Dota 2 "Winter 2016 Battle Pass" Now Available

[Omnomnick]

You'd be forgiven for believing Dota 2 has recently become a virtual casino with the introduction of the Winter 2016 Battle Pass and the included Shanghai Major Compendium. For $7.99 or £5.29, the Pass gives access to a number of different activities and cosmetic items, with new additions such as quest "Paths", a "Winter Blessing" wheel of fortune, improved Wagering, and Friend Leaderboards featuring alongside old favourites like Battle Levels, Achievements, and new item treasures.

Completing objectives along a chosen path (themed around the gameplay styles of Support, Carry, and Solo) will award Battle Points and cosmetic items while contributing to a global pool which, when completed, will unlock an alternate skin for each of three available item sets. A massive number of new item sets, wards, frozen effigies, taunts, and couriers are also included, all of which can be unlocked through various means - including increasing a Battle Level or completing the aforementioned "Path" quests.

Other neat improvements provided by the Pass include a Winter-themed terrain type, an extra three months before replays are automatically deleted, and a removed trade delay on all items included with the Battle Pass. Of course, the update and pass also include information for the Shanghai Major Compendium, which offers plenty of details regarding the upcoming Valve-sponsored tournament in China.