Valve is taking an interesting approach with Dota Underlords battle pass. In the lead up to Underlords' Season 1 Battle Pass, Valve is giving away a free prototype battle pass to everyone playing the beta.
Valve is treating its "Proto Pass" like a test, but its cosmetic rewards are very real. Through a mix of daily and weekly challenges, players unlock new game boards, win streak and respawn effects, banners, victory fireworks, and more.
"Like many aspects of the beta, the Proto Pass is a learning experience for the Underlords team—so please keep the feedback coming so that we can adjust plans for our Season 1 Battle Pass accordingly," the announcement posts reads.
Since Underlords is free, its first real battle pass will set the tone for how the game will balance its money-making versus keeping players happy. After the event that was Artifact, I bet Valve is treading cautiously this time around.
Additionally, Dota Underlords' Friday update cleaned up parts of the UI, improved matchmaking, and made a bunch of balancing changes. Check out the full patch notes to see more.
If you're diving into the burgeoning autobattler genre, check out our big comparison of Dota Underlords, Teamfight Tactics, and Auto Chess to find out which you should try.