Dota 2

Overview

Franchise

• Dota (brand)
• Dota (series)

Release date

• Windows — July 9, 2013
• macOS — July 9, 2013
• Linux — July 9, 2013

Developer

• Valve

Publisher

• Valve

Age rating

• USK 12 — age 12+ · Steam Store
• GRAC 12+ — Ages 12+ · Steam Store
• ClassInd 18 — Ages 18+ · Steam Store

Content warnings

Mature content

Interaction modes

Multiplayer

Session capacity

• 10 online co-op · IGDB mirror

Access model

• Free to play

Monetization

• In-app purchases

Storefront price

Unknown

Store contents

• 2 DLC · Steam Store, August 29, 2026

Languages

EnglishRussianUkrainianGermanFrenchSpanishPortuguesePortuguese, BrazilItalianPolish +18 more

Classification

Genres

ActionStrategyMOBA

Evidence:Action — 2 excerptsStrategy — 3 excerptsMOBA — 1 excerpt

Setting and subject matter

Fantasy, Military

Evidence:Fantasy — 1 excerptMilitary — 1 excerpt

Camera

Third-person, Isometric

Evidence:Third-person — 1 excerptIsometric — 1 excerpt

Visual style

Unknown

Combat system type

Unknown

Scale

Ratings

• players80.5% · 2.8MSteam, US storefront · Steam reviews
• players79.1%Global · IGDB mirror
• critics90.5%Global · IGDB mirror
• critics90%Steam, US storefront · Steam Store

Last update

• August 27, 2026 — The International 2026 Grand Champions (8 updates over 90 days) · Steam update feed

Concurrent players

Mechanics

Key game systems from the Mechanics Catalog. Assessment axes are independent and are not combined into a single score. An unassessed mechanic is unknown, not absent.

• Clan system

  UnknownUnknownUnknown View implementation

  A persistent player organization created or recognized by the game itself, with a stable membership, a life beyond one session, a shared identity, functions, and goals.

  The current official-source search did not establish a persistent in-game Dota 2 Guild at the 2026-09-02 boundary. It also does not establish the membership unit or current collectivity form; the legacy values lacked claim-level evidence and are not carried forward as current facts.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Unknown

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— Current official material did not establish present Guild operation, so adoption cannot be assessed for the 2026-09-02 boundary. Historical participation signals were not projected forward.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Not assessed

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Insufficient data— Current Valve material did not establish present Guild operation, membership unit, or collectivity form. The legacy membership and collectivity values lacked claim-level evidence, so they were withdrawn rather than projected into 2026.

  research draft · methodology 0.4 · September 2, 2026

  Assessment scope: Play focused on guild rewards and social organization

  For play focused on guild rewards and social organization, the official-source search did not find a current page establishing persistent Dota 2 guild membership, governance, or rewards. Adjacent Dota Plus and match features do not resolve Presence.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Unknown

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— No compatible segment-specific numerator and active eligible denominator were found for the same observation window.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Not assessed

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Insufficient data— Mechanic-specific searches of current Valve pages returned adjacent Dota Plus, team, and tournament features but no current persistent guild specification. Silence was not treated as absence.

  research draft · methodology 0.4 · September 2, 2026

  Assessment scope: Regular match play

  For regular match play, the official-source search did not find a current page establishing persistent Dota 2 guild membership, governance, or rewards. Adjacent Dota Plus and match features do not resolve Presence.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Unknown

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— No compatible segment-specific numerator and active eligible denominator were found for the same observation window.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Not assessed

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Insufficient data— Mechanic-specific searches of current Valve pages returned adjacent Dota Plus, team, and tournament features but no current persistent guild specification. Silence was not treated as absence.

  research draft · methodology 0.4 · September 2, 2026

• Player economy

  Outside the game only View implementation

  An in-game system where player decisions materially influence at least part of the production, supply, distribution, or price of in-game value.

  Official material documents marketable Dota 2 cosmetics that players can purchase from one another through the Steam platform layer. Under methodology section 12.8 this is external_only and does not create built-in economy Depth.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Not applicable

  Core experience relevance:

  Not applicable

  Observed adoption:

  Not applicable— Reach is not assessed for an external platform-market contour; unique participants and the eligible audience were not established.

  Structural expectation:

  Not applicable

  Player dependency:

  Not applicable

  Change direction:

  Not assessed

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  High— Valve's Dota 2 page and Steam Community Market identify player purchases and Dota 2 listings on the platform layer. Internal player-economy Depth is not claimed.

  research draft · methodology 0.2 · September 2, 2026

• Territory control

  Unknown View implementation

  A system where players or organizations capture, hold, and use parts of the game world with lasting consequences.

