After years of fans bashing the content delivered in the yearly tradition of Dota 2 Battle Pass, in 2023 the developer of the game has finally decided to stop making one, putting a possible end to the popular franchise dating back to 2013. The reason behind this decision was publicly announced by Valve as an effort to move away from the "single focal point around which all content delivery was designed" and towards a more encompassing model of content updates for all players.

No matter if you’re a veteran player who still remembers all the previous years’ battle passes, or a new player who doesn’t know what you’ve missed, let’s take the time to read the following article to reminisce about all the years that Dota 2 players spent trash-talking this monetization model of the video game industry which Dota itself pioneered.

What is Dota 2 Battle Pass?

Dota 2 Battle Pass is a purchasable item that players can buy in order to have access to tournament specials and event features, as well as a wide range of earnable cosmetic items, quests, fantasy leagues, game modes, and more. It is similar to past compendiums and contains numerous quests, achievements, and rewards for those who spend money to acquire it. The Battle Pass usually has a theme and a duration that matches the season of The International or another event. For example, the 2022 Battle Pass is themed around Nemestice, a cosmic event that brings meteor storms to the Dota 2 world.

The Battle Pass also contributes to the prize pool of The International, the biggest and most prestigious Dota 2 tournament. 25% of every Battle Pass purchase made before The International concludes goes directly to the prize pool. This is the monetization structure that Dota created back in 2013 and has since been adopted by many other developers in the video game industry. To date, Dota 2 still holds the record of the highest prize pool for any single esports tournament with over $40 million USD raised in The International 2021.

What perks come with purchasing the Battle Pass?

Some of the rewards for purchasing the Battle Pass are:

• Immortal Treasures: These are chests that contain exclusive cosmetic items for various heroes, some of which have custom effects and animations. There are usually three types of Immortal Treasures, each with different items and rarities. You can earn Immortal Treasures by leveling up your Battle Pass or by purchasing them directly.
• Arcana and Persona skins: These are special cosmetic items that transform the appearance, voice, animations, and effects of a hero. They are usually very rare and expensive, but the Battle Pass offers them as rewards for reaching certain levels. For example, the current Battle Pass offers a Dragon Knight Persona at level 275 and a Spectre Arcana at level 330.
• Cavern Crawl: This is a mini-game where you explore a map of rooms by winning games with specific heroes. Each room contains a reward, such as Battle Points, cosmetics, or consumables. You can also unlock special styles for some of the cosmetics by completing certain paths.
• Weekly Quests: These are challenges that you can complete by playing games with any hero, thereby gaining Battle Points that will level up your Battle Pass.
• Predictions and Fantasy: These are features that allow you to test your knowledge and prediction skills in Dota 2 matches, tournaments, or events. Basically, you will make outcome predictions and earn Battle Points if you are correct.
• Stickers and Chat Wheel: These are ways to communicate with your teammates and opponents in-game. You can use stickers to express your emotions or reactions or use chat wheel sounds to play voice lines from casters or pro players. Some of these sounds are exclusive to the Battle Pass and can only be used during the season.

Most items obtained from the Battle Pass are not tradeable but can be sent as gifts to someone else, as long as you’ve been friends with them in the game for more than 1 month. You can also recycle duplicate or unwanted items for Battle Points and other rewards.

When did the first Battle Pass take place?

The first official Battle Pass took place in 2016, when Valve renamed the compendium to Battle Pass and expanded it to include more features and events, such as quests, seasonal effects, and custom game modes. The first Battle Pass was the Winter 2016 Battle Pass, which was associated with the Shanghai Major tournament.

However, the first known instance of a paid battle pass came via Dota 2 back in 2013, when Valve released a purchasable Dota 2 Compendium for The International 3, the game’s pinnacle event for its esports scene. The Dota 2 Compendium was a digital book that allowed players to follow the tournament and support their favorite teams, as well as earn various rewards and features. It also contributed to the prize pool of The International, as 25% of every Compendium purchase went directly to the prize pool.

With Dota 2 Battle Pass 2023 off the map, what to expect now for Dota 2 players?

Now that Dota 2 Battle Pass 2023 release date is not imminent, and a future Battle Pass 2024 is dim, what do Dota 2 players have to expect for the remainder of this year? Keep an eye out for a The International-themed update in September 2023, which will include some new features and rewards for all players, not exclusively for those who pay for a pass like usual. The September update will not introduce any new cosmetic items, which will break the tradition of past Battle Pass iterations and might be a letdown to some. Most likely, what players can expect from this update are something along the lines of in-game stickers, player fantasy cards, or talent voice lines. Also, there will still be a crowdfunding aspect that contributes to the TI prize pool, but we don’t expect it to break any funding records.

Besides, there’s also the annual Dota 2 tournament - The International. It is the biggest and most prestigious event on the Dota Pro Circuit, where global top Dota 2 teams will compete for the massive prize pool that was traditionally partially crowdfunded through the Battle Pass system. Valve contributes $2 million USD of its own money as the starting pot for the prize pool every year. The Battle Pass usually contributes the majority to the prize pool of The International, but Valve has not revealed how they will handle the crowdfunding this year. Dota 2 The International 2023 will take place in Seattle, the United States from 14th-19th October 2023. The venue will be the Climate Pledge Arena. Fans can expect more details and announcements from Valve in the coming months.

Here is a list of the previous winners of The International, the annual Dota 2 world championship tournament:

• The International 2011: Natus Vincere (Ukraine)
• The International 2012: Invictus Gaming (China)
• The International 2013: Alliance (Sweden)
• The International 2014: Newbee (China)
• The International 2015: Evil Geniuses (USA)
• The International 2016: Wings Gaming (China)
• The International 2017: Team Liquid (Europe)
• The International 2018: OG (Europe)
• The International 2019: OG (Europe)
• The International 2020: Postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• The International 2021: Team Spirit (Russia)
• The International 2022: Tundra Esports (Europe)

What is Dota 2 Compendium?

Dota 2 Compendium is a free tournament pass that features items made for The International, the biggest and most prestigious Dota 2 tournament. It contains a set of rewards that can be unlocked by leveling the compendium. In it, players can purchase Autograph Runes from casters, Player Cards, create a Fantasy Lineup, and make Tournament Predictions or Bracket Predictions.

The compendium was first introduced in 2013 as an interactive book that allowed players to follow the tournament and support their favorite teams. It was later renamed “Battle Pass” in 2016 and expanded to include more features and events. The current compendium is part of the Battle Pass 2021, which is themed around Nemestice, a cosmic event that brings meteor storms to the Dota 2 world. The compendium also contributes to the prize pool of The International, as 25% of every Battle Pass purchase before The International concludes goes directly to the prize pool.

So essentially, a Compendium is a specific type of Battle Pass that is associated with a specific tournament or event, such as The International or the Dota 2 Asia Championship. It allows players to follow the tournament and support their favorite teams, as well as earn various rewards and features. 

On the other hand, a Battle Pass is a more general term for a purchasable item that grants access to tournament and event features and a wide variety of earnable cosmetic items. It can include compendiums, but also other seasonal or thematic events, features, and rewards, such as Nemestice or Aghanim's Labyrinth. A Battle Pass usually has a theme and a duration that matches the season of the event.

Conclusion

Effectively, Valve said that over the years the Battle Pass had become the way that all significant Dota updates had been delivered, and they basically realized that this strategy was limiting themselves since most Dota players never buy a Battle Pass. We will have to wait and see what this monetization model is replaced with, and whether Valve has a plan to still make plenty of money from Dota without having to rely on the Battle Pass. A possible hypothesis is that the demolition of Battle Pass is a case of them not caring about making money from Dota as much, because at the end of the day, Steam is the single most important thing that matters to them.

Dota 2 is arguably one of the most popular strategic role-playing games, where two teams of five players compete to destroy the enemy's base. If you are a new player, read this Dota 2 beginner’s guide 2023 for the bare minimum knowledge you’d need to start playing the game.

What Dota 2 hero should you pick as a first-time player?

In Dota 2, each player controls a single hero with a unique set of skills and characteristics. Every hero is overpowered in their own way, along with their own weaknesses, which means no one is really overpowered, and that is how the creator keeps the game balanced. New players are recommended to select heroes from the Low Complexity pool in order to get the feel of the game, then you can slowly move your way up to more complex heroes. Before jumping right into the queue, you should try your heroes out in the demo mode.

Every hero in Dota 2 can technically take on any role in the game. When you are at the newbie stage, there are no specific line-up rules as well as no standard mid, AD, carry, or jungle role you need to remember. Just pick any one hero of your liking and start the game.

There’s a pre-game phase in Dota 2, in which 2 players from each team will select their heroes first, then the other 2 players from each team will take the turn picking theirs, then the final player from each team will take their pick. This phase allows the teams to build their overall draft and counter-pick the opponent. But of course as a newbie, just make a random pick and pray for your teammates. 

After the pre-game phase comes the strategy phase, which is when the teams decide how they want to lane, where they want to ambush, what starting items they want to choose, etc. If you don’t understand what’s going on yet, it’s totally fine to wait it out until the game is ready to load.

Before you begin, it’s probably useful to keep in mind that in Dota, you don't turn instantly when moving in the opposite direction because of a short delay called a 'turn rate'. Your game is not laggy so don’t fret.

