) will cost 10 thousand fragments.

Battle Cup

Weekly competitions for fans of team Dota 2 are returning to the client. Since Dota Plus is a logical continuation of the Battle Pass, it could not do without the Battle Cup. As during the pass, players will be able to take part in small in-game tournaments every week.

For winning, users will again receive icons and emoticons, and in addition Valve will give 20,000 shards, which can be spent in the store on relics or sets.

But you can take part in Battle Cups even if you are not a Dota Plus subscriber. To do this, you need to buy a one-time ticket in the store. It will cost $0.99 or approximately 56 rubles.

What are they saying about Dota Plus?

The first reaction of many players was unambiguous: Pay to Win was introduced into Dota 2. In theory, the new system offers advice that will improve both your draft and builds, and will help you choose the right ability and talent.

However, for now many people buy Dota Plus just to see what’s inside. And it is quite possible that they will not renew the subscription for the next months.

Today Valve shared with us details of the upcoming Battle Cup in Dota 2, in which any team will be able to compete with others for exclusive rewards. The news also contains frequently asked questions and answers.

In-game trophy in profile

Summer Battle Cup 2016 is a chance to take part in a mini-tournament using the single-elimination system in Captains Mode. There will be 8 teams in each branch of the tournament. Players will compete in 3 rounds to win and receive exclusive rewards.

Awards:

15 levels for the Battle Pass- each player from the team that receives the championship title will be awarded 15 levels for the Battle Pass. The Battle Pass is not needed to participate in the tournament, but you will need it to activate the levels.

Battle Cup Trophy- Each champion will receive an in-game trophy, which can be displayed on their profile and track the number of victories in the Battle Cup.

Rewards that are valid only for a week after winning the tournament:

Champion Status:

The special design and exclusive status will be visible to all players, no matter where you are: in chat, on the loading screen, in game or in the main menu.

Win counter:

If you win more than one tournament in a row, additional cup icons will appear in your special status. The counter will continue to increase until you are defeated and unable to defend your title.

Champion emoticons:

Battle Cup champions will have access to special emoticons that cannot be obtained anywhere else in Dota 2.

Champion Statue:

Players who take first place in the Battle Cup will also receive an exclusive statue that will automatically replace one of the buildings in your base within a week of winning the tournament. No prudent enemy will dare to approach your fortress at the sight of your success.

Battle Cup FAQ

What is the tournament schedule?

The 2016 Summer Battle Cup will run until August 31st, with weekly Saturday battles starting at:

Southeast Asia: 13:00 CET
China: 14:00 CET
Europe: 20:00 CET/21:00 MSK
America: 02:00 CET

Teams can meet up until the specified registration start time. Teams have an hour to start searching and find their opponent. Your match will begin immediately after the system selects an opponent.

How to start searching for an opponent?

To start searching for an opponent, select the appropriate mode on the “Play” tab or go to the Battle Cup section of your battle pass.

Who can take part in the Battle Cup?

The only requirement is the account level in Dota 2. It should not be lower than 25. You do not need to have a battle pass or play ranked calibration matches.

How much does the ticket cost?

Tickets are sold for $0.99 each in the game store, and each team must have 5 of them to register. Players on a team can spend multiple tickets to give their teammates the right to participate in the tournament. All owners of the battle pass receive one ticket and have the opportunity to receive another at level 137. Please note that tickets are not transferable or giftable.

On what basis is the selection of opponents carried out?

Matchmaking is based on the geographic location of the participants and their tournament rank. This rank is calculated from your MMR when you first enter a tournament. The system then only takes into account that rank, which increases or decreases depending on how far you go each week. If team members have different tournament ranks, then matchmaking takes the highest one as a basis. In addition, a team can voluntarily participate in a tournament at a higher rank to speed up their progress.

What happens between matches?

After a victory, the team has some time to start looking for a new opponent. If the deadline is missed, but there is still an opportunity to find an opponent, then the team will be able to continue participating in the tournament. Otherwise, the late team is removed from the tournament without compensation for tickets.

How are the compositions formed?

The system does not involve automatic matchmaking that would gather individual players into teams. You need to join a group within the game to take part in the tournament. If a team does not have enough players, it can use the regional chat (each rank has its own team) to complete the roster. Once five players have entered the tournament, the team's roster cannot be changed. If a team does not wish to continue playing, its captain may remove the team from the tournament.

What happens if a player has connection problems?