  Official-source search did not resolve transferable, contestable ownership that persists beyond one session for this product boundary. Silence was not treated as absence.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Unknown

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— Adoption reach is unmeasured: primary sources provide neither unique participants nor a compatible active-audience denominator.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Unknown

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Insufficient data— On 2026-09-02, official-domain mechanic-specific searches for Dota 2 did not yield indexed primary evidence resolving Presence. Secondary sources were excluded.

  research draft · methodology 0.3 · September 2, 2026

• Competitive PvP

  PresentPresentUnknown View implementation

  Structured competition between players with rules and a measurable outcome, usually including skill-based matchmaking.

  Primary evidence identifies a competitive PvP mode, but it does not resolve the recorded-result unit required to score the rating ladder above 1. Other unresolved features remain Unknown.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  at most 1 of 5 — Casual matches

  What limits the result:

  Rating and ladder: The recorded-result unit remains Unknown, so the rating ladder cannot be scored above 1 and level 2 is not established.

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— Adoption reach is unmeasured: primary sources provide neither unique participants nor a compatible active-audience denominator.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Unknown

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Medium— 1 primary URL was reviewed on 2026-09-02. Each populated claim is bounded by its exact excerpt; unresolved values remain Unknown.

  Component scores (0–4):

  • Competitive formats1 of 4 — Score 1 for structured formats is bounded by the cited official claim: “At least 100 lifetime ranked games”
  • MatchmakingNot assessed — Primary evidence did not resolve opponent matchmaking; retained as Unknown.
  • Rating and ladderNot assessed — The reviewed primary source names competitive or ranked play but does not identify a recorded-result unit; the component remains Unknown.
  • Seasons and rewardsNot assessed — Primary evidence did not resolve seasonal competition and rewards; retained as Unknown.
  • Competitive integrityNot assessed — Primary evidence did not resolve competition-integrity controls; retained as Unknown.
  • Skill expressionNot assessed — Primary evidence did not resolve skill differentiation; retained as Unknown.
  • Game integrationNot assessed — Primary evidence did not resolve links to other game loops; retained as Unknown.

  research draft · methodology 0.3 · September 2, 2026

  Assessment scope: Competitive segment

  Primary evidence identifies a competitive PvP mode, but it does not resolve the recorded-result unit required to score the rating ladder above 1. Other unresolved features remain Unknown.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  at most 1 of 5 — Casual matches

  What limits the result:

  Rating and ladder: The recorded-result unit remains Unknown, so the rating ladder cannot be scored above 1 and level 2 is not established.

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— Adoption reach is unmeasured: primary sources provide neither unique participants nor a compatible active-audience denominator for this segment.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Unknown

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Medium— The supplemental segment boundary was reviewed separately on 2026-09-02. 1 primary URL was reviewed on 2026-09-02. Each populated claim is bounded by its exact excerpt; unresolved values remain Unknown.

  Component scores (0–4):

  • Competitive formats1 of 4 — Score 1 for structured formats is bounded by the cited official claim: “At least 100 lifetime ranked games”
  • MatchmakingNot assessed — Primary evidence did not resolve opponent matchmaking; retained as Unknown.
  • Rating and ladderNot assessed — The reviewed primary source names competitive or ranked play but does not identify a recorded-result unit; the component remains Unknown.
  • Seasons and rewardsNot assessed — Primary evidence did not resolve seasonal competition and rewards; retained as Unknown.
  • Competitive integrityNot assessed — Primary evidence did not resolve competition-integrity controls; retained as Unknown.
  • Skill expressionNot assessed — Primary evidence did not resolve skill differentiation; retained as Unknown.
  • Game integrationNot assessed — Primary evidence did not resolve links to other game loops; retained as Unknown.

  research draft · methodology 0.3 · September 2, 2026

  Assessment scope: Regular player

  The reviewed official evidence documents the competitive ladder in another segment, but does not resolve this mechanic for the exact boundary “Regular player”.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Unknown

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— Adoption reach is unmeasured: primary sources provide neither unique participants nor a compatible active-audience denominator for this segment.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Unknown

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Insufficient data— On 2026-09-02, no segment-specific primary evidence was retained for “Regular player”; silence was not treated as absence.

  research draft · methodology 0.3 · September 2, 2026

• Live service and updates

  UnknownUnknownUnknownUnknown View implementation

  A regular rhythm of meaningful updates, including seasons, patches, events, and a roadmap that supports a long product life.

  The retained primary item identifies a release-related fact, but the package does not contain the complete dated release series, cadence observations, support-team boundary, and persistence evidence required by section 15.13. A positive live-service result is therefore not published.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Unknown

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— No compatible participation numerator and eligible-audience denominator were assembled for this exact boundary.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Not assessed

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Insufficient data— The checked source is insufficient for a positive result because the minimum evidence set in section 15.13 is incomplete.

