Dota 2
Dota 2
Why are Dota 2 skins like Dragonclaw Hook plummeting in value?
Steven Rondina
Dragonclaw Hook owners have been pulling out their hair over the last six months as the most enduring prestige item in Dota 2 has plummeted in value. The Pudge cosmetic has always been highly sought after. Though most cosmetics from 2012 look dated and ugly by today’s standards, the Dragonclaw Hook has always been an eye-catcher simply because of its unique visuals and amazingly high price tag. At its absolute …
Dota 2
Everything to know about the Dota 2 player count in 2021
Steven Rondina
When Dota 2 is at its best, the game is undeniably great. At its worst, it’s hard for even the most dedicated players to bother. Dota 2’s player count reflects that perfectly, with the game hitting very high numbers in good times while sinking to worrying lows when things get rough. With that in mind, it’s worth taking a look over everything there is to know about Dota 2’s player …
Dota 2
Arkosh Gaming player’s identity possibly leaked in DPC League
Steven Rondina
The folks at Beyond the Summit may have accidentally pulled back the curtain a bit on one of Dota 2’s strangest teams. Arkosh Gaming has become one of Dota 2’s most intriguing squads thanks to the anonymous nature of the roster. But Beyond the Summit may have slipped when it comes to that anonymity as it seemingly revealed that one of the Arkosh Gaming players is, in reality, current caster …
Dota 2
ONE Esports Singapore Major will be 2021’s first Dota 2 major
Steven Rondina
The first major of the 2021 Dota Pro Circuit season has seemingly been revealed. A complete Liquipedia page has been published for the 2021 ONE Esports Singapore Major, including the event format, date, and prize pool distribution. ONE Esports hasn’t officially announced the event but this suggests that an official reveal is set to come. We spy with our little eyes, THE FIRST MAJOR IN SEA?!????#ALLfam #Dota2 pic.twitter.com/3JzjYkbnDm — Alliance …
Overwatch has come to Dota 2 with new chat ban changes
M Alzamora
Dota 2
Player reports in Dota 2 will now have a much greater impact with Valve’s introduction of Overwatch into its MOBA, according to a blog post on Dota 2’s official website. The update also announced changes to Dota 2’s communications bans to bring them more in line with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s system that leaves it up to other players whether they want to unmute player with restricted communications. A blog post …
MinD_ContRoL faces renewed criticism for toxic in-game behavior
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
Pro players get privileged treatment in Dota 2, and at least one of them is really taking advantage of it. An unflattering video has popped up on social media featuring Team Nigma off laner Ivan Borislavov “MinD_ContRoL” Ivanov. A teammate during a pub game clipped footage of MinD_ContRoL seemingly griefing his team in a ranked match. Playing as Lifestealer, he purchases five Fluffy Hats and can be seen in the …
Everything you need to know about Dota 2 MMR, how to check it
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
The most precious commodity in Dota 2 is MMR. Casual players judge one another based on it, pro players crave it, and Valve has made it the most important factor when it comes to putting together games through matchmaking. But what is it? How is it determined, and what is the average MMR? What does it all actually mean? Here’s everything you need to know about the coveted stat. MMR …
Evil Geniuses vs. SADBOYS betting analysis, predictions
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
Evil Geniuses is back in action in the Dota Pro Circuit’s North American league, and the team looks to be in good form. But can the squad be looked at as a slam dunk against all comers moving forward? That’s the question bettors are facing at the moment as EG approaches something of a grudge match against SADBOYS. This was one of the most intriguing matchups set to happen in …
GabeN talks moving The International, CSGO majors to New Zealand
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
Gabe Newell has essentially moved to New Zealand, and he might be taking his games’ biggest tournaments with him. Speaking with 1 News, the Valve Software CEO discussed the possibility of hosting major Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive events in New Zealand. Though he stopped short of saying local fans should start clearing their calendars, he acknowledged that there is a strong possibility of it happening next year. “Is …
Vici Gaming remains atop Dota 2 player rankings, but zai climbs
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
The 2021 Dota Pro Circuit season is here and the effects of this new competitive format is now being felt. In the rankings, one thing that’s being felt is the depth of the Chinese region. After months of Team Secret dominance over the top five, China has almost completely taken over. Four of the top five players come from China and that number could increase further. Here are where things …
Evil Geniuses, Fnatic look to climb back into top 10 Dota 2 teams
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
The 2021 Dota Pro Circuit is officially underway and with that, it’s a good time to take a look at where top teams stand heading into the season. There hasn’t been too much action since the last installment of the rankings, but top teams that were forced through the qualifiers saw their stocks rise slightly. Most of the standings should look familiar, but the makings of a major shift are …
New DPC may still see top teams and players live in poverty
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
The new Dota Pro Circuit is here and, in theory, it’s much better than the one that was in place before it. But in practice, many of the previous issues still linger on unsolved. The transition to regional leagues is meant to offer more teams the opportunity to make a serious run as professionals in Dota 2, and the median prize pool winnings will likely jump by a significant margin …
Dota Pro Circuit app updated by Valve, opened to all players
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
The 2021 Dota Pro Circuit season has officially begun, and with it Valve has dusted off the seemingly abandoned Dota Pro Circuit app. In a surprise move, Valve has opened the door for all Dota 2 players to use the Dota Pro Circuit app. The app was previously exclusive to Dota Plus subscribers and was one of the primary selling points of that service. Oh btw, the DPC app got …
Dota 2 watch tab gets updated for DPC 2021 season
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
The 2021 Dota Pro Circuit has officially started and Valve wants to show it off to players. Dota 2’s watch tab has received a major overhaul. Instead of offering players a rolling list of high-MMR pub matches, it will instead heavily focus on the Dota 2 esports scene, blending together both the official Twitch broadcasts as well as DotaTV. It will also feature a built-in standings function that allows players …
These are the teams competing in the 2021 Dota Pro Circuit
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
The 2021 Dota Pro Circuit season has almost started and there is already a lot to look forward to for Dota 2 fans. While the Dota 2 pro scene has struggled mightily to highlight new talent over the last several years, a long list of newcomers are set to get a crack at the big time. That’s great, but with a number of brand new teams formed in the last …
Fogged, BSJ denied entry to Europe to cast 2021 DPC leagues
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
DreamHack and ESL got dealt a surprise blow to their upcoming Dota Pro Circuit leagues. Ioannis “Fogged” Loucas and Brian “BSJ” Canavan were turned away at the Swedish border. The pair were traveling to Europe in order to serve on the commentary desk for both ESL’s CIS DPC League and DreamHack’s Europe DPC League. The pair announced the situation on Twitter: I have been rejected entry to Europe. Looks like I …
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.
Dota 2
Dota 2
Dota 2
Dota 2
