Dota 2
Dota 2
How neutral denies work in Dota 2 and how to abuse it
William Davis
Neutral denies are one of the most misunderstood mechanics in Dota 2, but they can be game-winning plays if pulled off properly. Dota 2 is full of complicated mechanics. From hundreds of unique interactions to thousands of unexpected synergies, there’s always something to get you out of a difficult spot. In the case of neutral denies, this unintended mechanic allows players to purposefully die to jungle creeps. But why would …
Dota 2
How to get free skins for Dota 2’s 10th anniversary
William Davis
Dota 2 just added a ton of anniversary skins to celebrate ten years, so here’s how to get them. Dota 2 has changed a lot in the last ten years, enough that a time-traveling gamer may not even recognize it. All along the way, millions of players and Valve itself have driven the game forward. Now, the company is paying it back to the community with a new set of …
Dota 2
How to play Witch Doctor, the best hero in Dota 2 7.34
William Davis
After months of boring carry domination, the best hero of Dota 2 7.34 is a fan-favorite position five. Considering all of the massive changes added in 7.33, Dota 2 fans didn’t expect too much out of 7.34. However, Valve has gone above and beyond to deliver a sizable patch for The International 2023. Standout changes have flipped the meta on its head, and while now-universal Invoker is getting the most …
Dota 2
The new best heroes of Dota 2 7.34
William Davis
Dota 2 patch 7.34 is finally here, and as with any big patch, the mantle of best heroes must be passed on. A new patch means tons of things to experiment with and explore in Dota 2. From the exciting new Shard reworks to upgraded abilities, the meta could be turned completely upside down. This patch is especially important since it will be the balance update for The International 2023. …
Dota 2
Ward Roshan Pit with this insane new Eul’s bug
William Davis
Roshan Pit fights are a little rarer now in 7.33, but this ward bug can guarantee you a snatch if used with the right hero. Roshan is one of the most valuable things in Dota 2, right up there with tier-three towers and barracks. The Aegis of the Immortal is the game’s built-in win-more mechanic designed to close out games or give daring teams a fighting chance. However, one rule …
Dota 2
Legion Commander is the best hero of 7.33e, here’s why
William Davis
The best hero of Dota 2 7.33e is practically invisible in pro games, but she can still earn you tons of MMR. 7.33e didn’t shake up the meta quite as much as Valve was hoping for. While the pro meta terrors were all taken down a notch, many of the most obnoxious heroes to see in pubs remain unchanged. Naga Siren currently reigns as the undisputed queen of carry, but …
Dota 2
How to fix Unable to Verify VAC error in Dota 2
William Davis
The Unable to Verify VAC error can strike fear into the hearts of Dota 2 players, but is it really worth worrying about? VAC bans are terrifying. The thought of all of your hard-earned stats and cosmetics vanishing is enough to make players think twice when getting a pop-up related to VAC. However, Valve’s warning isn’t quite as scary as it seems. If you’re getting hit with a VAC Unable …
Dota 2
Is Naga Siren the secret best carry of 7.33e?
