It's been a busy year for Dota. We welcomed a new hero into our ranks (and a long-awaited one finally made his debut); we crowned another team of world champions at this year's TI in Copenhagen; we reworked every hero with new game-changing innates and facets; and we even managed to cram in a four-act multi-month narrative epic about talking birds.

And so, as the year winds to a close, we find ourselves filled once again to the absolute brim with the spirit of Frostivus. And that means a sackful of festive gifts for everyone for the duration of the Frostivus event, from now until January 15th.

“What kind of gifts?” one might festively wonder. Well, for starters: For the rest of the season, your hero will begin each game wearing a stylish Frostivus hat.

But don't think of it as a fashion statement. Think of it as a trophy case. Because you can also steal hats from enemy heroes and get them as gifts from your allies with the new Spirit of Frostivus ability. You can also get them the old fashioned way (murder/larceny), by stealing them off the skulls of heroes you've just killed, off the Tormentors, or if you really know what you're doing, even off Roshan's craggy dead head.

And every single hat you take, you can wear on top of all the others in a majestic, murderous hat-stack of glory. Plus since the post-game MVP screen now includes hat tallies, you'll have definitive proof of your hat superiority in the days to come.

So now you've got a tower of Frostivus hats on your head. But can you truly enjoy them without knowing their exhaustive backstory? The answer, as we discovered, is yes. "They're just colored hats," you say. "Who cares where they came from?"

Well, six months ago would have been a great time to mention that, because we wrote a six hundred thousand word legendarium about it called The Hatmarillion. But everybody refused to read it, so we wrote a ten-page kid's book version of The Hatmarillion that takes about a minute to read, and everyone seemed to like that one better. Launch Dota and enjoy the story for yourself! (Frostivus trivia: You'll be able to read it THIRTY TIMES in the time it takes you to get through this blog post!)

But wait! There's still more Frostivus spirit in the air! Unfortunately, it has been broken down into its chemical components and needs to be reconstituted into a seasonal compound. We've gathered up a pile of all the supplies you'll need to craft rewards in the new Frostivus Forge. The next step? The actual crafting part.

All you'll need to do is accomplish a variety of in-game hijinks like “snowball an enemy before you kill them”, “steal a hat”, or “high five an enemy” to earn unique supplies that feed your forge and craft new rewards. Each item requires a different recipe to craft, and you can unlock higher tiers by completing rewards in the lower tiers first. Seasonal Chat Wheels? Check. A new bell-shaped tormentor that you lets you play music? Obviously it has one of those. A drunken wizard riding a suspiciously-donkey-shaped reindeer courier? Why, it wouldn’t be a holiday without them!

You know what else it wouldn’t be a holiday without? A box full of surprises! So we’re also unveiling the Winter 2024 Heroes’ Hoard, an all-new treasure featuring 17 item sets for a host of heroes.

But that's not all. To ensure this treasure's brims were truly tested, we stuffed in some new Immortal items amongst the sets. Then we added some new taunts. And a pet wolf for everyone's favorite pint-sized brawler. And when we realized the new Windranger set looked great when equipped with her Arcana, we included that, too. This treasure is available in the Crownfall store, so you can use your Crownfall Coins towards the purchase.

King Kringle broke his ban hammer off in some well-deserving asses last year. He's spent the year constantly reforging and testing it on various smurfs and in-game baddies, and now he's ready to rechristen it with the blood of the naughty.

While we usually do most of our bans and penalties behind the scenes, it's become something of a Frostivus tradition for us to pull back the curtain a little bit and talk about this ongoing work. And so: This holiday season, we hope you look forward to some cleaner, friendlier, fairer games, free of the 65,594 smurf accounts we've taken action against this week.

Besides the smurfs, we've also dropped the hammer on a significant number of high-MMR griefers, players who try to have fun at the expense of others, exploiting bugs, trading wins, and otherwise undermining the competitive challenge that is at the heart of every game of Dota.

As always, we'd like to thank everyone that submitted a report over the year. All that data helps us find the players that are making games of Dota worse and take action. Dota is a better game because of you.

A Dota blog post is much like a towering stack of Frostivus hats, in that it always has something at the bottom. This time, that something is Dota's very own winter sale on Crownfall content, running now through January 3rd.

Unlock new story nodes with discounts on the Midgate, Druud, and Icewrack Pathfinder Packs, deck your heroes out in the sets from Skywrath from Crownfall Treasures I-III, or complete the transformations of Shen and Dragonus with the Vengeful Spirit and Skywrath Mage Arcanas. (If you still have a bunch of Crownfall Coins, you can use them to discount most Crownfall Store items further, even if the items are already discounted as part of the sale!)

