Taking a cue from their own Team Fortress 2 and Riot Games’ League of Legends, Valve has decided to release Dota 2 as a free-to-play title, supported by item sales. These items are “purely cosmetic” and have no impact on actual gameplay. Like in Team Fortress 2, all the items for sale in the store can also be found through regular gameplay, leveling up, and trades.
Items in the Dota Store will be designed both by Valve and by creators in the community through the Steam Workshop. Dota 2 lead designer IceFrog said opening the store is “a big part of our final push to launch. With support for the Steam Workshop, the majority of the items made available on day one were created and being sold by members of the community.”
While the game is still in closed beta, Valve has already opened the Dota Store for people to pre-purchase items before launch. Eager players can also buy their way into the beta; the $39.99 Early Access Bundle includes 9 items and a Beta Pass to redeem or give to a friend. Dota 2 is scheduled for a 2012 release on PC.
