Dota 2
Dota 2
Miracle- to standin for Shopify Rebellion at DreamLeague 20
William Davis
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
Dota 2 major spots have fans raging against China
William Davis
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 …
Dota 2
Turbo mode gets big changes in Dota 2 7.33
William Davis
Valve has been so busy refining the new 7.33 changes in normal Dota 2 that it forgot about turbo mode. However, at least one janitor has finally remembered. Dota 2 turbo mode has been updated to reflect all the new changes in 7.33. The fast-paced version of the game now has all of the same objectives at an increased rate to reflect the higher gold and experience totals. This is …
Dota 2
Is Dota Plus pay-to-win? Here’s what you’re paying for
William Davis
Most Dota 2 players buy Dota Plus for the silly voice lines, but its variety of features are frequently accused of being pay-to-win. Dota Plus is Valve’s way of profiting off Dota 2 when battle passes, and new skins aren’t available. The monthly subscription service costs only a few bucks in exchange for hero stat tracking, advanced match info, a unique currency system, and a wide variety of in-game bonuses. …
Dota 2
Crystal Maiden is the best support of 7.33, here’s why
William Davis
Crystal Maiden has cemented her place at the top of the support totem pole for Dota 2 7.33, but what makes her the best? DreamLeague Season 19 gave Dota 2 fans an instant look at how pro players interpreted the massive changes in 7.33, but the Berlin Major has officially given the patch its identity. The game has become a mix of quick stomps and hour-long slogs, and the new …
Dota 2
Old G buys back into the DPC after harassment DQ
William Davis
Old G’s disqualification from the Western Europe DPC was a shock to Dota 2 fans, but it seems that the skillful use of large amounts of money has already solved the problem. Just days ago, Old G was disqualified from a relegation tiebreaker in the lower division of the Western Europe DPC. It could have ended there, but public shaming of an admin led to harassment, which in turn led …
Dota 2
Old G kicked from DPC for harassing admins
William Davis
Old G quickly became the team to watch in Western Europe’s lower DPC division, but a shock ruling has sent the star-studded squad back to square one. On May 8, 2023, PGL announced that Old G has been disqualified from the summer tour closed qualifier in the lower division of the WEU Dota Pro Circuit. The squad was originally guaranteed a spot in the qualifier after being relegated out, but …
Dota 2
Date and city for The International 2023 announced
William Davis
The International will return to its most frequent city in 2023, Valve has officially confirmed. The International 2023 will mark the 12th iteration of the biggest tournament in esports. With a battle pass due out to help crowdfund the event and the competitive scene incredibly close at the top level, this year’s TI is set to be one of the most exciting yet. To help drum up hype before the …
New MMR distribution shows everyone made it out of Herald
William Davis
Dota 2
The results of the new MMR distribution are here, and all the players dooming about in Herald are in for a treat. Dota 2 is a complex game, but MMR has stood the test of time as cold hard proof of a player’s skill. Patch 7.33 kept the raw number system but adjusted it with new factors to help it feel fresh. Certainty is a factor, but the biggest change …
Loda makes his music debut with a new Dota 2 anthem
William Davis
Dota 2
Dota 2 icon Jonathan “Loda” Berg is mostly known for carrying and coaching, but he has now added composing to that list with a debut in music. After a week of hype and teasers, Alliance coach Loda has released a music video as a tribute to Dota 2. The folksy tune is littered with references to his favorite game. The Alliance CEO has released anything musical before, but the song …
Were universal heroes supposed to be added to Dota 2 in 2019?
William Davis
Dota 2
Some heroes have become downright broken in Dota 2 7.33 by switching to Universal, but there are some signs that Valve was planning on the chance four years ago. With DreamLeague Season 19 done and the Berlin Major currently running, Dota 2 fans are getting tons of opportunities to watch pros dissect patch 7.33. The biggest takeaway, besides certain heroes being stupidly overpowered, is that universal heroes will be a …
Is Medusa the new best carry of 7.33 after win rate spike?