If problems appear at the start, the game will start without the eliminated player, who will still have the opportunity to join the game. Such players will not be ejected from the game or receive a penalty for leaving the match. Additionally, the inactive player detection system does not work in tournament matches. If the server is not working well or has completely crashed, then the teams will be refunded the tickets they spent.

Can the team give up?

If a team wants to finish the match, they can write "GG".

What are Battle Cup points?

Each tournament participant receives these points for their performance in the tournament. They are saved until the end of the season and allow you to track your friends' progress on the leaderboard. Scoring of points: 1. Participation - 10 points 2. Advance to the second round - 30 points 3. Reaching the final - 80 points 4. Victory in the tournament - 150 points

Are tournament matches public?

Please note that, as with all tournaments, replays and detailed information about Battle Cup matches are available to the general public.

The Battle Cup is a wonderful addition to Dota, offering a chance to play in a real, structured tournament with a team even if you’re just a regular pub pleb.

Over the years, a few in-house leagues have come and gone, including the North America Elite League (NEL), where a lot of NA pros played matches between regularly scheduled tournaments. However, NEL required players to vouch for newcomers, and was limited to upper bracket players only. But these in-house leagues were a great place for players to enjoy Dota in a slightly more competitive environment.

In-house leagues are great, but there’s a lingering question: where can players get a real LAN-qualifying experience with only 1K map awareness?

Valve's Answer: The Battle Cup

In yet another ingenious way for Valve to make money, the Battle Cup is separate from the . For $0.99 USD, players can purchase tickets to participate in this multi-week tournament. Five tickets are needed for each team, one for each participant, but it doesn’t matter who owns them, as long as your party has five. So for $4.95, you and four of your buddies can pretend to be OG for the season, or however long you manage to avoid elimination.

Battle Cup Tiers

There aren't a lot of restrictions about who can play in a Battle Cup. Players don’t need to have a calibrated MMR to play, just a profile level 25 or above. Here’s Valve’s explanation of how the tiers work: “Each player has an individual tournament tier, which is set at the start of each season from your MMR. After the tier value is set, player MMR is not used in any way in the Battle Cup.”

There are currently eight tiers, and each one corresponds to roughly 1K MMR differences. Tier 3, the lowest, is for players in the 0 – 2k MMR range, and Tier 8, the highest, is reserved for 6k+ players.

2017 Battle Cup Finale

This year, teams in Tier 8, the highest ranking, were invited to a specially moderated tournament in June, and the winning team was granted a spot in The International Regional Qualifiers. This year, Starboyz made it through to play in the North America Qualifiers, but came in last place and will not advance to The International.

Battle Cup Schedule

Each region's Battle Cup is held at a different time. Players cannot participate in more than one Battle Cup per weekend, but can play in other regions in different seasons if they desire.

The Battle Cup , and automatically converts times to your time zone.

Party Builder

None of your friends play Dota? No problem. Valve has solutions. The Party Builder tool matches parties with less than five members with solo players based on language, tier, and ping. Be warned though, you’re stuck with the people you’re matched up with for the duration of the tournament. Teams cannot alter their rosters after the tournament has begun.

GG

Lastly, a notable feature within Battle Cup is the ability to gg out of games. This feature isn’t available in regular pub games, presumably due to the high likelihood of it being abused, but it’s always available in professional matches. In a Battle Cup match, you can take the surrender option after your carry goes 0/14/3 in the first 20 minutes.

Today Valve officially launched the third (winter) season of automated weekly mini-tournaments for everyone called Battle Cup. The new season of the Battle Cup is distinguished by one very significant innovation: the strongest players from the last season of the Battle Cup will be able to compete for a ticket to The Kiev Major!

Below is the most comprehensive guide on all aspects of the Battle Cup - information about what it is, why it is needed, what you get for winning and how to take part.

Awards

2 chests and 4 levels for the battle pass. For winning the tournament, each member of the winning team will receive two treasuries and 4 levels for the winter battle pass. The Battle Pass is not required to participate in the Battle Cup, but it is required to receive rewards (battle levels).

Battle Pass achievements. Battle Cup Points reflect your progress in the Battle Cup throughout the season. Once you have collected enough points, you can unlock new achievements and rewards.

Battle Cup Trophy. Each player on the winning team receives an in-game trophy that can be displayed on their profile page. The trophy tracks the number of tournaments won.

Temporary Prestige Effects. Each player on the winning team receives prestige effects on their account that last for one week from the moment they win the tournament. Temporary rewards include: champion status, consecutive win counter, champion emoticons, and Battle Cup champion statue.

