What is DOTA 2?
DOTA 2 is one of the most popular multiplayer online battle arena games. It stands for Defense of the Ancients and was originally a mod made by the Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos community.
It's similar to League of Legends in that it's a team-based sport where players go head to head and try to defeat each other. The "Ancient" is the large structure inside of a team's base. First team to defeat it wins.
The game released in 2013 for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. It's immensely popular all over the world and one of the best selling games on Steam. It's also a huge Esport. Their prestigious annual tournament called The International features $30 million prize pools.
How does the game work?
The idea behind the game is to level up characters so they can defeat the ancient. At its core, two teams of five play against each other. Each team picks one of the game's 119 "heroes," who are divided between the core and support roles.
Players kill "creeps," generated as AI and each other to gain gold and experience. The map, like LOL, has three lanes. Players can buy items with gold to get advantages. More expensive items are more effective. Some even require "recipes" of different things to work. Craft one to expect devastating results.
As a player levels up, they unlock new abilities, which also help gain advantages.
Tips for beginners
Start the game by selecting a hero, but new players should consider playing the Single Draft mode, where the game will pick three different heroes from each of the game's three primary attributes (Strength, Intelligence, and Agility). In other modes, all 119 characters are available. That's definitely daunting for newcomers. Single Draft helps to simplify things.
All Pick mode lets players pick from everyone, making it the most popular way to play. Every game has three stages: early, middle, and late. In early, take time to buy items that will help with health and mana later on. Once the creeps appear, the game begins in earnest.
Early game creeps will be stronger than the player. Only players that land the last blow on an enemy get the reward. That means players can strategically kill their own creeps to deny the other team bonuses.
As players level up, they gain skill points to spend on abilities. At levels 10, 15, 20, and the highest level, 25, players can spend points on talents. At levels 6, 12, and 18, players can invest in a character's ultimate, which is a very powerful attack.
The mid game involves teams fighting in five-on-five clashes more frequently, and the late game is all about the push to destroy the ancient.
Professional play: Team/Role breakdown
There are no set roles in DOTA 2, but there is a blueprint by which most professional games are played. In general, a professional DOTA 2 team consists of five roles: Hard Carry, Solo Mid, Offlaner, and 2 support.
A Hard Carry's main job is to farm and get strong so that they can be effective in the later stages of the game. It requires a balance of farming, timing, team fights, and knowing matchups.
A Solo Mid needs to be mobile, and be able to join other players in fights without letting go of control of a lane. They also need to block creeps and keep opponents busy to try and win the lane.
An Offlaner is like a tank. It has to play alone for most of the match, without help from the rest of the team, while going after the Hard Carry and harassing the opposing team.
Finally, the two supports. The first plays as the roamer. They need to know the map and attempt to control runes when they spawn. The second acts as the captain and keeps everyone on the same page through coordinated efforts and communication.
The International Tournament
There are several DOTA 2 tournaments all over the world, but the biggest one is called The International. Valve started it in 2011, however, postponed this year's due to COVID-19.
In 2019, Team OG, a professional European Esports organization, won the International. Since 2013, the prize money is crowdfunded through an in-game battle pass.
Have Fun!
DOTA 2 has a steep learning curve but becomes extremely satisfying the more you play. It's one of the most popular games in the world for a reason. Remember to have fun with it.
Another year, another Dota 2 Battle Pass record — the crowd-funded prize pool for The International 10, postponed until 2021, has surpassed the amount raked in last time out, standing at over $34.5 million to date.
