The International keeps getting bigger, better, and even more interactive. After releasing the Compendium in May , Valve has pumped out content with Kickstarter-like stretch goals that is guaranteed to be full of awesome. If you've ignored all the other awesome features like the free Smeevil courier and the Battle Bonus stretch reward, get ready. Now you can make fantasy teams, collect and stamp player trading cards, and even try to predict the outcome of the tournament.
The coolest feature for me is “The International Fantasy Challenge.” You can make fantasy teams with any of the players attending The International. If your team does well by the end of the tournament, you'll earn actual items and the right to gloat about your future as a team manager—paging Na'Vi. With a full leaderboard tracking the performance of the player-created fantasy teams, you can root for your favorite real, and fantasy team.
I've been ignoring Steam Trading Cards as long as I can, but Valve is making it really hard. If you've played Dota 2 recently, you've probably noticed player cards dropping along with the usual items and chests. Stamp those cards into your Compendium and you'll get to customize your International Courier. If you manage to get the whole set Valve will throw you a mythical crab mount.
But wait, there's more! If you're the type of person who meticulously tracks stats and calculates win percentages based on hero picks, bans, and team compositions you'll love the fact that you've got seven pages of predictions to make about the results of the tournament.
If you plan on watching The International, you might want to grab a copy of the Compendium right now. Check out Valve's post about the changes for more details.
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