As The International’s gears start to spin and the year’s biggest Dota 2 tournament kicks off, Valve have revealed this year’s Compendium; a betting book that turns your accurate predictions of International winners into points, and points into prizes.
On offer are Immortal items, a Battle Point Booster, and an awesome exclusive courrier pet. Not only that, but every Compendium purchased helps achieve stretch goals, which in Kickstarter-style tradition unlock some great in-game bonuses.
The Compendium itself costs £5.99, and each purchase adds $2.50 to the kitty. This total amount is actually the prize pool for The International itself, so for every Compendium bought, the prize for the winner of the tournament is boosted. Of course, only the winner of this tournament-of-tournaments is interested in the prize pool, but the stretch goals are of benefit to everyone who owns a Compendium, and in some cases even everyone who owns the game. So far six stretch goals have been unlocked, including new loading screens, a new Battle Point booster, the ability to vote on which hero should get the next Arcana, and a brand new game mode: All Random Deathmatch. Further goals to be met include chat emoticons, a Mini-Pudge courier, and the ability to customise a building in your home base.
The Compendium itself levels up, with points being granted based on the accuracy of your bets on games played in The International. You can also gain points by playing games yourself, such as the upcoming Fantasy League, by watching matches, and by collecting player cards. The Compendium can be leveled up to Level 50, at which the Mini-Pudge courier will be unlocked (provided the stretch goal has been met). The Compendium levels up every 100 points you score.
Immortal treasures are certainly one of the draws for The Compendium, and for every 10 levels you increase your Compendium by, you’ll unlock new Immortal treasures, some of which have the chance of being exceptionally rare.
The International also has its own mascot courier: Lieutenant Squawkins, an adorable little military parrot. He’s unlocked when your Compendium hits level 14, and at levels 24 and 41 alternate styles are unlocked.
For all the information on point scores and stretch goal unlocks, check out Valve’s typically beautiful Compendium website. To purchase the Compendium, simply grab it from Steam.