  Component scores (0–4):

  • Release cadenceNot assessed
  • Release announcementsNot assessed
  • Content scope and typeNot assessed
  • Seasonal structureNot assessed
  • Event calendarNot assessed
  • Roadmap transparencyNot assessed
  • Response to playersNot assessed
  • Game integrationNot assessed

  research draft · methodology 0.3 · September 2, 2026

  Assessment scope: Competitive segment

  The retained primary item identifies a release-related fact, but the package does not contain the complete dated release series, cadence observations, support-team boundary, and persistence evidence required by section 15.13. A positive live-service result is therefore not published.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Unknown

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— No compatible participation numerator and eligible-audience denominator were assembled for this exact boundary.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Not assessed

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Insufficient data— The checked source is insufficient for a positive result because the minimum evidence set in section 15.13 is incomplete.

  Component scores (0–4):

  • Release cadenceNot assessed
  • Release announcementsNot assessed
  • Content scope and typeNot assessed
  • Seasonal structureNot assessed
  • Event calendarNot assessed
  • Roadmap transparencyNot assessed
  • Response to playersNot assessed
  • Game integrationNot assessed

  research draft · methodology 0.3 · September 2, 2026

  Assessment scope: Event reward collector

  The retained primary item identifies a release-related fact, but the package does not contain the complete dated release series, cadence observations, support-team boundary, and persistence evidence required by section 15.13. A positive live-service result is therefore not published.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Unknown

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— No compatible participation numerator and eligible-audience denominator were assembled for this exact boundary.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Not assessed

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Insufficient data— The checked source is insufficient for a positive result because the minimum evidence set in section 15.13 is incomplete.

  Component scores (0–4):

  • Release cadenceNot assessed
  • Release announcementsNot assessed
  • Content scope and typeNot assessed
  • Seasonal structureNot assessed
  • Event calendarNot assessed
  • Roadmap transparencyNot assessed
  • Response to playersNot assessed
  • Game integrationNot assessed

  research draft · methodology 0.3 · September 2, 2026

  Assessment scope: Segments outside competitive play

  The retained primary item identifies a release-related fact, but the package does not contain the complete dated release series, cadence observations, support-team boundary, and persistence evidence required by section 15.13. A positive live-service result is therefore not published.

  Access cost:

  Unknown

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Unknown

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— No compatible participation numerator and eligible-audience denominator were assembled for this exact boundary.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Not assessed

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Insufficient data— The checked source is insufficient for a positive result because the minimum evidence set in section 15.13 is incomplete.

  Component scores (0–4):

  • Release cadenceNot assessed
  • Release announcementsNot assessed
  • Content scope and typeNot assessed
  • Seasonal structureNot assessed
  • Event calendarNot assessed
  • Roadmap transparencyNot assessed
  • Response to playersNot assessed
  • Game integrationNot assessed

  research draft · methodology 0.3 · September 2, 2026

• Character progression

  UnknownUnknown View implementation

  A system for long-term character or account development through levels, skills, equipment, and specializations.

  Assessment scope: In-match progression

  The checked primary excerpt does not establish Presence or Absence for character progression in this assessment boundary: Free hero access before a match does not establish whether capability progression occurs during matches or in a persistent account layer.

  Access cost:

  Free access

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Unknown

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— No participation numerator or eligible-audience denominator can be derived while mechanic Presence remains unresolved.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Not assessed

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Insufficient data— Silence or an adjacent product claim cannot support a negative mechanic conclusion. Free hero access before a match does not establish whether capability progression occurs during matches or in a persistent account layer.

  Component scores (0–4):

  • Path length and structureNot assessed
  • Progression axesNot assessed
  • Specialization choiceNot assessed
  • Role of equipmentNot assessed
  • Progression sourcesNot assessed
  • Progress persistence and carry-overNot assessed
  • Game integrationNot assessed

  research draft · methodology 0.3 · September 2, 2026

  Assessment scope: Persistent account layer

  The checked primary excerpt does not establish Presence or Absence for character progression in this assessment boundary: Free hero access before a match does not establish whether capability progression occurs during matches or in a persistent account layer.

  Access cost:

  Free access

  Product horizon:

  Unknown

  Depth:

  Unknown

  Core experience relevance:

  Unknown

  Observed adoption:

  Unknown— No participation numerator or eligible-audience denominator can be derived while mechanic Presence remains unresolved.

  Structural expectation:

  Unknown

  Player dependency:

  Unknown

  Change direction:

  Not assessed

  Assessment type:

  Unknown

  Confidence:

  Insufficient data— Silence or an adjacent product claim cannot support a negative mechanic conclusion. Free hero access before a match does not establish whether capability progression occurs during matches or in a persistent account layer.

  Component scores (0–4):

  • Path length and structureNot assessed
  • Progression axesNot assessed
  • Specialization choiceNot assessed
  • Role of equipmentNot assessed
  • Progression sourcesNot assessed
  • Progress persistence and carry-overNot assessed
  • Game integrationNot assessed

  research draft · methodology 0.3 · September 2, 2026