Valve has confirmed that Dota 2 will be free to play. The publisher also announced an in-game store, where players will be able to buy gear and customise heroes, all of the heroes will be free. Upon open, the Dota Store will offer items created by Valve and members of the community. Early access to the game will not be required to purchase items before launch. However, those wishing to get into the game now can do so by purchasing the Dota 2 Early Access Bundle of items through Steam. The bundle costs $39.99 and includes a few items that can be traded. Valve also announced that Dota 2 is apart of the Steam Workshop.

"The opening of the Dota Store is a big part of our final push to launch," Dota 2 design lead IceFrog said. "By making the game free to play, we hope to give gamers the ability to decide how--and how much--they want to invest in the game."

Dota 2 is scheduled to come out sometime this year for PC and Mac. The game combines action and real-time strategy elements in multiplayer matches that pit teams of player-controlled heroes against one another. The game will include integrated voice chat and computer-controlled characters that will take over for players who disconnect during play sessions, as well as a coaching system, where veteran players will have the chance to tutor newcomers.