How to win in the game of Dota 2?

In Dota 2, each team has a base with a main building called the Ancient, which must be protected at all costs. The first team to destroy the enemy's Ancient wins the game.

Now you’ve first entered the game, your hero will spawn in the area of your team’s Ancient. If you skipped the strategy phase where you’re supposed to plan your items, this is where you should open your Shop to choose your items. Click on Browse all guides where you’ll see plenty of guides made by top-gear players, select a guide for items, and follow it. 

Be sure to make use of all your item slots to buff your hero’s characteristics. You will be given 6 item slots, 3 backpack slots, 1 neutral item slot, and 1 TP scroll slot. 

Your teleport scroll allows you to teleport back to the base or any tower on the map. Item slots are for items that you buy and use. When you run out of slots, place them in your backpack and switch them out when you want to use them. Of course, there will be a cool-down when you switch your item back. Almost every item is usable, meaning that you have to press and activate the different effects that come with each item in order to see how the effect plays out with your hero. Item builds in Dota 2 are pretty complicated to explain, and since the equipment of items is a crucial part of any winning strategy in Dota 2, you should pay attention to the different effects of these items early on and hopefully improve your judgment with them while you play.

There are 2 Shops in the game: 1 in your base and 1 outside of the base, which is the secret shop. Veteran players would want to delve into strategies that prevent enemies from reaching the secret shop so they don’t get to buy items, but as a new player, you should ignore that for now. If you need an item there, you can walk or buy it with your Courier, which is a unit that delivers the items you need from the shops to you. Your Courier can be killed and will start flying when you reach level 4. As you level up, your Courier will gain your hero abilities as well. So remember to set a hotkey for your Courier.

Which lane should you choose as a new Dota 2 player?

The Dota 2 map is divided into three lanes: top, middle, and bottom. Each lane has a series of towers that defend the base from enemy creeps and heroes. Destroying towers grants gold and map control to the team. As you play the game, you’ll learn the different lane combinations with different heroes. Right now, you’re either a Core or a Support hero - there are 3 core rows, 2 support rows, and 0 jungle rows. Each Core goes to each of the 3 lanes. The top and bottom lanes will have a Support to follow a Core. 

First, you want to move out of your base and plant the Observer Ward, a watcher that gives a ground vision to your team for a period of time. You are given 2 Observer Wards from the start, they are free and will have a cool-down. Plant them wherever you want throughout the whole game, preferably on the cliffs, which are the terrain that you cannot get to unless you use a certain spell or special item. 

There are day vision and night vision in Dota 2, you see more during the day and less during the night. Certain heroes see less during the day and more during the night, while certain heroes have the effect of reducing your vision, etc. Every tree in Dota is a Fog of War: you’re not invisible, you’re just in their shadows. If the enemy has no ward and you hide behind a tree, the enemy won’t be able to see you. 

There are also high ground and low ground, which are rather easy to recognize on the map. It is always advisable to be on the high ground because you have more vision, and if the enemy wants to attack you from the low ground, there is a 25% chance to miss.

How do gold and experience work in Dota 2?

Heroes can be improved over the course of the game by gaining experience, levels, and items. Experience is earned by being near enemy creeps or heroes when they die. Levels increase the hero's stats and unlock or upgrade their abilities. Items provide various benefits and can be purchased with gold.

Gold is earned passively over time, by killing enemy creeps, heroes, or buildings, or by using certain abilities or items. Gold can be lost upon death unless the hero has a reliable gold source (such as killing an enemy hero).

There are two types of creeps in Dota 2: lane creeps and neutral creeps. The lane creeps spawn periodically from each base and march toward the enemy base, fighting any enemy units they encounter. Neutral creeps spawn in the jungle, an area between the lanes, and can be killed for gold and experience. Jungle creeps will drop items after 7 minutes. 

There’s an interesting detail of the game that creeps can be blocked in Dota, and in fact, you can kill your own creeps in order to control where you want your creeps to be positioned, or if you want to prevent your enemy from earning gold.

How do runes work in Dota 2?

There are also various objectives on the map that provide strategic advantages to the team that controls them. These include runes, which spawn every two minutes and grant temporary buffs; Roshan, a powerful neutral creep that drops an item that can revive a hero once; and Outposts, which grant vision and experience to the team that captures them.

Your first objective is going to be the Bounty Rune. Every 5 minutes since the beginning of the game, the Bounty Runes will spawn on four specific areas of the map. If any one hero of your team takes them, the whole team gains gold and it’s important to fight for it. 

Starting from the 6-minute mark, a Power Rune will spawn every 2 minutes on a random rune spot within the river. The Power Rune provides a special effect for the players who take them and is particularly important to the mid-lane hero as it helps them win the lane or gang other lanes. There are 6 types of Power Runes: Arcane Rune - reduces mana cost and cool-down, Invisibility Rune - gives the player invisibility effect for a period of time, Regeneration Rune - regens the player back to full health and mana, Illusion Rune - conjures 2 illusions of the hero which deal 35% damage, Haste Rune - gives the player max movement speed, and Double Damage Rune - which is self-explanatory.

A little bit more about invisibility: Invisibility is a huge part of the game, and there are spells, items, and runes that can make your hero invisible. An opponent can only see your invisible hero when they have True Sight, which they’ll have to buy with gold and activate the items’ effect.

In Dota 2, there are several types of Damage: physical, magical, pure, piercing, siege, spell, HP removal, and instant kill. Physical damage is inflicted with right-mouse clicks and can be mitigated by armor or evasion. Magic damage can be mitigated by magic resistance or spell immunity.

New players usually choose a Support role, but remember, Support heroes in Dota are not just harassment tools - they have to control Runes and Stack, pull creeps to prevent the enemy from getting gold and experience, control lotuses for HP/mana regeneration, bring utilities to Core hero, place vision all over the map, gank allies of your won lane, and much more. Start slow, and eventually, you’ll find the macro mechanics in Dota 2 really fascinating.

That has been the basic Dota 2 beginner’s guide 2023 minus any advanced strategy or hero combination. Now you should have everything you need to know to start playing Dota. Happy farming!

The International 2023, also known as TI12, is the twelfth edition of the biggest Dota 2 tournament in the world. This year, the battle for the Aegis of Champions will be held in Seattle, close to Valve's headquarters. This marks a significant return, as it will be the first time the tournament will be held in North America since 2018 and the first in the United States since 2017.

The tournament will bring together 18 of the world's best Dota 2 teams for a showdown after a long Dota Pro Circuit season with three tours, each leading to a Major event. The anticipation for this event is high, as it promises to be a thrilling showdown of skill, strategy, and teamwork. The International has always been a platform for the best teams to showcase their prowess and for emerging groups to make their mark.

The Game: Dota 2

Dota 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game developed and published by Valve Corporation. The game is a sequel to Defense of the Ancients (DotA), a community-created mod for Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. Dota 2 is played in matches between two teams of five players, with each group occupying and defending its respective base on the map. Each ten-player independently controls a powerful "hero" character with unique abilities and differing play styles.

The Venue and Schedule

The International 2023 will occur at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. This multi-purpose indoor arena opened in 1962 for that year's World Fair and has a capacity of 18,300 for basketball games and 17,151 for hockey matches. This year, the tournament will welcome the largest audience in the event's history, promising an electrifying atmosphere for players and fans. The choice of venue is significant, as it provides a large capacity for spectators and a historical context, adding to the event's grandeur.

The twelfth iteration of The International will kick off on October 10 with the group stage. The exact format has yet to be revealed, but based on last year's event, the 18 participating teams should be split into two round-robin groups. The group stage and the playoffs are part of what Valve described as the Road to the International and will lead to the Finals Weekend, scheduled for October 27-29.

More details about the event will be announced in the coming weeks and months. With the date approaching, the excitement and anticipation among the fans and players are expected to reach a fever pitch. The schedule provides ample time for the teams to strategize and for the fans to engage with the event.

The Teams and Competition

A total of 12 teams will receive a direct invitation to TI12 based on their Dota Pro Circuit rankings. The remaining six teams will come through the regional qualifiers that will be held across the globe. So far, only Team Liquid has been confirmed to compete at TI12, and the other teams that will ensure a slot at the tournament will be selected gradually as the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) 2023 progresses.

For those who are not only fans but also enjoy betting on the outcomes, the bonus code from BetMGM could be a game-changer. This bonus can be used to place bets on the tournament, adding an extra layer of excitement to the event. Whether you're rooting for Team Liquid or any of the other teams competing, the BetMGM Bonus Code offers an opportunity to engage with the tournament in a new and thrilling way.

The competition is expected to be fierce, with each team bringing their A-game to the tournament. Last year's event in Singapore saw Tundra Esports crowned the world champion after beating Team Secret in the grand final. Tundra took home over $8.5 million, almost half of the event’s $18,930,775 prize pool.

The International has always been known for its intense competition. With the best teams worldwide competing, the tournament showcases the highest level of Dota 2 gameplay. Each match is a battle of wits and skills, with teams employing complex strategies and innovative tactics to gain the upper hand. The stakes are high, and the pressure is immense, but the glory of winning The International is a prize worth fighting for.

The Dota Pro Circuit

The Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) is the official ranking system of professional Dota 2. It was introduced in 2017 by Valve Corporation to determine which teams are the best in the world and thus deserve direct invitations to The International, the biggest annual tournament and the final goal of every team. 

