How to get started in Dota 2

So you have decided to give Dota 2 a shot, but you don’t know where to start? Here is your starter’s guide!

As Dota 2 is free-to-play you can try out the game without any strings attached. You just need a PC to begin playing.

How to download & install Dota 2

The developer behind Dota 2 is Valve, who are also the parent company behind Steam. As such you will need to have a Steam account and install the Steam client in order to play Dota 2.

If you don’t have an account yet, you can register one here: Steam Login
Once you have registered and downloaded the client you need to go to the store tab and search for “Dota 2” to get to its store page. Alternatively you can follow this link: Dota 2 Store Page

Just click on the “Play Now”-button to launch the steam client and start the download. Dota 2 is incredibly lightweight on your system and has very low-end requirements:

OS: Windows 7 or newer
Processor: Dual core from Intel or AMD at 2.8 GHz
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: nVidia GeForce 8600/9600GT, ATI/AMD Radeon HD2600/3600
DirectX: Version 9.0c
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 15 GB available space
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible

How to launch Dota 2 from the Steam Client

Once you have successfully installed Dota 2 on your machine you go to the “Library”-Tab of your Steam client. There you click on Dota 2 before hitting the “Play”-button to launch the game.

Are there any limitations on free-to-play?

Dota 2 is completely free-to-play with no limitations at all in terms of gameplay. The game does offer many different skins and other cosmetic items but right from the beginning you can play everything the game has to offer. Every single hero in the game can be freely played without the need to either grind the game or invest money to unlock.

How to start playing Dota 2

As the game finishes launching you will find yourself in the main menu. While you could directly begin playing by hitting the “Play Dota”-button on the lower right, it is highly recommended that you start out with the tutorial before braving a multiplayer game.

To start the tutorial navigate to the “Learn”-Tab in the client. Within that category click on the sub-header “Tutorials”. Here you will find an introduction to the mechanics of Dota 2 along with several short missions to help ease you into the game.

As is often the case in complex games like Dota 2 or other MOBAs the tutorials themselves only cover the barest of fundamentals and it is highly recommended that you either play versus bots first or continue learning through additional material before diving into your first match.

Where can I learn the basics?

If you wish to learn more about Dota 2 as a complete novice there are several notable guides out on the internet that can help you out. One of the most famous guide creators is Kevin “Purge” Godec, who has an entire series aimed at new players, explaining the game in detail.

Although it is outdated in several aspects it still offers a good starting point for new players:

The internet offers a plethora of guides and if you follow them religiously, you will surely become better at the game.

While the supplemental material is important playing the game regularily is just as important when starting out and we recommend you to grab four other friends to play together as they can also help you on your long road to becoming a better player.

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