Champion status

Schedule

The times are indicated for the European region; you can find out the schedule of battle cups in other regions on the official website. Registration opens at the times indicated in the table. Within 30 minutes from the start of registration, teams must start searching for a match.

Rules

Who can take part?

Every account with a profile level above 25. No Battle Pass required, no MMR calibration required.

How much does the ticket cost?

Tickets are available in the Dota 2 store for $0.99. Players who do not have one are allowed to participate, but the team must have 5 tickets in total (the player can contribute a ticket for his teammate). Each owner of the battle pass will receive 1 ticket as a gift and another one upon reaching level 29 of the battle pass. Tickets cannot be transferred or given away. Unused tickets will be lost at the end of the season.

How is the search for rivals implemented?

Tournament matchmaking is based on tournament division and geographic region. Tournament matchmaking automatically selects the region, and MMR and language preferences are not taken into account. Only the largest servers are used for Battle Cup matches.

Each player is assigned a tournament division, which is initially determined based on MMR. After this, MMR does not count towards Battle Cup tournaments. The division is promoted with multiple wins and demoted with multiple losses in the early stages of the bracket. If team members play in different divisions, only the highest division is taken into account when selecting an opponent. In addition, a team can choose a higher division (1 above the team maximum) to participate in the tournament, with individual divisions being promoted faster (after victories).

How can I find teammates?

Matchmaking does not select teammates - to participate in the tournament you need to independently assemble a group of 5 people. There are two in-game mechanisms that will help you find comrades.

Automatic search for teammates: searches for single players who are looking for a group. Search criteria: language, cup division, ping. Once a suitable player is found, he will be added to the group. If you need to have more players in your group, use this tool until you have a full group of players.
You can also find teammates from the same cup division and geographic region in a special chat.

The team roster is fixed when the team registers for the tournament; substitutions are not allowed. If a team does not wish to continue participating in the tournament, the leader can withdraw his team from the tournament.

What are Battle Cup points and what are they for?

Battle Cup points reflect your progress throughout the season. Each week your points will increase depending on how you performed in the tournament. Each player receives at least 10 points for participation in the tournament 30 points for winning the first round and transition to the second, 40 points for reaching the final And 70 points for winning the tournament.

You can compare points with your friends. Using points, you can unlock achievements and rewards in the Battle Pass. Players with the most points in each geographical region will be able to compete in an additional final cup of the season - the so-called. Champions Cup.

If you travel to different geographic regions during the season, points will be calculated separately for each region.

What is the Champions Cup?

This is a special Battle Cup tournament that takes place at the end of the season. Players can earn entry into this exclusive tournament - a golden ticket - by collecting enough Battle Cup Points in their region (exact numbers to be announced). Players interested in participating in the Champions Cup can increase their chances of qualifying by participating in each weekly tournament in the same geographic region. Naturally, it is necessary to win.

How to get to the Dota 2 Major tournament?

In addition to open qualifiers, the Champions Cup provides an opportunity for any player to qualify for the Dota 2 Major. One slot in each regional qualifier for The Kiev Major will be reserved for the team that won the 8th Division Champions Cup of the previous season.

Can I play in any geographic region?

Yes, you can select the geographic region of your choice. However, keep in mind that each region has its own schedule and game servers. You can play in different regions every week. Players cannot participate in multiple Battle Cups in the same weekend.

What happens between rounds?

Between matches, teams are given a deadline within which they must complete the next match. If a team does not meet this deadline, it can still continue to participate in the tournament if an opponent is found. If an opponent is not found, the team that did not have time to join the match search queue in time will be disqualified (tickets will not be refunded).

In very rare cases, matchmaking may not find an opponent for a team at a certain stage of the tournament, even if the team managed to join the matchmaking queue on time. In this case, the team will receive their tickets back and the team's statistics will be updated to reflect their progress up to that point. If a team reaches the semi-finals and a suitable opponent is found and waits in the finals, the team in the semi-finals can receive a technical victory and advance to the next round (finals).

What to do if a player has problems with the Internet?

If an individual player has difficulty connecting to the game at the start of the game, the game will start without them and the player will be able to connect along the way. This way, players who disconnect from a match will not be kicked out of the game or marked as leavers. There is also no AFK detection system in tournament matches. If the server goes down, or poor connection quality is noticed in a match, all tickets are returned to their owners and team statistics are updated.

Is it possible to give up in a match?

Can. To do this, you need to write “GG” in the chat.

Will matches be open in DotaTV?

Like all tournament matches, Battle Cup games, including replays, will be public.

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