William Davis
Dota 2
In classic Valve fashion, a botched rework with buffed numbers has created a new best carry for Dota 2 7.33. Dota 2 fans are still figuring out the best strategies and heroes in patch 7.33, but just as fans discovered how broken Phantom Lancer was, Valve stepped in. 7.33b has changed the meta overnight, and now Medusa has seized her spot at the top of the win rate chart. However, …
New 7.33 map features weird easter eggs, what do they mean?
William Davis
Dota 2
7.33 came with a ton of cool changes, but it also brought some very strange easter eggs with no explanation from Valve. The new 7.33 map is massive, but there’s even more to it than all the crazy new mechanics like Tormentors and wisdom runes. There are now four mysterious places on the map that provide interesting passive buffs along with potential glimpses into future events and heroes. If you’ve …
This insane Tormenter glitch can kill the enemy fountain
William Davis
Dota 2
Think your Dota 2 games are toxic? A new glitch involving Io, Primal Beast, and a Tormentor can turn every game into a nightmare. Dota 2 players are almost as clever as they are mean. If there’s a way to ruin the enemy team’s good time, they’ll find it. 7.33 introduced a ton of new mechanics designed to make the game fresh and fun, but it was only a matter …
Three saucy 7.33 builds straight from DreamLeague grand finals
William Davis
Dota 2
The grand final of DreamLeague Season 19 was the debut of 7.33 in competitive Dota 2, and pros get to put their theory-crafted builds right to the test. Dota 2 7.33 has hit the pro stage, and the world’s best players have already gotten to work tinkering with the massive new map, long list of mechanics, and addition of Muerta to captain’s mode. However, the new items and item reworks …
Dota 2 Bali Major dates finally confirmed by Valve
William Davis
Dota 2
The dates for the Bali Major have finally been confirmed by Valve, and it will feature a brand-new tournament organizer. The Dota Pro Circuit has been reinvigorated by the long-awaited release of patch 7.33. The slew of new mechanics and hero buffs has completely changed the game, and DreamLeague Season 19 was just a taste of how the pro meta will evolve. To keep the hype train rolling, Valve has …
Phantom Lancer is the new best hero of Dota 2 7.33
William Davis
Dota 2
The best hero of Dota 2 7.33 is also one of the game’s most frustrating carries. Tons of heroes got insane buffs as part of 7.33, but it took a few days of playtesting for Dota 2 fans to figure out whose buffs are just fluff and which are the real deal. However, one carry has eclipsed all expectations as the strongest hero of the patch. Phantom Lancer’s win rate …
Dota 2 7.33 introduced a secret Cheese upgrade, and it’s nuts
William Davis
Dota 2
Dota 2 7.33 added tons of new mechanics to the game, and one of them is a very well-kept secret involving Cheese. Dota 2 players are currently scrambling around the map trying to figure out how to play the game again. For some, it’s the most fun time to play since so many strategies are still unexplored. For others, it’s a massive headache. No matter which side of the issue …
The biggest hero buffs in all of Dota 2 patch 7.33
William Davis
Dota 2
Dota 2 7.33 has completely rewritten the game with the addition of several new mechanics, but these hero buffs will steal the show right out of the gate. For Dota 2 fans, big patch days are better than Christmas, and Valve has given out plenty of presents. The new reworks give creative players a great opportunity to flex their mental muscles and devise new strategies. However, a small handful of …
All the new Dota 2 7.33 mechanics explained
William Davis
Dota 2
After months and months of waiting, the new mechanics in Dota 2 7.33 are finally revealed, and calling them crazy is an understatement. IceFrog, if his rumored return was true, has done it again. 7.33 is arguably the biggest Dota 2 patch since the game first launched, as it has massively expanded the map and number of mechanics in the game. There’s a lot to digest, and even more to …
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.
