Would you like to get some free goodies in Dota 2? Find out how to claim several high-value things for free!
As part of the International, Valve has decided to amp the excitement around Dota 2 even more by gifting players with some free items. How do you claim them, and what do they mean? What are the requirements? Let's check it all out below.
What is a Dota 2 Arcana?
An Arcana is basically an item set, one of the most coveted types of skins in the game, which features over 100 heroes. An Arcana skin significantly changes a hero's appearance, modifying their animations, model, sounds, icon, and more. Many Arcanas have some kind of custom mechanic as well: the coat of the spell-stealing Rubick changes color depending on his target, and the stolen spells can get a unique visual effect. The more you win with Rubick, the more spells are covered. Phantom Assassin leaves blades on the ground of her victims.
Arcanas are typically found in the Battle Passes or can be purchased for around $34.99.
How to claim a free Arcana in Dota 2
In order to claim a free Arcana in Dota 2, log in to the game client. Under your account name to the left, as well as in the messages to the right, you'll see a "Claim Swag" button. Click on either one to see a screen with a selection of goodies.
The third option is the Arcana token. Click "Select Arcana" to view a menu of available Arcanas. This menu will also tell you which ones you own, so you don't accidentally double-purchase.
Here, you can preview all the Arcanas available for selection with this token. Click on the "View Details" button below the Claim button to see more detailed information about the sets, which includes a description of its effects. You can also always Demo the Arcana, which takes you to the in-game demo map. There you can experience what the Arcana looks like in gameplay, as some of them do include "cosmetic" gameplay effects (nothing that actually impacts your chances of winning, sorry).
When you're ready, hit that Claim Arcana button! Then, don't forget to equip it on the hero. You can do that by going to your Armory, which is one of the icons in the top right part of the screen. Mousing over it shows your recent items. Right click on the Arcana bundle and you can press "Unbundle and Equip" to immediately start using the Arcana on that hero. It will be visible on them in your next match.
If claiming doesn't work right now and you're seeing errors, come back later and keep trying over the next few days. When Valve released this Gift Bag, interest in the game shot up tremendously, leading to some slowdowns. Come back in a few days if necessary. If you are a brand new player, you must play at least 10 games during the Battle Pass season to be able to claim these gifts. These remain available until the Battle Pass ends.
How to get free Battle Pass levels
The Battle Pass offers many goodies themed around this year's The International event, which happens annually. It is basically the world championship in Dota 2.
The Swag Bag offers a Battle Pass gift, which either grants you a start on the Battle Pass (which costs $9.99 to initialize) or additional 24 levels. Simply click Claim to receive the levels, which then get added to your current Battle Pass level; proceed to redeem your rewards as usual.
You can get more Battle Pass levels by earning Battle Pass points, which are given for playing, fulfilling weekly quests, Fantasy Bracket predictions, and completing the Cavern Crawl.
What is Dota Plus?
While Dota 2 remains a free-to-play game, there is a paid subscription available to enhance your experience. One of the gifts in the Swag Bag is 30 days of Dota Plus for free.
Dota Plus grants several benefits, such as:
- Advanced Hero Progression: a sort of meta-game leveling system that shows your mastery over the hero. You can attach stat-tracking relics to your hero and unlock additional voice lines to spam in-game.
- Plus Assistant: See item suggestions for your character as you play, based on trends gathered from players. See additional analytics such as details of your humiliating demise, friends and foes calculation, more charts, and even more charts post-game!
- Guild Perks: The ability to create a guild and an additional contract slot to earn even more points for the glory of your friend and frenemy group.
- Battle Report: Enjoy seeing quarterly reports at work? See a quarterly report about your performance in Dota 2! At the conclusion of every Dota Plus season, learn about which hero you spammed the most and best.
- Additional Perks include seasonal terrain and quests, live spectating your friends without delay, the ability to avoid specific players in matchmaking (really useful!) , more chat wheel sounds, free entry to the Weekly Battle Cup, and more.
