Hi r/dota2,

TI concluded last month and we’re now waiting for some post-TI content, particularly a patch. Been seeing a few “where patch?” and “what do you expect in next patch?” posts, but I personally don’t believe it’s going to be anything major.

This isn’t just me being pessimistic, but from what I’ve observed with TI’s and major patches’ schedule over the last few years. Let’s see how that’s changed…

Pre-COVID

Before 2020, TI used to be in August, then we had a period of post-TI depression. The DPC would start in October, and then after one Tour, we would get the yearly ‘super-mega patch’ in November/December.

Pre-COVID schedule

After DPC ended, we would have another big patch in May/June. This wasn’t as big as the super mega patch, but still the last numbered one before TI. This gives us two big numbered patches, with smaller lettered patches spread throughout.

Also important to note is that we would have battle pass couple of months before TI.

Post-COVID

For better or worse, TI was permanently postponed from August to October. This has apparently also postponed the rest of the Dota schedule. The next season of DPC used to start in October, the last few ones started around January the following year.

Since we have no DPC now, it’s hard to say whether the rest of the ‘patch-release schedule’ will change. Though the compendium might end on November 16th, there’s no reason to believe a big patch will come with it. It is very likely only a moderate lettered patch in the 7.34 series.

Post-COVID schedule

The new hero Ringmaster was announced to come out in 2024, with no specific date or even general season like “Spring” or “Summer”. Most likely, we can expect him to come out in the next super mega patch, which is between Feb and April.

Lastly, the time for Diretide came and went. For holiday game modes, Frostivus in December is the only realistic possibility. One downside of this new schedule is that the post-TI depression feels much longer.

Personal thoughts

I personally liked it when TI was in August. It just felt like the perfect summer event. This also allowed enough time for the yearly ‘super-mega’ patch to come out in November/December, which made it feel like Dota Christmas.

With the DPC no longer around, I hope this gives Valve the opportunity to shift TI back to the old schedule. It might result in only one big patch in the next season, but could also be better for years to come.

What do you think?

Sources:

TI schedule on Liquipedia

DPC schedule on Liquipedia

Patch history on Dota 2 Wiki

Tldr: Fuck COVID and what it did to us all