You’ve still got time to dig into all that Crownfall has to offer as we ring in a new year, but the saga of Skywrath will finally come to a close on January 15th, so if you’ve still got more of the four acts to explore, best get cracking.

Over the last few days we've made the following changes:

• Fixed being unable to configure Quickcast behavior on Observer and Sentry wards in the Settings menu.
  
• Fixed Razor's Voidstorm Asylum Arcana using the incorrect icon for Storm Surge.
  
• Fixed Shadow Fiend Presence of the Dark Lord not losing stacks correctly on death.
  
• Fixed lighting issue on seasonal winter terrain.
  
• Fixed loading spinners not spinning correctly.
  
• Fixed Force Staff's tooltip description ending with 2 periods.
  
• Fixed sprays from events which have ended not properly rendering.
  
• Fixed various client and server crashes.
  
• Fixed Watcher colors not matching their team under some circumstances.
  
• Enabled Kez's Sai abilities in Ability Draft. The draft screen will show a random combination of Kez's Katana and Sai abilities.
  
• Crownfall: Heroes whose reward tokens associated with meta-progression upgrades now show up under the Crownfall Act IV filter in the Hero pick screen.
  
• Crownfall: Fixed Nest of Thorns Loading Screen not being visible.
  
• Nest of Thorns: Voiceline rewards for difficulties 3, 5, and 7 are now permanent.
  
• Nest of Thorns: Improved visibility of the Reaper, which spawns on difficulties 5 and above.
  
• Nest of Thorns: Spirits now ignore range modifiers and always spawn at a set distance away from the player.
  
• Nest of Thorns: Fixed score sometimes not updating properly.
  
• Nest of Thorns: Fixed incorrect text being displayed if launching the client with an invalid language.
  
• Nest of Thorns: Fixed Rot's Scepter obscuring various visual elements in the game.
  
• Nest of Thorns: Fixed Echo Slash and Swashbuckle not working correctly on Linux

Kez:

• Echo Slash: No longer applies cleave on units hit.
  
• Falcon Rush: Rush Range decreased from 650 to 575
  
• Grappling Claw: Hero Bonus Heal reduced from 40/80/120/160 to 30/60/90/120
  
• Grappling Claw: Cooldown increased from 15/12/9/6 to 16/13/10/7
  
• Talon Toss: Cooldown increased from 15/12/9/6 to 16/13/10/7
  
• Raven's Veil: Applied mark no longer applies parry bonus.
  
• Replaced +50 Raptor Dance Radius level 15 talent with new talent: Raven's Veil Mark Applies Parry Bonus
  
  
• Added additional HUD styling to better communicate the current stance Kez is in.
  
• Raptor Dance: Fixed particle effect not increasing when radius increased.
  
• Echo Slash: Fixed it hitting units slightly further than its range.
  
• Echo Slash: Fixed secondary attack cancelling Kez's invisibility.
  
• Falcon Rush: Fix secondary attack sound effect not playing.
  
• Shodo Sai: Fixed cases where Mark would not be applied properly if it was already applied.
  
• Shodo Sai: Fixed parry cancel sub-ability being affected by Faceless Void's Time Dilation.
  
• Fixed cooldown reduction not applying to alternate weapon abilities.
  
• Grappling Claw: Reworded description to clarify bonus hero healing.

Patch 7.37e is out now. You can check out the patchnotes here.

Kez:

• Kazurai Katana: Damage Per Second reduced from 7/8/9/10% to 6/7/8/9%
  
• Falcon Rush: Katana base attack rate increased from 1.3/1.2/1.1/1.0 to 1.4/1.3/1.2/1.1
  
• Falcon Rush: Duration decreased from 7 to 3/4/5/6
  
• Raptor Dance: Increased cooldown from 40/32/24 to 40/35/30
  
• Raven's Veil: Increased cooldown from 40/32/24 to 40/35/30
  
• Grappling Claw: Fixed chain not being broken when linked to a target out of range
  
• Shodo Sai: Fixed some Mark interactions dealing more damage than intended
  
• Grappling Claw: Fixed it ignoring evasion
  
• Echo Slash: Fixed it ignoring evasion
  
• Echo Slash: Fixed it killing couriers
  
• Echo Slash: Fixed it allowing Kez to escape leashes and movement prevention abilities (i.e. Disruptor Kinetic Field )

Over the days since release of Crownfall Act IV and Kez, we've also fixed several issues:

• Fixed a client crash with Moon Shard
  
• Fixed a server crash involving Ogre Seal Totem and Lone Druid
  
• Fixed various issues with Quick Buy
  
• Fixed Shen and Dragonus arcana style unlocks not applying to respective cursor icon packs
  
• Fixed Juggernaut Primal Prowl style unlock
  
• Fixed various crashes with Act IV encounters
  
• When winning an Ability Draft game, instead of granting 3 tokens and 2 scrap, grant 2 tokens and 8 scrap.
  
