Dota 2 Frostivus event: Arcanas, custom game modes & more

Frostivus is coming back to Dota 2 and Valve has confirmed there will be “a few more moving parts” than the devs had initially planned. Here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming event and all the goodies along with it.

After a fairly disappointing Compendium for The International 2023, Valve has confirmed that Arcanas, as well as the in-game Frostivus event, is in the works. First introduced in 2012, this will be the sixth iteration of Frostivus in Dota 2, with the last one being Frostivus: Flockheart’s Gamble in 2019.

Making a return after four long years and with a massive expectation from the community to make up for the Compendium, Valve’s official statements suggest that this could be one of the biggest Frostivus events so far. Having said that, let’s dive in and check out everything that Valve has confirmed so far about the returning event.

Dota 2 Frostivus announcements

After the release of patch 7.34e on November 20, 2023, Valve released another blog post to address what is next for Dota 2. Given that the devs had confirmed that there will be Arcana releases after TI 2023, the anticipation in the community is at an all time high.

Although Valve has confirmed both Frostivus as well as new Arcanas, they have also stated that it will be a while before the latter are released. To be specific, Valve has confirmed to release Frostivus sometime during December. However, it will take more time to complete everything for “the event surrounding the Arcanas.”

While the lack of Arcanas in the Frostivus event comes as a disappointment for many in the community, this also confirms that there will be a second in-game event shortly after Frostivus 2023 with the devs confirming that they look forward to releasing the Arcana-related event “in the next few months.”

At this point, we know that Frostivus is set to release during December as has been the case with all previous Frostivus happenings in the game. Additionally, Valve’s blog post also drops a little teaser stating there could be even more updates in store before the Arcana-related event, and with several mentions of the word in its plural form, the community could be in for a treat with multiple Arcanas getting released during the upcoming event.

"…and the Arcanas?" little Timmy asks hopefully, holding up his tiny Dickensian gruel bowl. Phew, this is awkward. No, Timmy, not yet.https://t.co/TKWNadFPSk

Brace yourself, FROSTIVUS is coming!#DOTA2 pic.twitter.com/8fBEahOUs3

— Dota 2 (@dota2updates) November 21, 2023

With the developer not revealing much about the upcoming updates, events, and cosmetics at this point in time, we will make sure to update this section with all the latest information and leaks as soon as they are revealed.

So, there you have it, that’s all the information available for Frostivus 2023 and what is next in Dota 2 after update 7.34e.

If you’re looking for more news and tips for the game, make sure to check out our dedicated Dota 2 section.