William Davis
7.33e did a lot to nerf the strongest heroes before the imminent release of 7.34, but it also made way for a new best carry to take control. The relatively stale metagame of the last patch has gotten a much-needed kick in the pants, thanks to the new letter patch. As expected, carry terrors Medusa and Morphling have sharply dropped in popularity and win rate. However, a new, even fishier …
TI 2023 patch 7.34 release date confirmed by Valve
William Davis
Dota 2
A rough release date for Dota 2 7.34 has already been announced, but we don’t blame you for missing it. Dota 2 fans were pleasantly surprised by patch 7.33e suddenly dropping out of nowhere on July 13, 2023. The patch tones down some of the more egregious heroes in the game, giving both pros and pubbers alike a breath of fresh air. However, Valve sneakily confirmed that the next International …
TI 2023 will feature a Side Shop made by the community
William Davis
Dota 2
TI 2023 will mark several firsts for competitive Dota 2, and one of them will be a community-hosted Side Shop to help celebrate the event. The International is unique in the Dota 2 esports calendar. It’s obviously the most prestigious event of the year and usually boasts the largest prize pool, but it’s also an annual celebration of Dota 2 and everyone who plays it. From pro players to Heralds, …
Gaimin Gladiators wins Bali Major, ends perfect season
William Davis
Dota 2
With one more trophy at the Bali Major, Gaimin Gladiators has become the first Dota 2 team to win every major championship in a full season. After a dominant run through the entire event, GG has claimed its third major championship of this year’s Dota Pro Circuit. This marks the first perfect season for any Dota 2 team in history. The squad’s upper-bracket run has also cemented it as the …
All the problems with Bali Major, from cheating to stream errors
William Davis
Dota 2
Since it began on June 29, 2023, the Bali Major has run into more problems than any major before this year. 2023 has been a rough year for Dota 2 esports fans. Between the production catastrophes of the Lima Major, which ultimately ran on secondhand equipment, and the current issues in Bali, some fans have gone as far as to compare it to the infamously terrible Shanghai Major. While the …
BetBoom cheating scandal puts Tundra in Bali upper bracket
William Davis
Dota 2
Fans of BetBoom will remember the Bali Major as a dark day in the team’s history, as cheating has taken away the team’s place in the upper bracket. Game two of Tundra versus BetBoom at the Bali Major was one of the greatest Dota 2 esports matches ever played, but it turned out to be for nothing. In yet another instance of accused foul play, BetBoom has been found guilty …
The bug used by Azure Ray at the Bali Major explained
William Davis
Dota 2
Azure Ray has suddenly become one of the most controversial teams in Dota 2 after being accused of exploring a bug on one of the game’s biggest stages. The Bali Major has been mostly free of controversy up to the end of the group stage, but accusations of cheating have now rocked the $500,000 event. Shortly following a match between Chinese team Azure Ray and North American squad nouns, the …
The best Dota 2 tournaments to watch in summer 2023
William Davis
Dota 2
This summer will bring tons of exciting Dota 2 tournaments, Dota 2 stands out as one of the most exciting online games today. Besides playing for fun, competitive tournaments attract a huge fan base as teams contest for prowess and the ultimate pool prize. Dota 2 fans have plenty of events to look forward to in the summer of 2023. With the year’s first half complete, what Dota 2 matches …
Old G could disband after Aramis abandon, Ceb says
William Davis
Dota 2
Old G may not make it to the 2024 DPC, as team icon Sébastien “Ceb” Debs hinted at a disband on stream. As soon as Old G debuted on the scene in 2022, the squad immediately became a fan favorite. Its shifting rosters have been stacked with iconic names and faces, including some from the legendary TI8 and TI9 champion OG lineup. However, the team’s matches have always been surrounded …
How will Dota 2 celebrate its 10th anniversary?
William Davis
Dota 2
Dota 2 is coming up on a decade of being officially released, and Valve has confirmed a plan to celebrate the anniversary. Dota 2’s exact age is difficult to quantify. The game technically became playable to the general public in 2010, but developer Valve considers 2013 to be its official year of release. By that definition, the MOBA is quickly approaching its 10th anniversary, and Valve has already acknowledged the …
The International 2023 will not have a battle pass
William Davis
Dota 2
The next Dota 2 battle pass won’t involve The International 2023, marking a massive shift in the massive MOBA’s monetization. Dota 2 is famous for many things — a wide roster of colorful characters, eye-popping prize pools that dwarf other games, and the biggest event in all of esports with The International. However, Valve is not satisfied with how big of a deal TI is in its yearly content rotation, …
Miracle- to standin for Shopify Rebellion at DreamLeague 20
William Davis
Dota 2
After a brief break after leaving Nigma Galaxy, Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi is returning to pro Dota 2 with Shopify Rebellion. With regular mid laner Abed Yusop out of commission, Shopify Rebellion will use Miracle- as a standin for DreamLeague Season 20. This will be his return to competitive play after going inactive with Nigma Galaxy in December 2022. He will attempt to earn a piece of the event’s $1 million …
Dota 2 major spots have fans raging against China
William Davis
Dota 2
China and Western Europe have historically deserved the most major spots in Dota 2 esports, but recent trends show that one doesn’t deserve such attention. Dota 2 fans on social media have calculated the average major placings of different regions in 2023, and the results are very interesting. China is the biggest discrepancy, with an equal number of slots as WEU despite having the worst average performance. This has fans …
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.
