Another strange detail has been discovered in Dota 2 that may be connected to the current event. According to content creator Dmitry «Finargot» Plyusnin, Valve touched the files of the Colosseum custom game in the latest update — a mode that first appeared back in 2015.
Interest in the discovery grew because of the storyline of the new event. In one of the lines, Ringmaster’s brother calls the tent a Colosseum, which led players to come up with a theory: Valve may not have returned to the old custom game by accident.
Haunted Colosseum is an official custom game created by Valve. The company introduced it in October 2015 as a Halloween mode for Dota 2. On the mode’s page, Valve described it as a new type of battle featuring traps, control points, and unique mechanics inside the arena.
The concept was simple: two teams fought for control of five points on the map. To begin capturing a point, a hero had to stand on it, and the team would start earning points if it controlled at least three of them. The first team to reach 5,000 points won the match.
In addition to regular fights, Colosseum featured traps, including swinging pendulums, spikes, fire, and poison mechanisms. Some traps could be activated using buttons on each team’s side, while others triggered when a hero stepped on them.
Another special feature of the mode was the Behemoths. When one team reached 1,000 points, powerful defensive creatures with True Sight and immunity to magical damage appeared for their opponents.
At first glance, the connection between an old custom game and the new event may look like a coincidence. However, several details have attracted the community’s attention.
First, Colosseum was not a fan-made mode but an official Valve custom game. It was published in the Steam Workshop under the name Dota 2 Official, with the publication date listed as October 27, 2015.
Second, the mode was built around an arena, traps, and spectacular battles — all of which fit well with the aesthetic of Ringmaster and the current event.
Third, the reference to a «Colosseum» in the storyline seems too noticeable to ignore. If Valve really did touch the old Colosseum files, it could either be a technical update or a hint at future content.
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