If you have been playing Dota 2 or just watching the community from the sidelines, then you will know that the game has been a mess for the last two days. This is due to a mix of server issues, poor implementation of a new product, and an influx of players that has spiked the game to its highest active player count in more than three years.
Ahead of The International 2022 concluding with its final weekend of matches, Valve announced that payers would be able to receive a number of free goodies in a tie-in digital Swag Bag. The response to said collection of rewards has been so great, however, that the company is actually having to limit them for the time being just to try and get Dota 2 back to a functional state.
Initially, anyone who played 10 matches of Dota between now and Jan. 12, 2023, would be able to instantly claim a free Arcana of their choosing from the in-game shop, level one access to the 2022 Battle Pass, and a month of Dota Plus. Now, the latter two rewards are being put on freeze for now while Valve works out some issues—though they will be made available again soon.
Related: How to claim your The International 2022 Swag Bag in Dota 2
“We’re overwhelmed by the interest of Dota customers old and new coming out of the woodwork to join in the fun and collect their swag!” Valve said. “The popularity is so overwhelming, however, that—while we’ve made adjustments to ensure everyone can easily claim their free Arcana—we need to temporarily limit granting Dota Plus months and Battle Passes while we upgrade our capacity.”
For now, this means players who complete the 10-match requirement will still be able to claim a free Arcana from the shop but will need to wait before getting the most bang for their non-existent buck from the free Swag Bag.
With this change, players should hopefully be able to hop into online matches with fewer issues and actually have the option to claim or purchase items in the game client.
