‘Dota 2’ Custom Game Passes Give Fans Means To Financially Support Favorite Modders

Valve is giving Dota 2 fans a chance to provide financial support for the developers responsible for creating their favorite custom games, the company announced this week, via the introduction of a new Custom Game Pass that hit the Dota 2 store on Tuesday.

Custom Game Passes mark a bit of a departure from the norm. Unlike most items in the Dota 2 Store, the passes have a variable price, determined by each developer authorized to sell them, which will bestow a variety of extra benefits in the custom game they’re purchased for. The program launches with Custom Game Passes for Roshpit Champions, an overhaul mod for Dota 2 that transforms Valve’s MOBA into a four-player, cooperative dungeon crawler. By spending $1 on the pass, users will get:

• 12 character slots instead of the usual 4
• 24 stash slots instead of the usual 6
• 50 percent better chance of finding rare items
• 10 percent more experience

The perks bestowed by each Custom Game Pass will vary; however, Valve says it will work with custom game developers to ensure each pass benefits the user without hurting the experience for those unwilling (or unable) to buy one. The company also learned from last year’s failed attempt to launch paid mods, saying it will treat custom game designers like any other developer listing content on Steam and split proceeds accordingly.

Valve will closely monitor the availability of Custom Game Passes, ultimately deciding which custom game developers will or won’t be allowed to offer extra perks to their fans. The company says it will only authorize Custom Game Passes for custom games once they’ve built up significant followings and reached a point where Valve believes the custom game to be “mature enough to offer good value to customers.” Each Custom Game Pass will only be valid for 30 days and must be renewed manually.

For more information on Custom Game Passes, check out the FAQ page on the Dota 2 website.

Be sure to check back with iDigitalTimes.com and follow Scott on Twitter for additional Dota 2 coverage throughout 2016 and for however long Valve continues to support Dota 2 in the years to come.