10 years of Dota 2

It’s been 10 years since Dota 2 was officially released. However, the game is significantly older. Just consider the fact that the first edition of The International took place in 2011.

After more than a decade of Dota, it’s interesting and a bit nostalgic to look back at this incredible game and its evolution. In every single way, Dota 2 has gotten better. For someone who played it a long time ago and hasn’t seen it in 7-10 years, it’s almost unrecognizable.

Talents didn’t use to exist back then. It wasn’t until Dota 2 patch 7.00 that many of the concepts we’ve become used to started to exist. Initially, the game was very basic and relatively simple.

For some MOBAs, that’s not an issue. But for Dota 2, which strives to provide a highly sophisticated environment in which players can fully express their ingenuity, complexity is regarded as a positive thing. We love it when the game is complicated because it’s more unpredictable and harder to solve.

When you watch a professional Dota 2 game, part of the excitement comes from the fact that you have no idea what the teams are going to pick or do next. Almost anything could happen. Dota 2 isn’t built to be a farm simulator. It’s built to be a form of Go to the power of chess.

Put your party hats and join us in celebrating Dota 2’s 10-year anniversary!https://t.co/qXctvRVZDV pic.twitter.com/XZq9aYL8wE

— DOTA 2 (@DOTA2) August 17, 2023

Great moments

Obviously, in 10 years, a lot has happened. We’ve had numerous editions of The International and most of them were absolutely fantastic. The best was probably the one from 2018, when OG won the Aegis of Champions after being underestimated by the entire community. But the 2016, 2017, and 2021 editions were also spectacular.

For an NA fan, who can forget the 2015 edition, when Evil Geniuses won while being carried by Sumail “Sumail” Hassan?

To the TIs we can also add the numerous Majors and all the other big tournaments that brought us joy as viewers.

As players, the game has gotten harder and harder, not just because of the added heroes and concepts, but also because the community as a whole has improved a lot.

Disappointments

More than a decade after its official release, Dota 2 continues to struggle to become more popular. Right now, around 7-8 million people play it regularly and the peak was attained around seven years ago: 13-14 million. Valve’s lack of involvement in promoting the game has, no doubt, disappointed many.

Header: Valve Corporation