The DPC has undergone several iterations, with the current format featuring a series of regional leagues leading up to three Major tournaments, culminating in The International.

The International: A History

The International was first held in 2011, coinciding with the release of Dota 2. The inaugural tournament was held at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, and featured a prize pool of $1.6 million, the largest in esports history. Since then, The International has grown exponentially in prize pool and global attention. 

The prize pool for The International is crowdfunded by Dota 2 fans through the purchase of the Battle Pass, a digital tournament pass, and a features bundle tied to the event that offers numerous rewards, including cosmetic item sets, new game modes, and many other features.

Final Thoughts

The International 2023 promises to be thrilling, with the world's best Dota 2 teams battling for the coveted Aegis of Champions. The tournament returns to Seattle after a six-year gap, so American fans are in for a treat. With the Dota Pro Circuit 2023 progressing, more teams will secure their spots at the tournament, adding to the anticipation.

The International 2023 is an event one will want to attend. The prize pool for The International 2023 has yet to be announced, but it is expected to be a staggering amount, given the tournament's history. Looking forward to this grand event, the world of Dota 2 is buzzing with excitement and anticipation.

The International is more than just a tournament. It is a celebration of the game of Dota 2, bringing together players, fans, and enthusiasts worldwide. It is a testament to the growth and popularity of esports, showcasing the players' talent and skill and the fans' passion and dedication. With many awaiting the start of The International 2023, we can only imagine the thrilling matches, the epic plays, and the unforgettable moments that are sure to come.

The highly anticipated 7.33 gameplay update of Dota 2, dubbed 'New Frontiers', was launched on Friday (21 April). However, referring to it as a mere update would be a gross understatement. This latest version of the game has completely transformed it, with a 40% increase in the size of the map, new objectives, a new hero attribute called 'Universal', revisions to various heroes and items, the introduction of a 'Token' mechanism for neutral items, and numerous other improvements.

Overall, Dota 2 has been given a whole new feel with the release of version 7.33. Below are all the biggest changes you should know about.

Expanded map and new objectives

Undoubtedly, the most significant modification in version 7.33 of Dota 2 is the larger map that includes novel and modified objectives. However, players need not be concerned about getting lost since the map's fundamental geography is still mainly unchanged, with the new regions confined to the corners.

Nevertheless, the fresh areas provide numerous new features to explore, including two additional Roshan pits, additional Outposts, and novel objectives like Twin Gates, Lotus Pools, Tormentors, Watchers, and more.

Roshan's previous abode in the river is no longer in use, and he now has two novel lairs in the northwest (Dire) and southeast (Radiant) corners of the map. Depending on the game's day-night cycle, he alternates between the two pits, employing the new Twin Gates (which will be elaborated on later) to move from one pit to the other.

Additionally, there have been modifications to Roshan's loot drops. Following his second death, he no longer drops Aghanim's Shard but instead drops Cheese. On his third death and beyond, he drops an Aghanim's Scepter when killed on the Radiant side and a Refresher Shard when killed on the Dire side. However, players should be cautious as Roshan is now much stronger than before.

Two gateways, named Twin Gates, have been introduced, connecting the corners of the map close to the safe lane towers. After channeling for three seconds, any player can utilize these portals to teleport instantly from one side of the map to the other.

Lotus Pools serve as the previous Shrines, providing a source of HP and mana regeneration. Watchers are similar to stationary Observer Wards but can be activated to grant vision over a large area. Lastly, Tormentors spawn powerful neutral creeps that players can defeat to earn Aghanim's Shards.

At the center of the map, there are Wisdom Runes situated on both sides that grant XP. Additionally, a new type of Shield Rune has been included in the Power Runes. Lastly, Defender's Gates are now available to both teams, providing a secure backdoor to exit their bases that is inaccessible to the opposing team.

New hero attribute: Universal

The introduction of the 'Universal' hero attribute type is one of the major updates in 7.33. These heroes do not have a primary attribute but receive 0.6 damage per point of each attribute. As a result, they are the new generalist type of hero that scales better with stats than other types.

Here's the list of the game's new Universal heroes:

• Abaddon
• Bane
• Batrider
• Beastmaster
• Brewmaster
• Broodmother
• Chen
• Clockwerk
• Dark Seer
• Dark Willow
• Dazzle
• Enigma
• Io
• Lone Druid
• Lycan
• Marci
• Magnus
• Mirana
• Nyx Assassin
• Pangolier
• Phoenix
• Sand King
• Snapfire
• Techies
• Timbersaw
• Vengeful Spirit
• Venomancer
• Visage
• Void Spirit
• Windranger
• Winter Wyvern

Reworked heroes

In addition to introducing the new Universal hero type, 7.33 also includes significant reworks for several heroes and appropriate buffs and nerfs for most of the remaining roster.

Muerta, the latest hero added to the game in the 7.32e update in early March, is now available in Captain's Mode and can be used in professional games. Additionally, Muerta has received Aghanim's Shard and Scepter upgrades.

On the other hand, Clinkz, Arc Warden, Ogre Magi, Medusa, and Alchemist have undergone major reworks. Notably, Ogre Magi and Medusa have the most striking changes, with Ogre Magi being transformed into a strength hero who gains mana from strength, while Medusa's Mana Shield has become an innate ability that consumes mana to absorb 98% of the incoming damage.

Magic immunity reworked to debuff immunity

In 7.33, the power of stuns and slows has been reduced by weakening disable abilities throughout the game, and Spell Immunity has been transformed into Debuff Immunity.

Now, when a hero uses an item such as Black King Bar, they are no longer immune to most spells, but instead gain some level of immunity to debuffs like stuns and slows. The most significant effect of this change occurs when the Debuff Immunity wears off, and the previously immune hero becomes susceptible to any debuffs they received while they were immune.

Neutral item tokens

The updated version also brings significant changes to the neutral item system by introducing neutral tokens that replace the random dropping of neutral items when neutral creeps are killed. Instead of receiving a neutral item, players will receive neutral tokens of various tiers. By clicking on the neutral tokens, players can choose from five random neutral items of the corresponding tier and permanently transform the token into one of them. Neutral tokens are fully shareable among teammates, but once they are converted into neutral items, they can no longer be shared.

The update also includes new neutral items, some previously removed items have been reintroduced, while some existing ones have been removed and replaced by others.

The new neutral items include:

• Duelist Gloves (tier 1)
• Spark of Courage (tier 1)
• Gossamer Cape (tier 2)
• Defiant Shell (tier 3)
• Vindicator's Axe (tier 3)
• Dandelion Amulet (tier 3)
• Martyr's Plate (tier 4)

On the other hand, the items Faded Broach, Orb of Destruction, and Vampire Fangs have been reintroduced to the game. Possessed Mask, Brigand's Blade, and Dagger of Ristul have been rotated out of the game. Nether Shawl, Blast Rig, Flicker, and Witchbane have been removed from the game entirely.

New items

In the 7.33 update of Dota 2, seven new items have been added to the game. These items include Blood Grenade, Diadem, Cornucopia, Pavise, Phylactery, Harpoon, and Disperser.

Blood Grenade is a consumable that is best used in the first few battles because it harms and slows nearby opponent units. On the other side, pavise is a support item that fortifies friends' defenses against physical harm.

The Harpoon is similar to the Hurricane Pike, but it is meant for melee carries to approach their targets closely. Meanwhile, the Disperser is an upgrade to the Diffusal Blade, which can either slow down enemies or increase the movement speed of allies.

However, while new items have been added, three items have been removed from the game. The Tome of Knowledge, Hood of Defiance, and Wraith Pact are no longer available for purchase.

It is important to note that these changes are only a small part of the massive 7.33 update that Dota 2 has received. You can check out all of the changes in 7.33 here.

>>> Read more: Dota 2 ESports: The Biggest Tournament for April 2023 

Recently, Dota 2 has been relatively calm in its competitive world. But April is about to turn the tables. There is a big anticipated event coming this month. What is it? An answer to that question is found in this article. The same as everything you need to know about it: their dates, prize pools, and favorites.

Dota 2: DreamLeague Season 19

ESL FACEIT GROUP is one of the biggest tournament organizers. And Dota 2: DreamLeague is one of their most anticipated annual events. The competition will take time from 9 to 23 April.

This year, we will see 16 teams competing for a $1 000 000 prize pool. Classically, teams were taken from various regions: Western Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, South America, Eastern Europe, and China.

Everybody who gets in the competition’s bracket is already rewarded with a monetary prize. The lesser one is $10 000 for the 15-16 places. While the winner will get a solid number of $300 000.

Format

Speaking about the format of an event, it is a total classic. The tournaments start with a group stage 1. During it, the teams are parted into two groups of eight, where they are about to compete in BO2 matches. The four winning teams from each group will move further, while the losers are eliminated.

After that, the players are thrown into the second group stage. Here, players are not parted into groups. They remain in one. Within it, they compete against one another in the BO3 series. The top two leaders are instantly transferred into the upper bracket of playoffs. While the third and the fourth places are moved to the lower playoff bracket. Correspondingly, the remaining teams who showed the worst performance are eliminated from the competition.

