All about how to get and create effigies in Dota 2

Valve may have forgotten about Dota 2 effigies, but fans can still show off their wacky creations in-game, if they know how.

Effigies are a big part of Dota 2, but newer players may never have heard of them. The effigy system allows players to create a custom statue of a hero that appears in the base as a destructible building. Whether it’s a player’s favorite hero letting loose an ultimate or dying miserably, effigies are a way for players to express themselves. Here’s how to get some Dota 2 effigies of your own.

How to get and make effigies in Dota 2

Effigies used to be regularly given out as part of yearly battle passes, but Valve abruptly stopped releasing new effigy blocks after The International 2016. With no way to create new ones, effigies have effectively become a finite resource in the game.

The only way to get a Dota 2 effigy in 2022 is to purchase one from the Steam Market. The cheapest effigy blocks currently sell for just seven cents, while a Golden Effigy Block from The International 2015 costs a relative fortune at over $3.

After acquiring an effigy block, head to the inventory and find the effigy block you’ve purchased in the World section. Choose the Use option to open a new interface. The left column is a list of heroes with options to select animations on the right side. Choose a hero, animation, and name to create your new custom Dota 2 in-game effigy.

Once you’ve equipped your new effigy of choice, you should now see a small structure in your base replaced with your new custom statue. It functions the exact same as the normal building, with equal health and stats. Other players can commend effigies that they find cool, stylish, or funny. Commendations are tracked for everyone to see, so try to create a statue that stands out from the crowd.