• Spleen Sweeper: added a scoring section on the main menu to show scoring information. Fixed score summary not showing after beating all 5 stages.
  
• Spleen Sweeper: fixed last stage not granting a completion bonus of 4000 points
  
• Castle Carnage: fixed Tunneler particle missing model and issues with grenade bouncing
  
• Castle Carnage: fixed phantom terrain blocking some shots
  
• Spoon Man: fixed an issue where the mouse cursor would stay invisible after a popup
  
• Spoon Man: fixed a crash related to pressing a button before the game is loaded
  
• Spoon Man: fixed being able to get stuck inside a block
  
• Nest of Thorns: fixed an issue where rewards could fail to be granted
  
• Nest of Thorns: fixed an issue where gold amount could fail to be saved
  
• Fixed Blind Queensguard (strange vendor) encounter not working
  
• Fixed Act IV sprays not showing up in Chat Wheel
  
• Crownfall map: clicking on the tokens-received gift alert attached to the inventory now opens the associated encounter
  
• Fixed an issue where playing or replaying the Kez debut animation could result in a black screen
  
• Fixed new Crownfall trophies not showing up

Kez:

• Base Armor increased from 0 to 2
  
• Base move speed increased from 315 to 320
  
• Falcon Rush attack rate for Sai decreased from 1.3/1.2/1.1/1.0 to 1.2/1.1/1.0/0.9
  
• Fixed bug where Falcon Rush could target units out of range
  
• Fixed bug where Falcon Rush ignored the attack speed cap

Today's update is as big as it gets. Not only are we releasing the fourth and final act of our multi-part Crownfall epic, we're celebrating with the debut of Kez, an all-new playable hero!

If you helped out Vengeful Spirit in Crownfall Act III, you already trekked your way through the icy tundras of Icewrack, found the Skywrath exile Kez, and convinced him to return home with you. In Act IV, he plans to reband the Kazurai and help you rid Skywrath of Imperia once and for all. And when he's not helping you commit regicide, he'll be all too happy to lend his blades to a little freelance work carving up some Ancients.

With the innate ability to swap weapon styles between his Kazurai Katana and Shodo Sai (unlocking more powers than there are days in the week), this martial master's kit comes with tons of options. Check out Kez's landing page to learn more about everything he can bring to the fight.

Princess Shen was first in line for the throne of Skywrath when her father, King Tatrasiel, fell ill and died. But her younger sister Imperia betrayed her, cast her from the highest tower of the Nest and left her for dead. She was found by the Flightless goddess Scree'Auk, and given the powers of a Vengeful Spirit.

Today, the resurrected Shen returns to Skywrath to battle her sister for the fate of the throne. And she will not be alone. All the heroes who have helped her along the way, from Dragonus to Axe to Kez to Crystal Maiden and more, will battle their way through three separate paths up the spires of Skywrath to the Nest of Thorns, where Imperia awaits for a final battle.

Crownfall Act IV is the epic conclusion to a journey that's taken us from the humble markets of Midgate to the rolling red sands of Druud and the wastes of the frozen north, and finally to the Nest of Thorns, the courtroom of the queen herself, for an ultimate showdown. Act IV boasts a massive new overworld map with three distinct questing paths, sidequests, minigames, and finally, a chance to defeat Imperia and unlock new Skywrath Mage and Vengeful Spirit Arcana alternate styles. So get ready for plenty of royal treasury looting along the way to the palace.

We've also got new Act IV-specific Pathfinder rewards, including custom Crownfall Scree'Auk and Avilliva towers and new Immortals. We've even added bonus content for Pathfinder pack owners for each act. You can now visit the Snake Charmer in Shen's questline in Act IV to claim your limited edition Crownfall character stickers.

If you've been playing along through Crownfall as each act releases and want to jump right into the new Act IV content, don't forget to read the latest intro comic, "Crownfall", before you start. And if you wouldn't mind a quick refresher of what, precisely, the hell is going on, feel free to read up on Act I's intro, "Ascension Day", Act II's, "The Battle of Hell's Basin" and Act III's "The Dragon".