The end of the tournament is traditionally a playoff stage. This will be the most heated part of the event. And if you are interested solely in it, join the official ESL stream on April 22 and 23. Playoff features a double-elimination bracket. All the matches here except the grand finals are played in BO3. While the final match of the event is in BO5. Additionally, the winner of it will get automatically qualified for Riyadh Masters/2023.

Event’s Prospects

Analytics from all around the world have quite similar opinions about the Dota 2: DreamLeague favorites. If we look at Western Europe, Team Liquid is probably the strongest competitor here. They have had just one game lost in the entire DPC. So we expect them to be at least in the top 3.

OG are considered outsiders in this same region. The team has an unbelievable past. But nowadays, it has reformed its roster and struggles a lot. In fact, due to their bad performance, they have barely got themselves a Major invitation, taking the last spot.

In North America, an obvious favorite is the TSM team. Their recent performances allowed them to be the number one team in the first tour, so they are already invited to Major. Conversely, the weakest team in this region is Nouns.

Looking at South America, here we have just two teams: Beastcost and Evil Geniuses. And if you’ve been into Dota 2 eSports recently, you should know where it is going. Both competitors from this region are at their best. So, the community can’t wait to see them in action. The chances of one of them taking the cup are very solid.

A similar picture is observed in Southeast Asia. Here we have Execration and Talon Esports teams, which are both pretty good. By pretty good, we mean that they can outrun everyone.

And finally, for the Chinese region, it is hard to set any predictions. The Chinese Dota 2 world is quite separated from the rest of the world. So it will be interesting to see how Team. Aster and PSG.LGD will perform. However, we don’t expect them to be outsiders.

Want to get an even better picture of what to expect from the tournament? Then use bookmaker’s odds. The PGO website at https://pro-gaming-online.com/dota-2/matches/ impeccably represents the probable outcomes of upcoming Dota 2 eSports matches.

Where to Watch Dota 2: DreamLeague?

Interested to see an upcoming DreamLeague spectacle? We bet you are! Doing that is very easy. You have a few options here. You can visit an official ESL Twitch channel during the tournament time. Or you can watch matches straight from their website. Here, you can also examine the schedule of games and see timers before matches.

Don’t worry if you missed the anticipated match. You can watch records of any of them on YouTube at any time.

​

Many aspects of the current meta have changed as a result of Dota 2 patch 7.32e. We received a new hero, a number of item modifications, and a ton of little hero improvements as part of the Dead Reckoning Update. Several of them had a significant impact on the meta, which illustrates why the game, which is an inseparable part of the eSports tournaments’ offer on Dota 2 betting sites, began to introduce new heroes.

It’s time to concentrate on supports, who are surprisingly constantly on the sidelines, rather than the top mid-laners of the new patch. Supports in Dota 2 are a necessity in every lineup, despite not being as well known as the game’s major roles. Let’s examine a few of the champions with the highest overall rates right now and discover what sets them apart from the competition.

Omniknight

There are a few names that stick out on the Dota 2 tier list of supports, and Omniknight is one of them. He has a winning record of about 55%, which is the most amazing. Because of the hero’s excellent fit in the current meta, this is probably not a surprise.

In terms of the meta, Omni mainly underwent one change in 7.32e: his Degen Aura’s radius has increased from 400 to 450. It might not seem like much, but it greatly increases the hero’s effectiveness in certain combos.

Almost all hard carriers in the game, particularly those that want to be more aggressive, function well with Omni. These days, he frequently hangs out with characters like Anti-Mage, Ursa, Spectre, and others.

We’d want to stress the fact that Omniknight is a hero who can also function in the off-lane. While not the default off-laner in PUBs, we frequently see the hero in this role, particularly when the team requires a hard-hitting player.

Silencer

Silencer is typically one of the most well-liked Dota 2 supports, despite the fact that some players employ him in the mid-lane. In fact, he’s one of the select few heroes who played a significant part in the past meta and still do so now.

At the time this article was being written, Silencer’s victory percentage was around 54.6%, ranking him second only to Omni. These data are intriguing given the 7.32e patch gave the hero a nerf.

All levels of Silencer’s Arcane Cursa now have 2s longer cooldowns as a result of the adjustments. Moreover, his tier 10 Arcane Curse Damage ability now grants +10 damage instead of +12, and the reduction to the Global Silence cooldown is now 20 seconds rather than 25. He’s not the worst loser of patch 7.32e, of course, as there are a number of other heroes that are equally deserving of praise.

Jakiro

Jakiro boasts one of the most astounding victory percentages among the top support characters in Dota 2. The hero is undoubtedly not the most preferred option in PUBs, certainly not in professional games, thus this might come as a surprise.

Having said that, the hero became significantly more well-liked as a result of two significant buffs in the Dota 2 version 7.32e. The first one refers to his Ice Path, which itself lasts an amazing 1 additional second. The length of the stun, however, doesn’t change.

In addition to the improvements to the hero’s stun, Jakiro’s Macropyre is new because it deals damage immediately rather than after 0.5 seconds. As a result, when combined with champions like Faceless Void, Jakiro becomes even more hazardous.

Having said that, Jakiro gamers won’t appreciate the new Force Staff’s higher mana requirements. Jakiro frequently seeks out this weapon since the hero lacks speed and requires a dependable means of escape.

Lich

The next hero is one who’s unquestionably part of the current Dota 2 support meta. Lich is a hero who’s inconsistent, but it appears that the 7.32e modifications have had a favorable impact on him. Despite the Force Staff nerfs, Lich gained three noteworthy upgrades.

The hero has been given a 3.8 INT increase instead of 3.6, as can be seen in the 7.32e patch notes. Lich’s Ice Blast’s casting speed has been improved to 0.3 seconds from 0.4 seconds, and its level 4 range has been increased to 650 from 600. Because of these adjustments, Lich is now one of the greatest laner supports because he’s much stronger early on.

The hero’s ability to work nicely with others who have more aggressive carry is what makes him interesting. The first name that springs to mind is undoubtedly Ursa, but we can also include Slark and Juggernaut in the list. We’ll see the last two names because they’re really popular right now, which makes sense in the fact that we see them often.

Dazzle

Dazzle is a very well-liked hero, therefore, if you’re seeking a Dota 2 support guideline, you will frequently find it there. In addition to having a lot of supporters in PUBs, he also has a lot of supporters in professional matchups, particularly when coupled with particular names.

Dazzle didn’t see many modifications, despite being one of the top 7.32e supports. In fact, his level 10 skill now grants him +60 DMG rather than +50, as can be seen in the patch notes. This suggests that rather than a Dazzle playing the support role, we might see one in the mid-lane.

Even if there are instances in which the hero can serve as a middle, this isn’t the norm most of the time. When Dazzle is paired with aggressive cores like Storm Spirit, Slark, and Huskar, he really shines.

For the time being, the heroes named above have the best victory rates in the Dota 2 7.32e patch. The names Enchantress, Earthshaker, and Earth Spirit can also be found among some of the incoming ones, though. Choose your choice of hero carefully before playing because they all have a lot to offer.

The group stage for The International 2022 (TI11) has just ended, with Talon Esports, Soniqs, TSM.FTX, and BetBoom getting eliminated from the tournament. In this article, Gurugamer is going to showcase everything you need to know about the upcoming Main Event of TI 11, including Schedule, Format, and more!

TI 11 Main Event team list

The International 2022 (TI11) is the biggest Dota 2 tournament this year, with a prize pool of $16,784,334. It is much lower than the previous TI, which has had two years of prize pool accumulation due to the Pandemic.

This year Valve has adopted a different approach for TI11 with the battle pass spanning through two parts. The first part of the battle pass takes place before TI11 while the second part, along with multiple features of the battle pass releases after TI11.

25% of all battle pass proceeds from before TI will go towards funding the TI prize pool. Valve has still not revealed its plans for prize pool collected after TI11.

Upper Bracket

• Evil Geniuses
• Thunder Awaken
• Team Secret
• PSG.LGD
• Tundra Esports
• OG
• Team Liquid
• Team Aster

Lower Bracket

• Hokori
• beastcoast
• Team Spirit
• BOOM Esports
• Fnatic
• Gaimin Gladiators
• Royal Never Give Up
• Entity

TI 11 Group Stage Format & Schedule

Format

• Double elimination playoffs bracket
• All lower bracket series are BO3, except for the first 4 matches being BO1.
• All upper bracket series are BO3, except for the grand final, which is a BO5.

Schedule

The main event has actually been split into 2 parts:

• The first phase of the playoffs will be hosted in the Suntec Convention center and will feature 18 series (October 20-23)
• The finals will be hosted in the Singapore Indoor Stadium (October 29-30)

TI11 Main Event Brackets

The bracket for the TI11 playoffs has been set, and the playoffs will begin on the 20th of October, at 10:00 am SGT.

We'll see some heated upper bracket matches between teams like Team Secret and PSG.LGD, along with some tense lower bracket matches including BOOM vs Team Spirit and Hokori vs Beastcoast.

Where to watch

The main event will be live streamed in English on the Dota 2 TI Twitch channel, unlike the group stage. It will also be available on the official Dota 2 YouTube channel.

Players can also watch the games in the Dota 2 client, either via the Watch tab or the In-game stream.

Group Stage Recap

The group stage for TI11 was possibly the most tightly contested in the history of The International championships, with most teams having chances until the very last matches.

