Dota 2

The magnum opus of multiplayer games. The best MOBA in history. The most intricate PvP concept ever. There are many descriptions for this legendary strategy game. DOTA 2 was developed as a continuation of a successful community mod for Warcraft III and has become one of the most popular titles. What has its journey been like?

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Dota 2

Dota 2

Creating a standalone title from a community mode of another game that will forever influence an entire game genre? Multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBA) are today one of the most popular types of PvP (Player vs Player) games. It’s no wonder. They combine strategic thinking with the purely mechanical aspect of controlling your character. Sometimes you are one decision away from victory, sometimes one click away from defeat. Professional players must master not only the game mechanics but also important decision-making, which starts with the selection of heroes.

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General information

Valve has been influencing the gaming world with its titles since ancient times. The success of Counter Strike, which set the direction for all competitive FPS games, was followed by the game DOTA 2. How did it start? What’s with all the skins? Millions of Czech crowns as the prize pool of a gaming tournament? Dive with us into the waters of the gaming giant: Defense of The Ancient 2.

History of the game that set the direction for the MOBA genre

It all started in 2003, when the kingdom of strategic online games was ruled by Warcraft III. At that time, a group of modders created a map called Defense of The Ancient (DOTA). It quickly became popular among a wide player base and was one of the reasons why Warcraft remained a beloved strategy game for so long. However, it was not yet a full-fledged game, but merely a mod. Valve did not remain blind to this popularity, and in 2009 hired one of the original developers (Icefrog) to create a stand-alone title. A year later, DOTA 2 was officially announced. The game mechanics, system, and maps remained true to the original. Development essentially continued where it left off with the first installment. The official release took place on July 9, 2013. The main reason for releasing a standalone game was to break away from the original game client and create a place for all lovers of this new game genre. Perhaps the biggest advantage at the time of release was the game’s payment model – there was none. The game has been F2P (free to play) since its release. However, Valve made money by selling in-game cosmetic items (skins). Changed character and courier appearances became very popular, and people didn’t hesitate to spend several dollars on them. With millions of players, this meant significant profits. At the same time, the ability to trade these items between players played into the hands of the Steam platform. Its marketplace became even more active than before. Despite facing criticism, primarily focused on the difficulty of the game, DOTA 2 became one of the most played games ever. Esports events soon followed, and fans filled arenas and stadiums where tournaments with million-dollar prizes are still held today. The crossover into other media (movies, series) didn’t take long. Defense of the Ancient 2 thus offers not only a gaming experience but also a diverse hobby. Currently, it is still one of the most popular games on Steam, but in recent years we have experienced a slight decline in the MOBA genre. Whether it’s DOTA 2 or League of Legends (the main competitor), they still have something to offer. Their competitiveness, ever-evolving game world, esports scene, and loyal fan bases will stay with them for a long time.

Game preview

Source: store.steampowered.com

Game mechanics and objective

The game is always played by two teams of five players each, and their goal is to destroy the enemy base. Each team occupies half of the map (both sides are separated by a river), which is divided into three lanes (top, middle, bottom) and adjacent neutral areas (jungle). The map is mirrored, so theoretically no team has an advantage (although there are arguments as to why one side is better than the other). Waves of minions (creeps) walk along the lanes, and for killing them you gain gold and experience. These uncontrollable units are also important for destroying enemy towers, as they draw enemy fire. Exactly, towers (turrets) are a crucial element of the game. Each lane has three towers, and two separate ones protect the heart of the base (a total of 11 towers per team). Besides killing enemy heroes and creeps, it’s essential to eliminate these towers. Once you clear an entire lane of enemy towers (you have to do it one by one), you can destroy the enemy barracks. This gives you the advantage of stronger minions, and the last step that separates you from victory is the heart of the base – the ancient. Destroying it wins you the game. In the jungle, you will find neutral monster camps, and killing them grants you experience and gold. In almost all games, there is one player who plays specifically in the jungle, gaining an advantage for their team by farming monsters and assisting on lanes (so-called ganks). The map also offers other ways to gain advantages for your team, such as killing the neutral boss Roshan, which drops very powerful items.

Minimum system requirements

Operating System: Windows 10 Processor: Dual-core Intel or AMD processor at 2.8 GHz Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 or ATI/AMD Radeon HD2600 DirectX: 11.0 RAM: 4 GB Hard Drive: 60 GB …and of course, an internet connection.

Heroes

At the beginning of each game, there is a hero selection phase. During it, each team can ban the selection of certain heroes. This phase goes in rounds (one team picks one hero, then the other team picks one hero, etc.), and a given hero can only be selected once. Each hero has their abilities and serves a different purpose. One might be strong in eliminating enemies, while another has powerful healing abilities. Their abilities increase in power by leveling up (i.e., gaining experience) and through items. Heroes are categorized based on their preferred attribute: strength, agility, or intelligence. Another division is based on their recommended role: Carry, Support, Initiator, Nuker, Jungler. Generally, you can play any hero anywhere, but it is not recommended, especially due to maximizing the use of a hero’s abilities and strengths.

