[Update #2]: Dota 2 will be getting the rather megalomaniacal Ringmaster hero in 2024.

[Update]: Dota 2's Patch 7.34d has now arrived with some last-minute balance changes before The International.

A little while back Valve announced that they will be stepping away from the usual Battle Pass system in favor of dishing out new cosmetics and sizable updates all throughout the year. They certainly weren't joking about that latter part as Dota 2's been receiving some stellar updates over the past few months - both in terms of new content and general improvements.

Naturally, Valve haven't gotten rid of the Battle Pass system entirely, though the freshly released International 2023 Compendium is certainly a lot different than those that came before. First and foremost, there are absolutely no hero cosmetics to be found in the Compendium. Not even a single one! The whole thing has been created as a way to support Dota 2's esports scene, and so all of the challenges, mini-games and rewards are focused around the competitive scene and its various teams.

Personally, I don't mind the idea, but I don't think the 2023 Compendium has managed to execute it well. It's still structured like the old, overly grindy and expensive Battle Pass, yet the rewards it offers are far less exciting to anyone but the most diehard of fans. If it was up to me, I would've ditched the whole leveling system in favor of going even harder on community-focused challenges and mini-games to make the whole thing feel a bit more unique and interesting. As it stands, it's a nice way to support the esports scene, but not much besides that.

The new player profiles are certainly something

My little musings aside, the International 2023 update has also reworked player profiles, and quite significantly at that! You're now able to not only customize which stats, heroes and items you want to showcase to the world, but also personally create the entire look of your profile page.

You can recreate an awesome battle, stick googly eyes on everything, or if you're particularly inclined, join the thousands of other players that have immediately taken the opportunity to construct a penis out of just about anything they could get their hands on. It's a silly system, and ultimately inconsequential, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a lot of fun trying to find the most ridiculous wallpaper to stick googly eyes on!

You can check out the new profile improvements, as well as read more about the International 2023 Compendium, over at the Dota 2 website. Enjoy!