Dota 2
Dota 2
This Dota 2 streamer was banned live on Twitch for smurfing
William Davis
Russian streamer meepgor_off booted up his computer for another day of streaming Dota 2, but his smurfing earned him a big surprise instead. Smurfing is one of the worst parts of online gaming, and every Dota 2 player has fallen victim to it. It’s often treated as a bad player’s problem, but it affects everyone from newbies to big streamers. Some smurfs profit off streaming their gameplay, but Valve also …
Dota 2
Justin Bieber is set to interrupt The International 2022
William Davis
The small subset of Dota 2 fans who both love Justin Bieber and plan to attend The International 2022 will have the best week of their lives come October. The International 2022 is changing up a ton of things about Dota 2. The event’s last chance qualifiers are back, the annual battle pass will be late, and there’s a strange four-day gap in the middle of the playoffs. This initial …
Dota 2
Valve throws Outsiders out of TI11, Fnatic invited instead
Steven Rondina
Despite having a berth to The International 2022 seemingly locked up through the Dota Pro Circuit, the Outsiders squad sponsored by Virtus.pro will have to work its way in through the TI11 qualifiers while Fnatic takes it’s spot. The Dota Pro Circuit standings were finalized by the Arlington Major, which concluded with Team Spirit taking the title with a 3-1 win over PSG.LGD. The actual invites were mathematically secured a …
Dota 2
TI11 Battle Pass could come soon, hidden Steam files suggest
Steven Rondina
The International 2022 Battle Pass may be coming out very soon. Shortly after the TI11 direct invitees were decided, a number of hidden files were changed related to a potential TI11 Battle Pass were changed. Hidden files often reveal the secrets of upcoming game releases, and Valve isn’t immune from this phenomenon. Unlisted updates for Dota 2 were caught by SteamDB, which chronicles updates to Steam and all of its …
Dota 2
Here are all the TI11 competing teams and how they qualified
Steven Rondina
The International 2022 is fast approaching and the majority of teams have now locked up their spots in the event. TI11 is set to include a variety of top teams from all six regions, with a few surprises making the cut and big names getting left on the outside looking in. Unlike past years, TI11 will have a much longer list of competitors. Alongside the previously planned top 12 from …
Dota 2
A new DOTA: Dragon’s Blood character could be the next new hero
Steven Rondina
DOTA: Dragon’s Blood Book 3 has been released and the series is likely over, and it may have introduced a new character who could be the next new hero in Dota 2. Valve has made it clear that it will not muster up the energy to further promote the animated series based on one of its most popular games. Valve couldn’t even post a tweet about it. But that doesn’t …
Dota 2
The ending to DOTA: Dragon’s Blood season 3 explained
Steven Rondina
Are you confused over the ending to DOTA: Dragon’s Blood and need the conclusion explained to you? Dota 2 is a tall drink of water from a lore perspective. Every game is canon, different skins represent different characters, and everyone is fighting over chunks of the moon that are actually living things. The animated series maintains all that, then adds a bunch more on top of it. Couple all that …
Dota 2
Pro game proves tier 5 neutrals are now completely imbalanced
William Davis
Tier 5 neutrals are supposed to end the game by introducing insane power spikes, but a recent pro game showed just how completely imbalanced they can now be. Pirate Hats and Fallen Skies are fun to use, but there’s a reason Dota 2 saves them until after an hour. Tier 5 neutrals are some of the most powerful items in the game next to Aegises and Divine Rapiers. While some …
We explain the Great Confluence, Dota 2’s future mega-event
William Davis
Dota 2
The Great Confluence is on its way to Dota 2 and it’s set to be a cataclysmic event of some sort, but what exactly does that mean? Dota 2 lore is a strange beast, but it looks like Valve is cooking up something big for the game’s storyline. Several characters and events have referenced some kind of event called the Great Confluence. Some signs point to it being a massive …
