What was meant to be a subtly photoshopped image suddenly became actual news in the Dota 2 community as many fell for the upcoming Lockdown Pass.
The meme pass
It’s that time of the year. No, not quarantine, but the months when Valve usually release a hint of the upcoming Battle Pass. This year will be a special one for The International as it’ll mark the ten year anniversary of Dota 2’s biggest annual event. With everyone on lockdown, waiting for new content, it came as no surprise that a whole lot of people were ready to believe in the Lockdown Pass.
The popular Dota 2 caster Tobi “TobiWan” Dawson shared a post on his social media which as you can see above featured a photoshopped version of the supposed 2020 Dota 2 Battle Pass. At first glance, it’s quite convincing, but taking a more detailed look will reveal that the top word isn’t “International” but “Intertobernational”. Excitement got the better part of some players and discussions about the new Lockdown pass were quick to arise. We gotta give it to Tobi, his joke was spot on and it certainly seems like something Valve will be willing to do themselves. Considering the current situation it won’t be too much of a stretch to actually see it come to life. Who knows, maybe Tobi was just beta testing how well the new Pass will be received by the public. In any case, we should be hearing from Valve, for better or for worse.
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The International – is it happening?
In the last three years, the Battle Pass was always released between May 4-8, so it only makes sense 2020 will be no different. Or will it? With the current global pandemic, any LAN event is deemed impossible and prohibited by most governments. Things are quite strict in Europe, but The International is set to take place in Sweden, arguably the country with the most liberal measures, if any. As it becomes apparent from the name of the event, players and teams from around the world will gather to participate. With roughly three months remaining before the big event itself (it is/was set for August 18-23) there’s still no official statement from Valve. The company is in quite a tricky situation as it’s a choice between make or break. An alternative will be to make the entire thing online, perhaps the safest choice. The International’s a big thing not only for the game’s esports scene but also serves as a preview of upcoming heroes and other changes.
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In the meantime check out the latest patches, keep your eyes peeled for memes and stay tuned for more Dota 2 news.
