Dota 2 has a vast array of cosmetic items that players can purchase, some of which can fetch incredibly high prices. Over the years, various items have stood out for their rarity and value.
A Brief on Item Rarities and Qualities in Dota 2
Qualities in Dota 2 are properties of items that drastically affect their price. There are 16 different qualities, each associated with a unique reason for existing and a specific color:
- Genuine: Dark Green - Promotional items from Valve or tournament bundles;
- Elder: Ocean Blue - Limited quantity from presents or other sources;
- Unusual: Purple - Low chance from treasures or custom couriers;
- Self-Made: Light Green - Given to Workshop artists whose items were approved by Valve
- Inscribed: Orange - Found in treasures and inscribed with gems;
- Cursed: Purple - Rewards from Diretide 2013;
- Heroic: Purple - Random drops from spectating tournament games;
- Favored: Yellow - Team Cup winners from The International 2013 for pro players;
- Ascendant: Red - Socketed with an Ascendant Gem;
- Autographed: Lime - Socketed with an autograph rune containing a digital signature;
- Legacy: White - Early unboxed couriers with a unique color and prismatic legacy gem;
- Exalted: Grey - Purchased during a specific period post-release;
- Frozen: Blue - Commemorative quality for Frostivus 2013;
- Corrupted: Red - Commemorative quality for Frostivus 2013;
- Auspicious: Light Green - Commemorative quality for New Bloom 2014;
- Infused: Purple - Items with upgraded ambient effects.
Rarities in Dota 2
Rarities indicate how hard items are to acquire, with rarer items generally being more valuable. There are 10 different rarities:
- Common: Grey - Cosmetic changes;
- Uncommon: Light Blue - Cosmetic changes;
- Rare: Blue - Cosmetic changes;
- Mythical: Purple - Cosmetic changes with ambient effects;
- Legendary: Pink - Cosmetic changes with ambient effects;
- Immortal: Gold - Event-specific items no longer obtainable, except from other players;
- Arcana: Lime - Items with extensive customizations, including models, animations, particle effects, and icons;
- Ancient: Red - Special event items no longer obtainable;
- Dota Plus Access: Yellow - Temporary items for Dota Plus subscribers;
- Seasonal: Yellow - Items for seasonal events that can expire.
Dota 2's Most Expensive Items
Crimson Witness Items
Crimson Witness items are variants of Immortals given exclusively to attendees of The International. These red variants often fetch several hundred dollars. For example, Spectre's Tranversant Soul of the Crimson Witness is currently listed at $1533.82.
Items with Specific Qualities
Certain items increase drastically in price due to their quality. For instance:
- Axe's Executioner's Trophy: Normally $0.47, but the Frozen quality version sells for $1931.24, making it the most expensive item in Dota 2.
- Dark Realm Oracle's Belt for Death Prophet: Normally $0.03, but the Corrupted quality version sells for $1931.24 due to a Demons Imprisoned shard from Foulfell.
Most Expensive Individual Items
Some items, regardless of rarity or quality, fetch high prices due to their uniqueness:
- Rarities of the Benefactor 2019 Treasure: Listed at $1887.69.
- Rarities of the Benefactor 2020 Treasure: Listed at $1422.76.
Couriers
The most expensive courier is the Honey Heist Baby Roshan, which sells for $1408.42 at base value. It was a reward for players who used the Trusty Shovel consumable during the 2019 battle pass.
These items, with their unique qualities and rarities, continue to attract collectors and players willing to spend significant amounts to own a piece of Dota 2 history.