Why the Nemestice Battle Pass Feels Like Opening a Pack of Pork Jerky

In 2020, months before the date when The International usually starts (August 15^th), Valve released their now-customary Battle Pass. And it was a huge success. So huge that the prize pool of The International 10 climbed above the $40 million mark, a new record for Dota 2. There was only one problem: the tournament couldn’t take place because of the ongoing pandemic and had to be postponed for one year.

Now,  with only 8 weeks left before the start of TI 10, Valve decided to give us another Battle Pass. Only this time, it doesn’t fund anything. Hence the community response: “What’s going on here?”

A Brief Lesson in Customer Behavior

Every edition of the Battle Pass followed the same rule: 25% of the money goes to the prize pool of The International. So people got used to buying it not just because they loved the content. They also did it because it gave them a feeling of solidarity. It made them feel part of a community.

Unlike other esports, like League of Legends, Dota 2 does not do much for its professional teams. If they don’t make a name for themselves and earn prize money, they can’t stay afloat. Everyone knows that, so it goes without saying that the prize pool of the world championship should be substantial and everyone who cares about the game should contribute by acquiring the Battle Pass. But what about a Battle Pass that doesn’t help in any way?

Valve made it clear that the Nemestice Battle Pass was just for their own coffers. And even if they hadn’t said anything, the cost difference is quite suggestive. Normally, the standard price was $9.99. Now it’s $7.49. Which is a way of saying: “See? It’s 25% cheaper because we don’t intend to give anything to the teams. You’re just supporting us this time.”

The problem here is that once the genie is out of the bottle, it’s hard to put it back in. So the community, as you might expect, reacted rather negatively to the offer. We don’t know how the Nemestice Battle Pass sales are going but my guess is that they aren’t great. And it’s not just because they break a pattern. It’s also because of the poor content being offered.

What Does the Nemestice Battle Pass Contain

If you’re used to buying the Battle Pass once per year, then you probably remember just how big that imaginary digital present box is. You can just scroll and scroll and the benefits that you get never end. But in Nemestice’s case, they pretty much boil down to a handful of rewards. The most important of them are a Spectre arcana, a Dragon Knight arcana, and an Invoker arcana (this is actually the well-known Dark Artistry, but for Young Invoker). It’s true, all of them are nice. But they don’t become available right away and the $7.49 price is not justified.

Compared to what you were getting before for $9.99, the new offer is simply ridiculous. The whole thing feels like a desperate attempt to make some money at the very last second to minimize the losses caused by the global crisis.

Other Features

The main feature of the Nemestice Battle Pass is the event game with the same name. This is a custom game that you can play with your friends. It’s not bad, but it’s not incredible either.

Another feature is the Immortals you can get for around a dozen different heroes.

Finally, another thing worth mentioning is the Nemestice music pack. It’s supposed to be epic but I think it’s underwhelming. Compared to what League of Legends offers in the music department, it’s a 4/10. Valve should either step up its efforts or simply stick to what they do best.

The other rewards are small and aren’t worth mentioning. So is the Nemestice Battle Pass worth it? If you’re new to the game and intend to play it this Summer, then the answer is yes. Because it will motivate you to play more in order to unlock more Battle Pass rewards. But if you’ve been playing for a while, then you’ll probably be just as disappointed as everyone else. After setting the content bar at 9 or even 10, Valve decided to lower it back to 4 or 5. But the price you have to pay is almost identical!

 

Photo credit: Valve