Aghanim's Labyrinth is a Dota 2 roguelike

Dota 2's summer event kicked off this week, letting players take a break from the MOBA to instead play a co-op roguelike, Aghanim’s Labyrinth, with three buds. It's available to everyone, battle pass or no, for free.

I'm not up to speed on Dota lore because who has the time? But apparently Aghanim, the bloke responsible for this labyrinthine roguelike, is a wizard with the power of a demi-god and a penchant for capturing interdimensional horrors. That's what you'll be fighting.

He's also meant to be dead, but he's back anyway, and now his monster prison is a playground for players wanting to test their mettle. There appears to be quite a lot to it, as well, with sceptre shards that augment your abilities, arcane fragments that unlock persistent upgrades, various challenge levels and a bunch of ways to approach your journey through the labyrinth.

While everyone can play, battle pass owners can also unlock up to 2,000 battle points each week by running through the roguelike. And although it's cooperative, there's still a competitive streak. Once a week, you'll be able to try to get your name at the top of the global leaderboard. If you do well, you'll net yourself special rewards, including a pet and a pair of very wet boots.

The event is live now.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.