Source: www.esportio.cz

Items

Items are an essential part of the game as they increase the attributes of heroes and some offer extra abilities. You can obtain them by purchasing them for gold from a shopkeeper, located in both bases or by clearing neutral monster camps in the jungle. Each hero has different preferences, and while one will buy items designed for survival in the front lines, another will try to maximize their damage. An essential item that can be obtained from the shopkeeper is wards, which provide vision on the map. A unique mechanic that DOTA 2 boasts is couriers, which eliminate the need to visit the shopkeeper personally – they will bring items to you anywhere on the map. This feature is not found in other MOBA games. The final purchasable item is a teleportation scroll, which allows you to teleport to any location on the map controlled by your team. A well-timed teleport can lead to outnumbering the opponent and thus influence the course of the entire game.

Game modes

The game offers only one mode: 5v5, but it can be played in several ways. You can practice with bots (heroes are controlled by the computer, you choose the difficulty yourself), experiment in normal unranked games (suitable for beginners and getting a feel for the basics of the game), or fight in ranked matches and climb the ladder.

Alternative hero appearances or the madness called skins

By launching the community marketplace on Steam and F2P games, Valve changed the entire gaming industry. The question was: how do they plan to make money when offering games for free? The answer was simple: offer players something they want and that will be optional. Game cosmetic modifications (skins) appeared, which did not affect the gameplay itself, and that is when in-game microtransactions were born. Skins were not free. Some were offered directly, for others, it was necessary to open a chest or crate. In DOTA 2, it was a Treasure. From it, an item dropped based on a percentage chance. Their rarity (and thus their price) was determined by this percentage determining the chance of dropping. The line between gambling and gaming function was completely blurred here, and players opened treasures like crazy. It started with Counter Strike and continued with Defense of The Ancient 2. Some unofficial projects dealing with the trade and gambling around CS skins took advantage of this new wave and shifted their focus to DOTA. Secondary marketplaces started filling up with skins, and gambling sites with the opening of unofficial chests experienced a golden era, but inevitably scammers came with them. Times have changed, and as interest in MOBA games waned, the number of active traders decreased. Today, there is still a fairly large part of the gaming community that deals with this field, but it is no longer such a lucrative business. Don’t get us wrong – skins are still popular today, you can change not only the appearance of heroes but also the terrain of the map, neutral monsters, wards, and your couriers. However, if you are considering from an investment, gambling, or trading perspective whether to enter the world of DOTA cosmetic items, we must dissuade you. A much bigger and more interesting pond today is Counter Strike skins. For comparison: the most expensive skin from DOTA 2 today costs around €2000, while the most expensive CS2 item reaches up to €20,000. If we haven’t discouraged you yet, there are plenty of sites where you can trade skins or open interesting unofficial chests. Feel free to check out our reviews!

Source: dmarket.com

One of the biggest esports titles

Full arenas of people chanting the name of the team that is currently breaching the enemy base, wanting to seal their dominance in the tournament. A tournament that had $1,020,000 allocated as prizes for participants. The year 2018. Crazy financial amounts. Crazy viewership. To someone not fully familiar with the esports world, it might seem that way. However, DOTA 2 has been paving the way for professional gaming since its release. One of the biggest tournaments in the history of gaming was held in it: The International. Teams from all over the world come to it, fighting for huge financial rewards. Ordinary players turn off their games to watch them – live or online. A global phenomenon that today rivals top sports. Every three months, there is also an official (under the auspices of Valve) tournament called a Major. Placement in this tournament (there are several other factors) can also determine whether you qualify for The International. In the Czech Republic, regular league matches are held, the most famous of which is the Sazka eLeague. A decline in popularity does not necessarily mean a dead game, and if you like challenges, DOTA 2 is the perfect game for you. Learning all the mechanics and reaching the top is very difficult here. However, you can make your way to the top more enjoyable with cosmetic items, but today they are no longer a good investment. Buy them for fun, not with the prospect of profit.

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Frequently asked questions

1️⃣ Are there unofficial sites where I can sell my DOTA 2 skins for real money?

Yes, we have reviewed plenty of them. See the category “Skin marketplaces”.

2️⃣ Are there chests with DOTA 2 skins?

Yes, they are called “Treasure” here. They can be officially purchased directly in the game.

3️⃣ When was DOTA 2 released?

The official release date of DOTA 2 is July 9, 2013.

Peter Broz

Peter Broz

Article author – esports expert
Email: peter@slothbet.com

I came into contact with playing computer games long before a billion-dollar business with professional teams emerged around them. Although I never reached the professional level, I still have many acquaintances among the top esports players today. At SlothBet, I will primarily contribute to the esports section.

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