Crownfall visual novel to be unique to Dota 2 The International

Dota 2

September 21, 2023

Marcus Wong

Data miners have recently uncovered some intriguing details about the anticipated replacement package for the TI Battle Pass. It appears that the package will contain a visual novel titled “Crownfall”. This information was brought to light through a Dota 2-focused Russian YouTube channel.

Image source: Dota 2

Dota 2 data miners found “interesting” files

Within the game files, numerous references to a visual novel have been found. These references include commands for “turning pages” and selecting the “next step” within the novel. Here are several examples of the placeholder names:

Dota_ui_visual_novel.xml
Dota_visual_novel_complete_quest
Dota_visual_novel_reveal_nearby_nodes
Dota_visual_novel_selectnodes
Dota_visual_novel_novels_updated

What’s particularly noteworthy is that it seems visual novels may become a regular feature within Dota 2, rather than a one-off event. A key piece of evidence supporting this possibility is the discovery of a new file depot called “Noveldef”. Previously, Dota 2 had only one similar depot named “Eventdef,” which stored data related to in-game events like the Battle Pass, Diretide and Frostivus events.

The “Crownfall” Visual Novel

Interestingly, the “Noveldef” depot is linked to a single name, Crownfall.

Data miners have speculated that this title may be associated with Vengeful Spirit and Skywrath Mage, two Dota 2 heroes who seem to play prominent roles in the unfolding narrative. In fact, the name “Crownfall” aligns neatly with the backstory of Vengeful Spirit, who is portrayed as a dethroned princess. This suggests that the visual novel may offer players a deeper dive into her story and possibly Skywrath Mage’s as well.

In June 2023, Valve announced the discontinuation of Battle Passes for The International Championship. Instead, Valve promised an in-game event with a reduced emphasis on cosmetics while still contributing to the tournament’s prize pool. This event is scheduled to debut in late September, providing Dota 2 enthusiasts with an alternative way to engage with the competitive scene.

Free Vengeful Spirit and Skywrath Mage Arcana Skins

Although Valve has emphasized that Battle Pass cosmetics won’t be their top priority, this doesn’t mean that we won’t be getting any form of Dota 2 skins at all.

Instead, there might just be an Arcana skin or two that Valve has in store for everyone, perhaps by completing the progress in the virtual novel. Last year, the Skywrath Mage arcana cosmetic files were found by data miners, which prompted players to be excited about the new arcana’s release.

However, it never made it into the game, which was odd. For whatever reason, it might be time for Skywrath Mage arcana to be available, since he has a major role to play in Crownfall.

As we await further details on Crownfall and the upcoming in-game event, the Dota 2 community can look forward to a potentially enriching narrative experience in the form of a visual novel, offering a fresh perspective on some of their favorite heroes’ stories.