With the rise of MOBAs, digital card games, survival shooters, and other “games as a service” titles, it feels like the question on every developer’s mind is “how do we monetize our game?” That may sound like a jab at “loot box culture”, but in truth it’s just the state of modern gaming given the popularity of free-to-play titles and microtransactions. Assuming the monetization is fair and balanced, this cycle can be a win for both the player and developer. Valve’s latest attempt to answer that question is Dota Plus, a new subscription service that aims to revolutionize the Dota 2 experience and keep players hooked for years to come.