Evil Geniuses and Tundra Esports took the top spots in Group A and Group B respectively. These two are the teams to beat, but attention will also be on the favorites PSG.LGD, who started out slow but picked up the pace.

Over the course of four days, 183 games were played (considering one game was forfeited due to medical issues, and four tiebreaker games were played). A total of 114 of the 123 heroes were picked in the group stages, leaving only 9 heroes unpicked.

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The biggest Esports tournament in the world, The International 11, is almost here. With the Arlington Major coming to an end last month, 12 teams have secured their direct qualification through the DOTA Pro Circuit (DPC). 6 more have qualified by winning their respective Regional Qualifiers.

Only 2 more seats are up for grabs - 12 teams will have to fight in the Last Chance Qualifier to get them. With 30 million dollars on the line, these playoff matches would definitely be intense.

In this article, Gurugamer is going to showcase everything you need to know about the DOTA 2 The International 11 Last Chance Qualifier, including the schedule, teams, and where to watch.

The International 11 Last Chance Qualifier Teams

The 12 participating teams in the qualifiers are the second and third places in each of the regional qualifiers:

• nouns
• Wildcard Gaming
• Infamous
• Tempest
• Team Secret
• Team Liquid
• Virtus.pro (erstwhile Outsiders)
• Natus Vincere
• Xtreme Gaming
• Vici Gaming
• Polaris Esports
• T1

They will be divided into 2 groups of 6. The group stage (October 8 - October 9) will be a single round-robin with all matches being of Best of 2.

Group A:

• Natus Vincere
• nouns
• Polaris Esports
• Team Secret
• Tempest
• Vici Gaming

Group B:

• Infamous
• T1
• Team Liquid
• Virtus.pro
• Wildcard Gaming
• Xtreme Gaming

The top 4 teams from each group will go to the upper bracket of the playoffs, while the rest will be in the lower bracket.

The Playoffs (October 10 - October 12) will be a double-elimination bracket with all matches being Best of 3. The top 2 best teams will qualify for TI 11.

Where to watch The International 11 Last Chance Qualifier

The Group Stage will have four games being played simultaneously on four different streams:

Stream A: twitch.tv/pgl_dota2 | youtube.com/pgl

Stream B: twitch.tv/pgl_dota2en2 | youtube.com/pgl

Stream C: twitch.tv/pgl_dota2en3 | youtube.com/pgl

Stream D: twitch.tv/pgl_dota2en4 | youtube.com/pgl

The Playoffs' first 2 days will only be streamed on A and B, and the last day will only be on A.

The Last Chance Qualifier Schedule (Group Stage): October 8 - 9

The time below are GMT +8

October 8 - Stream A

• Secret vs Tempest 10:00
• T1 vs Liquid 12:30
• nouns vs Polaris 15: 00
• Xtreme vs VP 17:30

October 8 - Stream B

• nouns vs Navi 10:00
• Polaris vs Navi 12:30
• Tempest vs VG 15:00
• Tempest vs Navi 17:30

October 8 - Stream C

• Xtreme vs Liquid 10:00
• Xtreme vs WG 12:30
• WG vs VP 15:00
• Liquid vs Infamous 17:00

October 8 - Stream D

• VP vs Infamous 10:00
• VG vs Secret 12:30
• T1 vs Infamous 15:00
• Secret vs nouns 17:30

Who are the biggest candidates for the playoff?

Team Secret

Probably one of the most expected teams to advance to TI11, team Secret fell at the final hurdle as they were defeated in a 3-0 stomp against Entity during the WEU qualifier.

Many within the community still think that they will get one of the last slots, as their performances at ESL One Malaysia and Riyadh Masters are pretty decent.

Xtreme Gaming

The team got multiple back-to-back top three finishes in the first division of the DPC CN (China) 2021/2022, and only barely missed out on a direct invite to TI11.

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eSports is big in Thailand to the point that the country has spawned numerous teams and players who compete in various disciplines and make sure that their country is a known destination on the eSports map. It’s true, as Thailand has spawned some of the most capable gamers. Some 32 million in the country play video games today, and many do so competitively.

Thailand is a unique place as it focuses on both mobile and PC gaming, with some console gaming thrown into the mix for good measure. Regardless, you will be able to discover what makes gamers so successful and which games are those in which Thai players really excel. Let’s take a look at the available competitive titles for the country.

Arena of Valor

No other nation can say they have had similar success in Arena of Valor. Even though the game is popular in most of Southeast Asia and even the West, Thailand remains a leader when it comes to Arena of Valor. The top eight players in Arena of Valor from Thailand have won more than $1 million in the past three years, which makes them rich, and very successful at what they do.

Naturally, these successes have created opportunities for other gamers as well. Arena of Valor has spawned a very strong community within the country which drives teams and players to try their best at topping all available competitions to them. The game habitually runs annual tournaments with over $1 million in prize money.

In fact, the 2022 edition of the Arena of Valor World Cup is coming along with $10,000,000. This is a massive opportunity for Thai players to win, and they will definitely be trying. The initial date of the competition is set for October 2022, with no specifics yet released.

Dota 2

There is no game that is more generous in terms of payout potential to eSports players than Dota 2. And as such, you can imagine how the game has become an absolute hit in the region. Thai players are actually quite excited to be watching, playing, and even betting on Dota at places such as https://www.thaibets365.com.

The Dota 2 community in the country is truly amazing, but Thai players have a long way to go until they can catch up with their Arena of Valor peers in terms of total amounts earned. For example, Thai players in AoV have over $1 million in prize pool won, whereas Dota 2 players have won closer to $500,000.

This has not stopped people from trying though, and there are many Thai teams that are trying to master the game and break onto the international scene. There are tons of actual stuff to try when you are looking to play Dota 2, and one of them is going up against some of the most accomplished teams from across the world. Thailand has a spot there.

Dota 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game developed and published by Valve. The game is a sequel to Defense of the Ancients (DotA), which was a community-created mod for Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. Dota 2 is played in matches between two teams of five players, with each team occupying and defending their own separate base on the map.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is definitely a focal point of interest for eSports players in Thailand. The game, which is known as PUBG for short, has attracted steady interest from the locals. Most gamers in Thailand who compete in PUBG actually tend to do so from a PC setup, and PUBG is admittedly a little heavier when it comes to system specs.

This means that there are generally fewer people in PUBG than there are in AoV, but this has not stopped them from achieving significant gains. In fact, players such as D2E, G9, and Senior are some of the most accomplished eSports players in Thailand and they have been able to pull this off by playing PUBG.

Apparently, there is a strong community in Thailand that enables such players to develop and reach their potential without any significant challenges. Players who are keen to get good at PUBG will be very happy to know that their home country is actually one of the top places to aspire to greatness in the game.

Other eSports Thai Players Excel At

There are other eSports in which Thai players are quite good. They will compete and excel at a range of other games as well, including but not limited to Garena Free Fire, Fortnite, and even FIFA. The long tradition of competitive gaming in the country has made it so that people can learn the ropes of the video games they like and be appreciated in numerous categories across the eSports gaming world.

>>> Gurugamer.com updates latest gaming news and reviews, check in daily for more!

DPC League continues at full speed all over the world. A new champion will be determined with The International 2022, which will be held in the last months of the season. As you know, Dota 2 TI 11 has a prize pool of more than $40 million. This means that all teams will engage in fierce competition.

However, it is not yet known which team is the favorite. Each team is close to each other and has superstar players. In today's article, we will try to determine the best teams of Dota 2, thanks to their gameplay and success. Let’s start and take a quick look at the details of our article.

What is Dota 2 The International 2022?

The process leading to Dota 2 The International begins with DPC Leagues. There are 6 leagues in total worldwide. Especially for Esports and betting lovers, there are very pleasant days. Additionally, in major tournaments, Dota 2 odds are high, so you may be able to make lucrative predictions.

And of course Esports fans look forward to the start of Dota 2 tournaments. It is a great advantage to watch the cutthroat competition of world famous teams and players live. Now let's talk about the tournament format of TI 11.

The International 2022 Format

• The DPC 2022 leagues are divided into Division 1 and Division 2, each consisting of eight teams. As you know, DPC takes place in 6 different regions of the world. Each league will last a maximum of six weeks. In addition, a total of 96 teams will compete in the DPC. During an entire competition, only 12 out of 96 teams will qualify directly for the TI 11. The remaining 6 teams will be able to participate in the 18-person TI 11 finals as a result of the eliminations.
• After all teams from The International have settled, the tournament will be split into two groups, A and B. Teams will do their best to advance to the next stage of the tournament. However, only 16 teams can move up one tier. After that, it is expected that the double elimination system will be applied for the remaining 16 teams.
• The 16 teams that move up to the next tier can continue the tournament in line with the points they get during the matches they play. Teams with fewer points will bid farewell to TI 11. With this tournament system, 8 more teams will be eliminated in total, so stressful days will be waiting for the other 8 teams.
• Upper bracket and lower bracket competitions will take place between the last 8 teams. In the end, the champion of upper bracket and the champion of lower bracket will fight in the final of TI 11. And the winner will be the new champion of The International.

Favorite Teams For Dota 2 The International 2022

Now we are very close to giving the main answer to the topic. Which are the best teams and why do we choose them? As a matter of fact, our selection criteria will be determined entirely by statistics and past achievements.