Team Secret kicks iceiceice, add Resolut1on for TI11 qualifiers
William Davis
Dota 2
A surprise roster change for Team Secret will swap Daryl “iceiceice” Koh and Roman “Resolut1on” Fomynok in the offlane role. Team Secret has turned its former stand-in Resolut1ion into a full-time starter. Unfortunately, that also means cutting a fan-favorite offlaner. iceiceice has officially left the Team Secret organization, but a replacement has already been announced. The move could be spurred by the team’s lackluster performance in 2022 that included missing …
ana will stand in for RNG at the Dota 2 Arlington Major
William Davis
Dota 2
The Arlington Major visa crisis has resulted in another surprise comeback for Anathan “ana” Pham. After announcing that Daniel “Ghost” Chan Kok Hong would not be able to attend duke to visa issues, Royal Never Give Up will now sport double-TI champion ana as its hard carry for the Arlington Major. This marks the second big Dota 2 event to feature ana since his informal retirement after The International 2019. …
The best heroes for 10 vs 10 in Dota 2 are completely OP
William Davis
Dota 2
The 10 vs 10 game mode returns to Dota 2 in this week’s spotlight, but certain heroes are completely overpowered due to the doubled hero count. 10 vs 10 is rare in Dota 2. It’s difficult to coordinate a game between 20 people, and the Dota 2 map has a hard time accommodating so many players. However, it does bring new strategies and ideas to the Dota 2 experience. Many …
The TI11 Battle Pass leak is fake, here’s when it’s coming
William Davis
Dota 2
The International 2022 Battle Pass is probably on its way, but leaked images of the TI11 splash screen are just plain trolling. A leaked image of the TI11 Battle Pass for Dota 2 has begun circulating online. The image claims to show a red battle pass background with a new arcana available for Skywrath Mage. However, on further analysis, it is certainly fake. Here’s how to tell and when the …
Xtreme forfeits Arlington Major slot, loses chance at TI11
William Davis
Dota 2
After accepting a controversial forfeit in the Dota Pro Circuit, Xtreme Gaming has forfeited its own slot at the Arlington Major. The decision to not attend the major Dota 2 tournament comes from Xtreme Gaming management, who cited difficulty with acquiring travel visas. The player most affected appears to be Lou “lou” Zhen, whose visa application was denied three times. The promising squad will lose out on a ton of …
Why are PSG.LGD players rubbing XinQ’s belly before pro games?
William Davis
Dota 2
Rubbing the belly of your teammate sounds like a strange pre-match ritual, but for PSG.LGD’s Dota 2 team, it’s becoming a longstanding tradition. One of the strangest phenomena in Dota 2 esports is watching PSG.LGD walk up to the squad’s support player Zhao “XinQ” Zixing and begin to rub his belly. Team captain Zhang “y`” Yiping is the most common masseuse, but offlaner Zhang “Faith_bian” Ruida has also been seen …
Topson confirms a comeback to pro Dota 2, but when?
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen is looking to make a comeback to Dota 2 esports, but it doesn’t seem like he will be returning to OG. The two-time TI champion has been out of action since The International 2021 and was openly discussing retirement before the event. As is often the case in esports, that idea didn’t hold up over time. With the qualifiers to The International 2022 looming, Topson is considering …
Dota 2 fans are freaking out over this pro’s massive biceps
William Davis
Dota 2
A $4 million Dota 2 tournament’s stream is occasionally being blocked by one pro’s massive biceps. Riyadh Masters has continued to Dota 2 esports tradition of silly things happening on stream. In case of Tundra Esports stand-in offlaner Nikita “Daxak” Kuzmin, fans have noticed that his abnormally large biceps are partially blocking their view of the team cameras. In addition to that, the Riyadh Masters memes include extremely rapid commentary …
Which casters are commentating at the PGL Arlington Major?
