DOTA 2 Will be Free to Play With a Few Caveats

Valve demigod Gabe Newell will reveal details for DOTA 2′s pricing structure on an upcoming podcast with Seven Day Cooldown. The action RTS is reported to be free to play with a few twists.

Gabe’s “twisted” idea involves rewarding helpful players while penalizing those less desirable. In other words, assholes have to pay.

“It’s just a question of coming up with mechanisms that recognize and reward people who are doing things that are valuable to other groups of people,” says Newell.

It’s no secret that the DOTA community isn’t the greatest in online gaming. MOBA-style games like League of Legends and Heroes of Newerth are notorious for steep learning curves and unforgiving players. It can be extremely intimidating for those looking to break into the genre.

Valve seems to recognize the issue and hopes to alleviate some of that abrasiveness with its new pricing plan. It will be an interesting social experiment, regardless of outcome.

It’s expected that DOTA 2 will also have purchasable cosmetic items similar to those found in Team Fortress 2. Community members have already uncovered potential add-ons hidden in the beta version’s files. If it’s anything like TF2, the DOTA 2 shop won’t offer items that could give a player an advantage for spending more money.

This is shaping up to be yet another revolutionary release from the fine folks at Valve. Even if MOBAs aren’t your thing, DOTA 2 should be on everyone’s radar for 2012. Unless, of course, you’re a dick.