By the way, if you want to read something else other than our The International article, you can take a look at our guide on how to increase your Dota 2 MMR.

PSG.LGD

PSG.LGD is a professional Dota 2 team based in China. It was established as a result of the partnership agreement between PSG Esports and LGD Gaming in April 2018. They have been in Dota 2 for the last 4 years and have managed to join The International many times over. Moreover, they managed to be second in the 2018 and 2021 seasons.

Player Zhang "y`" Yiping acts as the team captain of PSG.LGD. Likewise, he is one of PSG.LGD's strongest trump cards because he is a superstar player. Despite the fact that the team is a new establishment we see it as the biggest champion candidate of this year as a result of the successes it has achieved.

Current Roster of PSG.LGD

• Coach: Zhang "xiao8" Ning
• Wang “Ame” Chunyu
• Cheng "NothingToSay" Jin Xiang
• Zhang "Faith_bian" Ruida
• Zhao "XinQ" Zixing
• Zhang "y`" Yiping

Achievements of PSG.LGD

• The International 2021 – 2nd
• OGA Dota PIT Invitational – 1st
• The International 2019 – 3rd
• The International 2018 – 2nd
• The International 2017 – 4th

Team Spirit

Team Spirit is an Esports organization founded in 2015. It is a team of Russian origin, has achieved world-class quality. It is a team whose team play is strong even though it has not made great achievements. For example, they were not invited to participate in The International 2021. Because they did not get enough points for the 2021 DPC season and did not qualify for participation.

However, they had the Eastern European qualifiers as their last chance. Knowing how to make good use of this chance, Team Spirit managed to beat Team Empire with an incredible 3-2 score in the match they played. And that's how they were able to participate in TI 10.

And thanks to their harmony with each other, they realized a dream and became the champion. They beat PSG.LGD, who appeared as favorites in the final, to win the $18 million prize.

Current Roster of Team Spirit

• Coach: Airat "Silent" Gaziev
• Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk
• Alexander "TORONTOTOKYO" Khertek
• Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov
• Miroslaw "Mira" Kolpakov
• Yaroslav "Miposhka" Naidenov

Achievements of Team Spirit

• The International 2021 – 1st
• OGA Dota PIT Invitational – 2nd
• ESL One Fall 2021 – 5-6th
• DPC EEU 2021/2022 Tour 1: Regional Finals – 1st

OG

OG is a professional Esports organization based in Europe. It was founded in 2015 and is featured in many games. However, their real success was in Dota 2. They have written their names in history, especially by winning the 2018 and 2019 The International tournaments.

After their last success in 2019, they have not had a visible victory for a long time. Especially after their disastrous defeat at 2021 The International, the team went for a refresh. This year's staff seems to be more equipped and in harmony with each other. Let's see what they can do this season.

Current Roster of OG

• Coach: Evgenii "Chuvash" Makarov
• Artem "Yuragi" Golubiev
• Bozhidar "bzm" Bogdanov
• Ammar "ATF" Al-Assaf
• Tommy "Taiga" Le
• Mikhail "Misha" Agatov

Achievements of OG

• The International 2019 – 1st
• The International 2018 – 1st
• The Kiev Major 2017 – 1st
• The Boston Major 2016 – 1st
• The Manila Major 2016 – 1st

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People have a hard desire to get to the top of the ladder from the beginning of creating the ranking system in computer games, which can be assumed as MMR in Dota2 or ranks in CS:GO. In Dota2 MMR is a numerical representation of your skill level, which you can increase by winning a match. So, how can we really get your MMR rising through your Dota2 matches?

As a high-level player with experience in games with a rating of 6500 MMR and cooperation with professional players, I will give you some tips to improve in ranking matches.

#1. Minimap is a key for improving gaming

How often were you dying because of suddenly appeared enemy heroes on your lane, ganking you all the time? How many matches in Dota2 did you lose because of not taking part in some important team fight?

There is a simple solution to make things go in another way - track your minimap all the time. In professional Dota2 games, the winner is that team who can predict their opponent's moves better. So you need to keep attention to such points during your gaming session:

• Setup of enemy heroes (how fast they can reach you in case of need);
• Rotations of your team and enemy;
• Blind spots on the map without a vision - to be careful crossing it;
• Free farming spots to gain an advantage.

#2. Watch professional's Dota2 matches to be a good player

One of the really practical things to do while you have no time for playing or just want to have a rest from the game - is to watch Dota 2 professional matches. It can be as streams of players from teams as tournament events in Dota 2. If you don't know where to watch, here is Dota 2 upcoming matches list.

Watching pro matches will give you an understanding of builds for heroes, their role through the game, and tricks, which you may notice playing with a specific hero. A professional will comment on all these during his game, which will impact your game following.

#3. Think about items you buy

One of the points in Dota 2 matches is to schedule to buy items that will definitely help you to win fights, contests, or even games. There are plenty of useful artifacts you can purchase during your match, which will increase your results in Dota2. Now I am not speaking about desolator on Phantom Assassin or Radiance on Wraith King, but something that will increase your fighting potential and give your whole team an advantage.

Some items in the game can boost your character by spending on them much less money than you can think, such as:

• Yasha, which will give you move speed and attack speed, which will increase your farming;
• Vanguard with upgrading to Crimson Guard will provide an advantage to your team, perfect for 4th and 3rd position;
• The hood of Defiance with upgrading to Pipe is excellent against magic picks.

#4. Always have an advantage

Do you believe that you and only you can manage your score in Dota2? I believe so.

It would help if you stuck to a rule to obtain a good result from your match - fight when you are ready, farm when you are not. On average, people make a common mistake at 5000 MMR and lower - fighting without resources (ultimates, mana, and even health).

Chances for you to win such a fight is meager, in addition to that, you will lose your advantage, or make your situation worse, making it much more complicated to solve during the ranked game. If you watch professional gaming, you will see that they decide not to risk but to fight another team with all tools they have: smokes, runes, invisibility, traps, momentum.

#5. Farm is a universal tool

All of you know that you need to farm to gain items in Dota 2 games, which will lead you to a stronger character. It will help you to win a fight and then hopefully win a match. You already know the key to winning, so why do you don't use that?

There are plenty of things going on during the match which can attract you: fights, ganks, Roshan, calls of your teammates - all these will distract you from the main point of gaining an advantage to overcome the enemy team. While watching professional games, we see that all characters are trying to farm every free second they can. Supports, carry, midlane, hard lane, - all need items to kill, initiate and save. Each gold can become a win of a fight. Each victory of a battle can become a winner of a game.

>>> You might be interested in: 3 Alternatives For Dota 2 On Mobile

PC has always been the most popular platform for online games, as it has the capability to load the resource intensive Multiplayer Online Mode. In this article, we are going to showcase Online Games Ranking 2021 to find out the top 10 most played Online Games on PC. This list will be based on the average concurrent player number on Steam as of September 2021 from Statista.

10. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

Number of players: 53,648

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is an online Tactical shooter from Ubisoft with focuses on cooperation between players and environmental destruction. Each player assumes the role of either an attacker or defender in different gameplay modes such as bomb defusal, hostage extraction, objective control, and more.

The game features a heavy emphasis on environmental destruction, therefore, it requires insane skill to master. From the weapons recoil, character abilities, to item usage, R6 always feels fresh with every patch/update.

9. Valheim

Number of players: 56,075

Valheim is probably the answer to the question of what is the most trending game in 2021. It is a survival and sandbox video game that takes place in a huge procedurally-generated world.

Players will explore and inhabit mystical lands, from mysterious forests to imposing snow-topped mountain ranges and stunning meadows, complete with their own creatures of legend to battle and wildlife to hunt.

The gameplay is pretty straightforward - it is all about exploring. Your task is to survive, explore and harvest materials to craft deadlier weapons and sturdier armor. Buildings like viking strongholds and outposts can be created with Valheim best seeds as well. Afterward, you can build a mighty longship and sail the great oceans in search of exotic lands.

8. Rust

Number of players: 67,173

Rust is yet another survival game. In this game, everything wants you to die, from the island's wildlife to other inhabitants... and even the environment. Do everything you could to survive another night.

Overall, Rust is in its 8th year and has now had over 300 content updates, with a guaranteed content patch every month. From procedurally generated worlds with map editor support to vehicles, complex electrical systems... Rust has just about everything you need for a true "Survival experience".

7. Naraka Bladepoint

Number of players: 72,087

Naraka Bladepoint is a crazy "battle royale" concept in which players use martial arts instead of gun and grenades. The best part about the game is the reaction-based combat system that takes everything in the environment in mind. You can climb everything on the map, as every player is equipped with a grappling hook that can be aimed at anyone, anywhere.

60 players clash in a vertically designed map called Morus island. The game has very deep mechanics, from combos to skills and items. It can be said that Naraka Bladepoint has the most unique gameplay amongst online games ranking 2021.

6. Destiny 2

Number of players: 84,457

Destiny 2 is a free-to-play online-only multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie. The best part of Destiny 2 is that it is not too competitive - most of the multiplayer content is co-op. It has both PVE and PVP using coop elements. PvE features three-player "strikes" and dungeons and six-player raids. PvP features objective-based modes, as well as traditional deathmatch game modes.