Lastly, if you're just joining us now for the closing act of Crownfall... welcome! All of the previous acts are still available, and will remain so until Crownfall comes to a close January 15th, 2025, so there's still plenty of time to get started and a ton of content waiting for you.

That goes for the rest of you, too. If you've been puttering with the previous acts but waiting for everything to be available first, wait no longer. The entirety of Crownfall is now yours for the exploring. Work through all the maps, unravel the entire story, play all the games and unlock all the arcana styles.

...And, of course, spend all your coins and candy. For those of you sitting on any Crownfall Coins (or those of you planning to earn more playing through Act IV), remember to use them before the event ends on January 15th.

Very soon, a flightless named Kestrel will return from his Icewrack exile. He will reform a Kazurai army from the ashes of the old. He will join his new friends, a band of Oglodi warriors, and the rightful queen to storm the palace of the usurper Imperia. And he will change the history of Skywrath forever.

This is not that story. Not yet. (That's for tomorrow.)

This is the story of a much younger Flightless, who was brave (and stupid) enough to try defying a queen on the first anniversary of her ascension. His name is Kez.

This is his story.

Patch 7.37d is out now. You can check out the patchnotes here.

Congratulations to Team Liquid, Grand Champions at The International 2024. Dropping only three games throughout their championship run, this relentless Liquid squad washed away a field of fearsome contenders to resoundingly earn their place as the finest Dota team in the world.

Team Liquid's journey to the Aegis started smoothly with a pair of 2-0 series wins over Aurora and beastcoast, but a 0-2 showing against defending champions Team Spirit reminded everyone that the path to immortality is filled with formidable foes.

Their next opponent would only prove that point further. With Liquid holding a 1-0 advantage and the Upper Bracket almost within reach, underdogs BB Team ran away with the second match of their seeding set, threatening Liquid with a much more difficult Lower Bracket path. Undaunted, Liquid leveraged early action in game three to build an avalanching lead and ultimately secure their place in the Upper Bracket to begin the next stage.

Once there, the eventual champions never looked back. Their heroes were almost unkillable in a dominating 2-0 win over Xtreme Gaming, with only a single death amongst them in game two. Carrying that momentum forward, they opened their series on the main stage against Cloud9 with another stomp. Game two turned into a closer back-and-forth fight, but Liquid rode an epic late game teamwipe to victory and a place in the Upper Bracket Final against a familiar opponent — and constant obstacle in their path — the dangerous Gaimin Gladiators.

Flipping precedent, Liquid withstood Gaimin's early aggression and took the series 2-0, marching convincingly into the Grand Final. After Gaimin battled their way back for a rematch, Team Liquid took the chance to demonstrate that the results of the first matchup were no fluke. They dispatched their old nemesis in decisive 3-0 fashion to secure the Aegis and a place in Dota 2 history.

As bearers of the ultimate symbol of victory, these names shall forever be inscribed upon the Aegis of Champions:

2024 - Team Liquid

• Michael "miCKe" Vu
  
• Michał "Nisha" Jankowski
  
• Neta "33" Shapira
  
• Samuel "Boxi" Svahn
  
• Aydin "Insania" Sarkohi

Looking Back

We would like to once again thank all of the players, talent, and everyone in the Dota community for helping bring this global celebration to life. If you missed any of the tournament, or just want to relive the incredible plays, head over to the Dota 2 YouTube channel, where you can find replays of the entire tournament. You can also find a trove of photos from the event over on the Dota 2 Instagram and Dota 2 flickr.

Celebrate the Champions

Special Champion edition sticker capsules are now available for purchase for Team Liquid. Each capsule contains one sticker featuring miCKe, Nisha, 33, Boxi, Insania, or Team Liquid. 50% of all sales will go directly to Team Liquid.

The International Compendium

If you've still got some challenges to complete and rewards to claim in The International 2024 Compendium, there's a bit more time before it all wraps up. You can still snag additional levels for your Compendium until Tuesday, October 15th, and other goodies like supporters packs, talent bundles, and champion stickers will be available a few weeks longer.

Upcoming Hero and Crownfall Act IV

Also, in case you missed the trailer during The International, we announced Dota's next hero. Leader of the flightless, sworn enemy of Queen Imperia, and general troublemaker Kez will be joining the roster of Dota heroes when Crownfall Act IV releases.