Dota 2 in review: With Defense of the Ancients 2, the successor to the legendary Warcraft 3 modification Defense of the Ancients – DotA for short – has finally been launched. But instead of simply passing on the baton of the genre primus, developer Valve is facing a big challenge: Already a few years ago, competitor Riot Games launched the MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) title League of Legends, which follows the same game principle. Riot’s DotA variant was so successful right from the start that there are now over 70 million LoL accounts and the Californian developers run their own e-sports league. Dota 2 doesn’t have to hide from LoL, though, since it’s backed by Half-Life creator Valve with its download platform Steam and the mysterious developer Icefrog – one of the founding fathers of the genre. Icefrog’s real name is not known, but it is a fact that the developer contributed decisively to the success of the Warcraft 3 mod and has now been working on the successor for several years. So what are the chances of success for Dota 2?

The same roots

First of all, it is necessary to state: Fundamentally, the game structure of Dota 2 and that of League of Legends are very similar. Two teams with several players compete with their heroes on a map. The goal of the game is to destroy the enemy base. Both sides are supported by computer-controlled non-player characters (creeps), while tower positions facilitate defense. Most of the time there are a few monsters on the game cards, which you can slay in between to level up your hero. Because each player controls only one character per game! In order not to get bored, the characters always have several skills, which are improved with each level of development. The fourth skill of each character is the so-called Ultimate, i.e. a unique effect that ranges from temporary invincibility to a time loop in which all trapped enemies have to endure for a few seconds. If a hero dies, he’ll be revived at the base after a penalty period, and you’ll be able to enter the fray again.

Each MOBA game is divided into three phases, which usually flow into each other: the early, the middle and the end game. While in the early phase (Early Game) you are mainly busy equipping and leveling your own hero with high-value items, in the middle phase (Midgame) you work your way towards the enemy base and take on the first team fights between the heroes. The final game (Endgame), on the other hand, is strongly characterized by team fights and at the latest here it is decided which of the two bases will fall. The game principle sounds simple, but it has kept the steadily growing community in line for over a decade. And the number of MOBA players and games is growing from year to year! Because the basic principle is so irresistible, all development teams – including Valve – have stuck with it. At first glance, Dota 2 differs (buy now 25,31 € ) and League of Legends only in nuances. However, anyone who delves into Dota 2 over a few months will soon learn to appreciate the differences in the details and can’t help but feel that they’re playing a significantly different game than League of Legends.

Dota 2 better than LoL?

Is Dota 2 not only different, but also better than League of Legends? This can’t be answered in a blanket way, as it depends on various factors: How experienced are you in the MOBA genre and do you prefer a more realistic look or the comic book look of LoL? Do you prefer a beginner-friendly game or one that challenges the player from the start? In terms of easy accessibility, LoL has been considered a prime example for years. Thanks to the tutorials and the possibility to first test yourself against computer-controlled opponents, League of Legends quickly prevailed over the MOBA game Heroes of Newerth, which was released around the same time. However, such entry aids are no longer a unique selling point in the MOBA genre. Valve has learned from this development and also offers a tutorial in Dota 2, which provides the necessary basic knowledge.

On the basis of four training courses integrated into the game, you will learn, for example, what a so-called last hit is, how to use your hero’s abilities correctly, and how to buy important items from the in-game merchant. These episodes only last a few minutes each and prepare you for the first round against opponents controlled by the computer. Dota 2 is also beginner-friendly here, since you can choose between four different AI strengths. At the highest level, the computer opponent is relatively clever, so even experienced players like to play an AI game from time to time, for example to test a new hero. If you want to keep it simple, set the AI opponent to “Passive”, so you can try things out at your leisure. Even though the tutorial is only the first step in a long learning phase, getting started with the game is easy and Dota 2 doesn’t have to hide from League of Legends. However, if you want to become an expert, you have to educate yourself outside of the game by studying streams of professional players or fan forums. It takes months to years to master the more than 100 heroes and the countless different game situations that arise in team battles.

The art of denial

One of the bigger differences between Dota 2 and League of Legends is that Dota 2 allows for the so-called deny technique. Deny means, among other things, “to refuse”, and in plain English it means that you can deny the opposing team important game progress by wiping out your own creeps, towers and, in rare cases, even heroes. This is where the scorched earth principle kicks in: if the enemy is about to destroy one of your towers or kill your creeps, you’d better destroy them yourself before they do. The creeps or the tower will be lost a bit faster, but the enemy will miss out on valuable experience points and money, since it wasn’t his kill. However, beginners are well advised to focus on their own character progress first, as the deny technique is difficult to master and is usually only used by experienced players. In order to prevent newcomers from meeting professionals in Dota 2, the developer Valve has of course implemented an appropriate matchmaking that records how many victories and defeats you have achieved in the background.

For this purpose, each player also has a player level rating outside of the individual games, which roughly reflects the player’s level of experience. The developers are still silent on whether and how the player level affects matchmaking. The fact is that it never happened in our test rounds that a level 1 player had to compete against a level 30 opponent. Beyond the level system, however, there is no possibility to improve outside of the games. A higher-level rune or championship system, like League of Legends offers, does not exist. This increases fairness in Dota 2, because account-based progression, like it exists in LoL, grants experienced players an advantage from the first second of each game. In Dota 2, on the other hand, you mainly level up for your own ego, even though there are nice items with every level up. However, these are only cosmetic in nature.

Small and big differences

In one point, the play styles of Dota 2 and LoL heroes differ considerably: Dota 2 characters have fewer active skills on average, but more passive skills than their LoL colleagues. In addition, the Dota 2 characters have less energy, which is why they can use their skills even less often. As a result, you have to be much more tactical and less focused on your own gameplay in Valve’s MOBA in order to be successful. If you quickly internalize this, you will have taken an important step towards success. Also important: Unlike League of Legends, the various heroes in Dota 2 are not slavishly chained to certain roles and positions on the game map. While the LoL champions are always pressed into a certain strategy corset – called metagame in the scene – Dota 2 allows more flexible and varied approaches. For example, you can design your game in advance to win already in the middle game phase or only in the endgame.

Go shopping

Just like in most other MOBA games, you’ll find an in-game store at each of the two starting points, where your hero can buy new equipment. You earn the gold for this, as already mentioned, by destroying enemy towers, NPCs and heroes. However, there are four more stores on the map where you can buy additional items. This is another difference from League of Legends, where the store areas are limited to the starting areas. Tactically, this makes the Dota 2 variant more challenging, since you have to take higher risks when you visit one of the stores located in the field. The consumer goods in the store are also a bit more diverse than in League of Legends. For example, you can not only teleport across the game map, but also disguise yourself and nearby allies so that the opponent only recognizes you at close range.

Or you can order an NPC courier to deliver items from the store across the battlefield. To do this, one of five different runes randomly appears at two locations on the battlefield, granting temporary buffs to the heroes. In League of Legends, these buffs are tied to specific AI monsters that always lurk in the same spot. So hunting for buffs is more predictable in LoL. Last but not least, if a hero dies in Dota 2, their player loses gold. So virtual deaths are punished a bit more severely by Valve than in LoL. This may not sound serious, but it significantly changes the pace of the games.

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