Players can choose from the armored Titan, mystic Warlock, or swift Hunter. Afterward, they can mix and match thousands of exotic Weapons and Armor.

5. Team Fortress 2

Number of players: 84,748

Team Fortress 2 is a multiplayer first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve. Players join one of two teams, RED and BLU, and choose one of nine character classes to play as. Gamemode wise, TF2 has all the classics such as capture the flag and king of the hill.

As the game is based on a mod, there are also a lot of player-created modes and maps available, from base defense coop mode to arena. TF2 is the oldest title in the online games ranking 2021.

4. Apex Legends

Number of players: 134,068

Ranking number 4 among the most played online games 2021, Apex Legends is a free-to-play battle royale-hero shooter game published by EA. Players are divided into two or three-member teams and land on an island. Overall, it is the usual squad-based battle royale experience, but each character has their own special unique skill.

Overall, Apex is praised for its gameplay, progression system, and fusion of elements from various genres. However, you may encounter Apex Legends matchmaking slow problem if not updating the latest version of the game.

3. PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

Number of players: 178,294

One of the first battle royale released on PC, PUBG is the progenitor of the genre. In this game, 100 players land onto a gigantic battlefield and fight it out until there is only one left. Players can use whatever item they managed to gather on the map, including vehicles, to follow the continuously shrinking safe zone.

Realism is one of the most important aspects of PUBG. It is the reason why the game has so much staying power, 4 years after its initial release. PUBG is actually one of the few titles that placed high in online games ranking 2021 for both Android and PC.

In fact, PUBG Mobile is leading the top mobile games ranking 2021 with the highest revenue in the first 9 months of the year.

2. Dota 2

Number of players: 400,861

Dota 2 is one of the top online games 2021 PC. It is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game developed and published by Valve. It was based on a mod of Warcraft 3. In this game, 2 teams of 5 players battle each other to destroy their enemies' home base (ancient).

Each player controls a "hero", a special unit with 4 or more abilities. They then divided into 3 lanes and battle each other while building items, skills and levels. Dota 2 is considered one of the games with the highest skill-ceiling ever created, as there are currently 121 heroes with different abilities.

1. Counter-Strike Global Offensive

Number of players: 557,641

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) is a multiplayer first-person shooter developed by Valve. It is based on the legendary CS mod Counter Strike of Half Life. You can play CS:GO on Mac or PC as long as your devices meet its system requirement. The game pits two teams, Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists, against each other in different objective-based game modes.

Out of the nine official game modes, the most common game mode is bomb defusal. It involves the counter-terrorists trying to stop the terrorists from planting a bomb on a site.

Counter-Strike Global Offensive is also one of the most popular Esports games in the world, amongst all online games ranking 2021. In 2020, the estimated prize money for CS:GO tournaments stood at 15.85 million U.S. dollars, making it the online game with the highest cumulative prize pool in that year.

>>> Related post: Top 10 Games In The World 2021 By The Number Of Players

The International 10, the biggest esports tournament in the world, was delayed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament boasts an unimaginable prize pool of $40,018,195. Now, Valve has just announced the return of the tournament on their official website.

The International Returns

The International 10 will be held in Stockholm, Sweden and it will take place between August 5 - August 15. It will start with the Group Stage from August 5 -8. Next will the Main Event, starting from August 10 until August 15, when the final battles take place to determine the TI 10 champion in the Grand Finals.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic is still a going-on problem, they are still making changes to the plan to make a high-quality tournament while being safe. More details about the tournament and attendant options will be announced later in June.

New DOTA 2 events and features 2021

This year, Valve will not release another Battle Pass because the prize pool of the TI 10 still remains. Instead, they are going to have 2 new DOTA 2 events this year. One will be coming this summer from mid to late June and the other will come sometime after The Internation 10 ends. Neither of these events will contribute to the prize pool of TI 10.

Valve wants to give players more seasonal content and event in the game and they experimented with the last Diretide event.

For fans who still want to support their players and organization, Valve released a new feature called the Supporters Clubs. Here, you can purchase exclusive seasonal items. The content will be provided by the teams and players themselves. 50% of the sale here will be given to the teams and players.

>>> Read more: DOTA 2: Saudi Prince Spent Rs 5 Lakh To Increase His Battle Pass Level To Over 55,000

While League might have the biggest Esports scene in the world of Gaming, Dota 2 is actually the one with the bigger prize pool. The game single-handedly contributes to the creation of most Esports millionaires - out of the top 30 Esports pros with the highest earnings, 29 of them are from Dota 2.

The reason behind this wealth is that Dota 2's yearly The International tournament has the highest payout out of all Esports tournaments ever - 34 million dollars... while the runner up League's World has only a 2.2 million prize pool.

Why is N0tail so wealthy?

N0tail along with his team has win two Internationals in a row. As the latest Internationals in 2018 and 2019 have much bigger prizes than previous ones... and that makes him one of the richest Esports gamers ever. In his career, Johan “N0tail” Sundstein has amassed about 7 million dollars.

About N0tail's 2.2 million esports mansion

Apparently, N0tail has decided to give a decent chunk of his earning to invest back to the industry - the Lisbon mansion is going to be an Esports facility. Recently, the British Public Broadcast service BBC has interviewed him and went on a tour of the mansion in the below YouTube video.

In this video, N0tail gave his reason for purchasing this mansion and what went into the decision. Apparently, N0tail has always wanted to revolve his life around games... and this is a dream come true to him.

Overall, the whole building cost around 1.1 million euros, with another seven hundred thousand for furniture, renovation, and miscellaneous expenditures. The total cost is 1.8 million euros or 2.2 million dollars. The whole complex has 17 bedrooms, which are intended for his teammates and other players.

The mansion's support staff including a social media manager, a sports psychologist, and a full-time chef. Furthermore, it also has a recreational area with various facilities like a gym, swimming pool and ping pong table... With most of the current competition happening online, Johan has been hosting his newest teammates in OG.Dota.

Interested in more of our articles related to video games? Please check out this post to find out more about Mumbai Gullies, a GTA-Inspired Indian-Made Open World Game.

Being well known as one of the most popular platforms to buy and play games, Steam can reflect exactly the whole picture of the gaming industry in 2020. If you’re wondering which are the best selling games of the year, take a look at the best games in 2020 on Steam according to Valve.

Best Selling-game On Steam in 2020

Recently, Steam owner valve has announced the top games on its platform in 2020 which are classified into different sections like Top Sellers, Most Played, Best of VR or New Releases. In the Top Seller category, Playerunknown's Battlegrounds (PUGB) tops the list while Fall Guys stands the second position. The details of 12 top selling game on Steam is as follow:

1. Playerunknown's Battlegrounds
2. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
3. Among Us
4. Cyberpunk 2077
5. Doom Eternal
6. Monster Hunter World
7. Red Dead Redemption
8. Rainbow Six: Siege
9. Destiny 2
10. Grand Theft Auto V
11. Dota 2
12. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

While the popularity of PUBG is undeniable, the hype for Among Us which started in the mid-2020 makes this cheap Steam game the third best-selling game on Stream. In addition to that, other newly released games like Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, Cyberpunk 2077, or Doom Eternal also did well with sales records. On the other hand, classic games like GTA 5, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike have remained their top-positions over the years.

While the detailed revenue of each game is not disclosed, Steam rates its 100 best titles based on a 4-tier system: platinum. Gold, Silver and Bronze. The list of Gold games goes with popular titles like Halo, Phasmophobia, Dead By Daylight, or Crusader Kings III. You can see the full list of 100 Best Games on Steam in 2020 in the following link. Please note that titles in the same tier are displayed randomly.

Meanwhile, many games are all set to be release in 2021 and create a storm in the gaming world. Check out most anticipated games in 2021 right here: Best PC Games Coming Out In 2021: Most-Anticipated Games For PC In 2021

Dota 2 is Valve's sequel for the world-famous DotA mod of Warcraft 3... and is one of the most popular video games in the world. Currently, the game has about 600k players daily. If you are looking for a premium MOBA experience, this game is probably the best option, as the learning curve is much higher than its rival, League of Legends.

In this article, we would list out Dota 2 System Requirements and the best ways for you to improve the performance of the game.

1 - Dota 2 System Requirements

Dota 2 is made using a version of Valve's Source, a rather dated game engine. While dota 2 is probably the best looking MOBA in the market, it is still fairly easy to run - you only need the below specs to be able to play the game:

Dota 2 Minimum Requirements

• CPU: Intel Dual Core / AMD at 2.8 GHz
• RAM: 4 GB
• HDD: 15 GB of storage space
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 8600/9600GT / AMD Radeon HD 2600/3600
• OS: Windows 7 or better
• DirectX: Version 9.0c
• Screen Resolution: 720p

Dota 2 Recommended Requirements

• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 2.80GHz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5600+
• RAM: 4 GB
• HDD: 15 GB of storage space
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS 512MB / AMD Radeon HD 2600 Pro
• OS: 64-bit Windows 7
• DirectX: Version 9.0c
• Screen Resolution: 1080p

While the official requirement is only 15GB, you should leave at least 30+ GB of storage, just to be on the safe side.

2 - How to Improve Dota 2 Performance

High priority

1. Right-click the game in your Steam library
2. Click "Properties" -> Click "Set Launch Options"
3. Type: -high
4. Click "OK" -> Close

In-game Settings

In order for your game to look good while still performing well you need to tune your settings exactly like this.