William Davis
Dota 2
The casters and analysts for the PGL Arlington Major have been announced, but some fans aren’t happy with the lineup. Tournament organizer PGL has announced the talent for the Dota 2 Arlington Major. The list includes many iconic casters including Gabriel “Lyrical” Cruz and David “GoDz” Parker. Many newer talents are getting their time to shine at the year’s second-most important Dota 2 event. However, the lack of some recognized …
You’re playing Arc Warden wrong, here’s how the pros do it now
William Davis
Dota 2
Arc Warden is usually one of Dota 2’s most boring heroes, but pros are using a new build that turns him into the game’s strongest caster. When watching a Dota 2 draft, there are a few heroes that nobody wants to see. Amid the Lone Druids and Spectres, one hero stands on top as the most boring of all. Arc Warden is usually a scaling split-push hero that stacks active …
Will Heroes of Newerth heroes come to Dota 2 after closure?
William Davis
Dota 2
Dota 2 and Heroes of Newerth have a lot in common and if Valve listens to fan requests, their similarities may even include heroes. Heroes of Newerth is the spiritual Dota 1.5. A gap-closer between the Warcraft III mod and Valve’s official sequel. Many older Dota 2 fans have fond memories of the game. In fact, many pro players including two-time TI champion captain Johan “N0tail” Sundstein trace their competitive …
Few games have proven to have the resilient popularity enjoyed by Dota 2. The multiplayer online battle arena, or MOBA for short, has been among the biggest and most successful projects released by gaming giant Valve, and it continues to enjoy great popularity to this day.
That popularity has endured despite a great number of changes that have been made to both the game itself and to the communities surrounding it. The competitive title’s history reaches all the way back to another game created and published by another developer, but with Valve now leading the way, Dota 2 seems primed to last well into the future.
From Blizzard to Valve, Dota 2 continues to evolve
While know today as one of Valve’s key game properties, Dota 2 has its origins in a real-time strategy game developed and published by famed video game company Blizzard. One of the franchises that keyed Blizzard’s success and reputational growth in the games industry is WarCraft, which today is best-known for the popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft.
But prior to the success of World of Warcraft, the high-fantasy franchise was experienced through a series of RTS games. The third main title in that series, WarCraft 3, provided players not only with a great experience right out of the box, but also with the opportunity to heavily modify the game and its functions, and to play modified versions of the experience as custom games online with other players.
The most popular of these custom game modes was arguably Defense of the Ancients, or DotA for short. This custom game mode saw two teams of players face off against each other with strong individual champion characters, as opposed to building out complex home bases and developing broad armies of diverse units.
It was an entirely different way to play the game, and it proved so popular that would eventually give birth to an entirely new genre of video games: the MOBA genre.
The continuation of the original DotA became Dota 2, a project developed under the guidance of famed developer and publisher Valve. Flush with success from online marketplace Steam and its own franchises including Half-Life and Portal, Valve was more than willing to invest in this new and innovative game type.
The International sets Dota 2 apart
While there have been many other competitive games created and released since, including other popular MOBAs such as Riot Games’ League of Legends, Dota 2 has stood apart for remaining true to its roots and for massive competitive events like The International. First held in 2011 for the purpose of bringing together disparate competitive teams from all around the world with more than $1 million on the line, the esports tournament quickly grew into the biggest such event of each calendar year.
One of the main drivers behind that immense growth was the upwards trajectory of the tournament’s prize pool. Partially funded by Dota 2 players and esports fans, the prize pool for The International began increasing in 2013 and eventually ballooned to a massive total of over $40 million by the time 2021 rolled around. For the groups of players and coaches who climbed this mountain and won its top prize, it was a truly life-changing event.
For varied reasons, Valve eventually soured on running the event itself and on the idea of having so much money filtered into one specific event. Prize winnings were dropped significantly in 2022, and even further for the 2023 and 2024 events. But despite the prizes on hand no longer being quite so astronomical, The International still boasts a prize in the low millions, and it remains the biggest event on the Dota 2 competitive calendar and arguably on the greater esports calendar across all games.
