Since its release in 2013, Dota 2 has gained a legion of fans in the gaming community. In this complete guide, we’ll explain the game’s mechanics and answer all your questions: what’s the story, how does it work and much more. Read on to find out everything about Dota 2.
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What is Dota 2
To start our guide to everything about Dota 2, there’s nothing better than clarifying what it is: basically, an electronic game in the MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) genre, developed and published by Valve Corporation. Best of all, the game is free and available for Windows, MacOS and Linux.
What is the story of Dota 2?
The story of Dota 2 is mainly built around the rivalry between two opposing factions fighting for control of the world: Radiant (light) and Dire (shadows). The conflict between Radiant and Dire is described as an eternal battle that takes place over and over again in endless cycles. Each match is a manifestation of this conflict, with players representing the heroes of each faction in search of victory.
In Dota 2, you have to choose one of the heroes to play. Each of them has their own story linked to the conflict between Radiant and Dire. While some of them fight on behalf of one of the factions, others pursue their own goals within the context of this conflict.
What is the goal of Dota 2?
The objective of Dota 2 is quite simple: one team needs to destroy the opponent’s main structure, called the Ancient. In fact, that’s where the name of the game comes from – Defense of the Ancients.
How does Dota 2 work?
So we know what the game is and what its history is. It’s now worth understanding how Dota 2 works. Matches are played by two teams of five players each.
The game takes place on a symmetrical map with three main lanes and a jungle full of neutral creatures. Each team has a base with defense towers and the Ancient.
Each player controls a hero with different abilities. There are more than 100 heroes, and the selection of heroes is crucial to the team’s success.
It’s worth remembering that during the match, players gain experience and gold that can be used to improve skills and buy items.
Dota 2 positions
The positions of Dota 2 refer to the specific role within the team, and represent different responsibilities during the game. Check them all out:
All about Dota 2: Carry
The Carry is primarily responsible for causing damage and carrying the team to victory at the end of the game. The role involves taking part in team fights and securing important eliminations, as well as focusing on destroying towers and the enemy Ancient.
All about Dota 2: Mid Laner
The Mid laner occupies the middle lane. His duties include controlling the Runes to gain an advantage in the lane and in team fights.
All about Dota 2: Offlaner
The Offlaner is usually placed in the top or bottom lane, where they face a 1v2 or 1v3 situation against enemies. The role is to initiate team fights or serve as an initiator with control skills.
All about Dota 2: Support
Meanwhile, the Support is responsible for helping the team in various ways, including protecting the Carry, ensuring vision on the map, initiating fights and providing general utility.
All about Dota 2: Hard Support
The Hard Support is the main support of the team and focuses more on ensuring vision, map control and protecting the Carry than on accumulating gold and items.
How long a Dota 2 match lasts
A Dota 2 match lasts between 30 and 50 minutes. The match begins with a hero selection phase, where each player chooses a character. After selection, the players are transported to the battlefield, where they position themselves in their respective lanes and start collecting gold and experience by killing enemy and neutral creeps. The game ends when one of the teams manages to invade the enemy base and destroy the opposing Ancient.
Dota 2 trivia
As well as finding out all about Dota 2, it’s worth checking out our selection of interesting facts about the game:
- Dota 2 is the sequel to the “Defense of the Ancients” (DotA) mod, a custom map from Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.
- The International (TI) is the Dota 2 world championship, famous for its prize pools.
- Dota 2 is constantly updated with patches that introduce new heroes, items and balance adjustments.
- Many Dota 2 heroes are inspired by mythological, literary and cultural figures.
- There are several game modes in Dota 2, including All Pick, Random Draft, Captain’s Mode and more.
- Valve, the company behind Dota 2, has released comics and short films to expand on the game’s lore.
Dota 2 requirements
There are different Dota 2 requirements, depending on the device. You can play on Windows, Linux or MacOS:
Dota 2 requirements on Windows
- Operating System *: Windows 7 or newer
- Processor: Dual core from Intel or AMD with 2.8 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce 8600/9600GT, ATI/AMD Radeon HD2600/3600
- DirectX: Version 11
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Disk space: Requires 60 GB of free space
- Sound card: DirectX compatible
Dota 2 requirements on Linux
- Operating System: Ubuntu 12.04 or newer
- Processor: Dual core from Intel or AMD with 2.8 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce 8600/9600GT (driver v331), AMD HD 2xxx-4xxx (desktop driver 10.5.9), AMD HD 5xxx+ (desktop driver 10.5.9 or Catalyst 15.7), Intel HD 3000 (desktop driver 10.6)
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Disk space: Requires 60 GB of free space
- Sound card: OpenAL compatible sound card
Dota 2 requirements on MacOS
- Operating System: Ubuntu 12.04 or newer
- Processor: Dual core from Intel or AMD with 2.8 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce 8600/9600GT (driver v331), AMD HD 2xxx-4xxx (desktop driver 10.5.9), AMD HD 5xxx+ (desktop driver 10.5.9 or Catalyst 15.7), Intel HD 3000 (desktop driver 10.6)
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Disk space: Requires 60 GB of free space
- Sound card: OpenAL compatible sound card
Now that you know everything about Dota 2, don’t hesitate to follow our complete guides on other games. Stay tuned for more content:
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