Texture Quality and Game Screen Render Quality are the most important settings. If you lower texture quality, the surface of objects would look blurry... and if you lower Game Screen Render, everything would look blurry.

If you have a decent computer and want to turn some of the extra effects on, Anti-Aliasing, VSync, Effect Quality and Shadow Quality are the costliest options.

DirectX

It is best to use the game with DirectX 11. However, if your computer is old, DirectX 9 might actually provide better performance. If the game keeps automatically change back to DirectX 9 from 11, try the following steps:

1. Right-click the game in your Steam library
2. Click "Properties" -> Click "Set Launch Options"
3. Type: -dx11/-dx9 (pick whichever you want to use)
4. Click "OK" -> Close

Map Preload

This would load the dota 2 map as soon as you launch the game and cut down the load time after you have found a game... as you would not have to load the map again. You can also load a bot map first while finding matches so that the game would preload certain assets right away.

1. Right-click the game in your Steam library
2. Click "Properties" -> Click "Set Launch Options"
3. Type: -map dota
4. Click "OK" -> Close

Disable Windows Aero DirectX extensions

1. Right-click the game in your Steam library
2. Click "Properties" -> Click "Set Launch Options"
3. Type: -nod3d9ex
4. Click "OK" -> Close

This would disable Windows Aero DirectX extensions and might improve performance in certain cases.

Disable Steam Overlay

Steam Overlay might cause problems as well - you might be stuck inside it occasionally.

1. Right-click the game in your Steam library
2. Click "Properties"
3. Uncheck "Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game"
4. Click "Close"

Lowering Game Resolution

This is probably the last thing you want to do - it would make the game look a lot worse. But if your PC just cannot run Dota 2 stably - it might be time for some drastic measures like this.

Safe Mode

If any config changes cause problems that prevent you from starting the game, try run Dota 2 in Safe Mode.

1. Right-click the game in your Steam library
2. Click "Properties" -> Click "Set Launch Options"
3. Type: -safe_mode
4. Click "OK" -> Close

Autoconfig

You can also try the auto-config system so that the game would automatically assign values to the settings based on your hardware.

1. Right-click the game in your Steam library
2. Click "Properties" -> Click "Set Launch Options"
3. Type: -autoconfig
4. Click "OK" -> Close

How to Skip Intro Video

To bypass the annoying Intro video of dota 2, just follow these steps:

1. Right-click the game in your Steam library
2. Click "Properties" -> Click "Set Launch Options"
3. Type: -novid
4. Click "OK" -> Close

Bonus Launch Options

+con_enable 1 Enables the console on startup.

-console Enables the console in-game.

-h Forces the engine to start with resolution set to value in pixels. Ex: -h 768

-w Forces the engine to start with resolution set to value in pixels.

-32bit Force run on 32bit client.

-fullscreen Set display mode to full-screen mode.

-noborder Set display mode to borderless window mode.

-sw Set display mode to windowed mode.

Interested in more of our articles related to video games? Please check out this post to find out more about Dota 2 New Updates 'Mistwood' 7.28.

Dota 2's long-awaited 7.28 patch is finally here. The name of the update is 'Mistwood - it adds a new hero, over 100 new Aghanim updates... along with new items, both shops and neutral. In this article, we would break down some of the biggest changes in this Dota 2 New Updates.

1 - A brand new hero "Hoodwink"

Hoodwink is the new hero for this patch - she's a ranged agility hero with abilities similar to Windrunner... along with unique mechanics involving trees. She's a giant squirrel.

• Her first skill is Witch Doctor's bouncing cask - with slow instead of stun and deals much more damage. It can be cast on the ground to create a tree.
• Her second skill is an easier to use version of Windrunner's shackles - it would tie any unit in the AOE to a tree inside it.
• Her third skill is an active skill that lets her walk inside trees just like Treant Protector.
• Her Ultimate is a fusion between Windrunner's Powershot, Kotl's Illuminate and Sniper's Assassinate. You can charge for up to 5 seconds to release an arrow - the first target hit by it would take damage, slow and break based on the channeling duration.

2 - Aghanim's Shards: every hero get a new ability

Aghanim's Shard is a weaker version of Aghanim Scepter's buff - it can be purchased for 1400 gold starting at the 20-minute mark... and would be consumed immediately after buying. It is impossible to list all updates here, as there are over 100 of them - we would only list out the most notable.

• Clockwerk gets a jetpack with Aghanim's Shards... for 6 seconds of flying movement and vision.
• Brewmaster gets a fourth spirit for his ultimate.
• Dark Seer gets a passive attack ability with cooldown (like Kunkka's sword) that can stun, knockback and creates an illusion that attacks the target.

Besides the new Shards, 23 Heroes also get their Aghanim upgrades reworked. The list including Anti-Mage, Arc Warden, Axe, Brewmaster, Dark Seer, Dazzle, Doom, Keeper of the Light, Leshrac, Lifestealer, Magnus, Mars, Meepo, Mirana, Naga Siren, Nature’s Prophet, Oracle, Phantom Lancer, Pudge, Tinker, Troll Warlord, Underlord, and Visage.

Some abilities gained by the shards are old skills that the hero has previously that were removed...like Tusk's Frozen Sigil and Keeper of the Light's Spirit Form.

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3 - New shop items

Aside from the new Aghanim's Shards update, there are 12 other new items added to the shop: Fluffy Hat, Falcon Blade, Orb of Corrosion, Witch Blade, Gleipnir, Mage Slayer, Eternal Shroud, Windwaker, level 2 Helm of the Dominator, Overwhelming Blink, Swift Blink and Arcane Blink.

Gleipnir and Windwalker are the two most notable item of the group - the first one is Maelstrom x Rod of Atos, providing players with a powerful AOE root ability. Windwaker gives the Eul a much-needed upgrade - you can now move if you use cyclone on yourself... and save your teammates by cyclone them up.

The most exciting item upgrade of this patch is probably the 3 new versions of the blink dagger, each with effects corresponding to the three primary attributes of Str, Agi, and Int.

• Overwhelming Blink: slows and damages all enemies in 800 AOE around the destination. Perfect for Centaur or Tidehunter.
• Arcane Blink: gives the wielder a 25% cooldown reduction and -50% cast point. Enigma would absolutely love this item for a smaller cooldown of Blackhole and faster deployment of Midnight Pulse.
• Swift Blink: gives the wielder bonus damage and attack speed as well as phased movement upon blinking. Templar Assassin would definitely get this item.

Besides the above new items, these following items also have their recipe and bonuses changed: Octarine Core, Bloodstone, Silver Edge, Heart of Tarrasque, Holy Locket, Satanic, Drum of Endurance, Glimmer Cape, Hood of Defiance, Vladimir's Offering, Mekansm, Guardian Greaves, and Dagon.

4 - New neutral items

Aside from the new shop items, 14 new neutral items have also been added to the game while a number of existing ones have been cycled out.

Valve has added 14 new neutral items and cycled out a couple of them - this is an attempt to keep the pool undiluted and it is likely that they would get switched back in later.

• Tier 5: Giant’s Ring and Book of Shadows have been added while Woodland Striders and Trident have been removed.
• Tier 4: Penta-Edged Sword, Stormcrafter, and Trickster Cloak have been added while Magic Lamp, Witless Shako, Prince’s Knife, and Havoc Hammer have been removed.
• Tier 3: Elven Tunic, Cloak of Flames, Ceremonial Robe, and Psychic Headband have been added while Repair Kit, Craggy Coat, and Greater Faerie Fire have been removed.
• Tier 2: Quicksilver Amulet and Bull Whip have been added while Clumsy Net and Vampire Fangs have been removed.
• Tier 1: Fairy’s Trinket, Chipped Vest, and Possessed Mask have been added while Mango Tree, Poor Man’s Shield, and Iron Talon have been removed.

The stats of various items have also been modified as well. For the full changelog of this Dota 2 new updates, you can check the official page from Valve.

An esports tournament with a prize pool that goes up to millions of dollars is no longer a strange thing now. But 40 million dollars dor a single tournament is something that only Valve could do for their favorite game DOTA 2.

Even though the Internation 10 is likely to be postponed until 2021, it didn't stop players from buying the Battle Pass and contribute to the prize pool. The prize pool for The International 10 far surpassed the prize pool of The Internation 9, which was 34,33 million dollars.

With a 40 million dollar prize pool, the TI10 champion will walk away with roughly more than 15 million dollars, all just by winning the tournament.

How can the prize pool of The Internation so high

The Internation was the first esports tournament in the world to feature a massive $1.6 million dollar, which totally changed everything. The prize pool for The Internation kept increasing every year, especially since the introduction of the Battle Pass.

The Battle Pass offers various contents, skin to players, and 25% of the revenue of the Battle Pass is contributed toward the prize pool of The International. It was a massive success and we can easily see that almost every other game has learned from this idea and created a Pass for their own.

This year, The International 10 Battle Pass introduces even more prizes and rewards to players with 2 Persona skin and 3 Arcana. As a result, The International has successfully kept its title as the esports tournament with the biggest prize pool in the world.

Also check out: DOTA 2: Saudi Prince Spent Rs 5 Lakh To Increase His Battle Pass Level To Over 55,000