Dota 2 Quality Prefixes: Genuine, Inscribed, Autographed and the Rest

Many Dota 2 items carry a quality word at the start of their name, such as Genuine or Inscribed. When we checked 22,437 live item names in 2026, 50.9 percent opened with one.

The quality tells you something about where the item came from or what it tracks. It can move the price a long way, or not at all.

An item with no prefix is the standard quality. Most of the market sits here, and for most cosmetics, standard is what you want.

• ▸Genuine marks items handed out through particular sources, such as promotions and events
• ▸Inscribed marks items with a gem that counts a statistic, such as kills with the hero
• ▸Autographed marks items carrying the autograph of a professional player or caster
• ▸Unusual marks couriers and wards with a particle effect around them

A prefix raises the price when it makes the item scarcer than its standard version, or when buyers want what it adds. An Unusual courier with a popular effect can cost many times the plain version. An Autographed item from a player people follow can carry a premium.

A Genuine or Inscribed version of an item that most players ignore tends to sit near the standard price.

When you check whether a price is fair, compare the item against listings with the same prefix. A Genuine item looks expensive next to its standard version, and that comparison tells you nothing about whether the Genuine price is right.

In most cases the prefix leaves the in-match appearance unchanged. Inscribed gems and autographs show in the item's description, and Unusual effects are the main exception. If you want the appearance, the standard version gives it to you at the lowest price.