Dota 2 cosmetics glossary
Plain-English definitions of the 40 terms you’ll meet trading Dota 2 items — rarities, qualities, gems, item types, sources and market jargon.
Rarity & prestige
- Arcana
- The top cosmetic tier — a full visual overhaul of one hero, with a new model, animations, icons and sounds. Browse Arcanas →
- Immortal
- Effect-bearing items distributed mainly through treasures and Battle Passes; often carry gems and unlockable styles. Immortals explained →
- Ancient
- One of the higher rarity tiers, sitting between Legendary and Immortal, used for select premium cosmetics.
- Seasonal
- A label for items tied to specific events and limited-time drops rather than a fixed quality.
Item qualities
- Standard
- The default quality — an item with no special source or modifier attached.
- Genuine
- A quality granted with a specific purchase or promotion, marking the item as obtained that way.
- Inscribed
- Carries an inscribed gem that tracks in-game stats such as kills or wins on the item.
- Autographed
- Bears a professional player’s signature, applied with an autograph rune.
- Corrupted
- An event quality (e.g. Diretide) that alters an item’s look with a corrupted theme.
- Unusual
- A rare quality, most associated with couriers, that adds a special particle effect. Couriers & unusual effects →
- Exalted
- An upgraded treasure variant, often scarcer and more valuable than the standard version.
Gems & customisation
- Gem
- A socketable item that adds an effect, stat tracker or visual change to a piece of equipment.
- Socket
- The slot on an item that holds a gem; an item may have one or more sockets.
- Kinetic Gem
- A gem that gives an item or hero a custom animation.
- Prismatic Gem
- A gem that recolours an item to a different palette.
- Ethereal Gem
- A gem that adds a particle/aura effect to an item.
- Style
- An alternate appearance for an item, often unlocked by leveling, achievements or upgrades.
- Persona
- An alternate identity for a hero — a distinct model and voice — separate from an Arcana. Arcana vs Persona vs Set →
Item types
- Set
- A coordinated group of cosmetics covering multiple equipment slots for a single hero. Item slots & set bonuses →
- Bundle
- Several items packaged and sold together as one listing. Browse bundles →
- Courier
- The creature that ferries items to a hero; cosmetic couriers can carry rare Unusual effects. Browse couriers →
- Ward
- A cosmetic skin for the Observer and Sentry Wards placed on the map.
- Announcer
- A voice pack that narrates the match, often paired with a Mega-Kills voice.
- Loading Screen
- Custom artwork shown on the loading screen and profile.
- Taunt
- A short emote animation a hero can perform in-game.
Sources
- Treasure
- A chest that grants a randomized cosmetic from a fixed pool when opened. Treasures explained →
- Battle Pass
- A seasonal event pass with leveled reward lines of exclusive cosmetics. Battle Pass explained →
- Collector's Cache
- A community-voted treasure of workshop sets released around The International. Collector's Cache explained →
Trading & market
- Marketable / Tradable
- Whether an item can be sold on the Community Market and/or traded to another player. Where to buy & sell →
- Trade Hold / Escrow
- A delay Steam places on a trade when the Mobile Authenticator isn’t active, to deter theft. Trade safely →
- Steam Wallet
- Where Community Market sale proceeds land — spendable on Steam, not withdrawable to a bank.
- Buy order
- A standing bid to buy an item at a set price, filled automatically when a seller matches it. Price table →
- Median price
- The middle of recent sale prices — the most reliable read on fair value.
- Spread
- The gap between the lowest listing and the highest buy order — your cost of selling instantly.
- Liquidity
- How easily an item sells; high-volume items are liquid with tight prices, thin items are not. Most traded items →
- Undercut
- Listing just below the current lowest price so your item sells first — the constant downward pressure on the market. Price table →
- Steam fee (~15%)
- The ~15% cut Steam takes on every Community Market sale — a 5% Steam fee plus a 10% game fee. Fee calculator →
- Flipping
- Buying an item below market and reselling it higher for profit, after covering the fee. Flip calculator →
- Expected value (EV)
- The long-run average value of a random outcome — used to judge whether opening a treasure beats buying. Treasure calculator →
- Cashout
- Converting items into real money via a third-party marketplace, since Steam only pays Wallet credit. Where to buy & sell →
New to the economy? Start with rarities explained, then browse the items database or the live price table.