Since it launched in 2010, Dota 2 has risen to be one of the most popular online games in the world, certainly one of the top MOBAs. Of all esports games, it has the highest tournament prize pot with a huge $283,117,098 handed out in competitions each year. Part of this popularity has been down to its creative cast of characters, which has slowly been added to and has swelled to a huge roster – rivalling the game’s closest rival, League of Legends.
Number of Heroes in Dota 2 In 2022
When Dota 2 launched there were 46 heroes to choose from. Since then, 77 new heroes have joined the cast bringing the total number of heroes available in July 2022 up to 123. The last addition was Primal Beast, which was added in February 2022.
While all are free to play, not all characters are available in the esports version of the game. Marci and Primal Beast, despite their release, have yet to be approved by Valve for play in competitions. This reduces the number to 121 characters.
There are usually around two new heroes added every year. Original heroes started to arrive in 2016 after Valve brought the heroes over from the original Dota.
Total List of Dota 2 Heroes – Ordered by Release Date
There have been numerous heroes added to Dota 2, each at different points and in various batches. The first group appeared in November 2010:
- Anti-Mage
- Axe
- Crystal Maiden
- Dazzle
- Drow Ranger
- Earthshaker
- Lich
- Lina
- Lion
- Mirana
- Morphling
- Necrophos
- Puck
- Pudge
- Razor
- Sandking
- Shadow Shaman
- Storm Spirit
- Sven
- Tidehunter
- Vengeful Spirit
- Windranger
- Witch Doctor
- Zeus
2011 saw even more heroes added in drips throughout the year. The order in which they arrived was as follows:
- Slarder
- Enigma
- Faceless Void
- Tiny
- Viper
- Venomancer
- Clockwerk
- Natures Prophet
- Dark Seer
- Sniper
- Pugna
- Beastmaster
- Enchantress
- Leshrac
- Shadow Fiend
- Tinker
- Weaver
- Night Stalker
- Ancient Apparition
- Spectre
- Doom
- Chen
- Juggernaut
- Bloodseeker
- Kunkka
- Riki
- Queen of Pain
- Wraithking
- Broodmother
- Huskar
- Jakiro
- Batrider
- OmniKnight
- Dragon Knight
- Warlock
- Alchemist
- Lifestealer
- Death Prophet
- Ursa
- Bounty Hunter
2012 also saw a sizable amount of heroes added:
- Silencer
- Spirit Breaker
- Invoker
- Clinkz
- Outworld Destroyer
- Bane
- Shadow Demon
- Lycan
- Lone Druid
- Brewmaster
- Phantom Lancer
- Treant Protector
- Ogre Magi
- Gyrocopter
- Chaos Knight
- Phantom Assassin
- Rubick
- Luna
- Lo
- Undying
- Disruptor
- Templar Assassin
- Naga Siren
- Nyx Assassin
- Keeper of the Light
- Visage
- Meepo
- Magnus
- Centaur Warrunner
- Slark
- Timbersaw
2013 saw fewer characters join the game, though still a large amount:
- Medusa
- Troll Warlord
- Tusk
- Bristleback
- Skywrath Mage
- Elder Titan
- Abaddon
- Ember Spirit
- Earth Spirit
- Legion Commander
After 2014, releases were more sporadic but plenty of heroes were still added to the fray:
- Phoenix
- Terrorblade
- Techies
- Oracle
- Winter Wyvern
- Arc Warden
- Underlord
- Monkey King
- Dark Willow
- Pangolier
- Grimstroke
- Mars
- Snapfire
- Void Spirit
- Hoodwink
- Dawnbreaker
- Marci
- Primal Beast
Different Types of Dota 2 Heroes
The heroes in Dota 2 are all unique, with their own varied skills and classification. However, they all fall under one of three branches; Strength, Agility and Intelligence. These branches dictate their play style and abilities, hinting at whether they are best suited for ranged attacks or melee attacks, for example.
Strength Heroes
Strength heroes act as a highly offensive weapon in your game. With strength as the primary attribute, they can deal lots of damage up close but also take it like the tanks they are. They have high HP, healing magics, and resistances. You can use them to start fights and take the brunt of the damage for teammates.
Agility Heroes
The agility attribute favours attack speed, armour and damage. You can use these heroes to dish out lots of damage in a short amount of time and will find they get stronger the more they fight. However, their main weakness is their hit points, so when playing tactical opponents they are often the first to be targeted.
Intelligence Heroes
An intelligence classification will provide a hero with mana points, mana regeneration and damage. They are great supporting heros, often used as a nuker or ganker. At the beginning of a battle, their skills can dish out a lot of damage and help control play. The downsides is they usually have low agility and health points.
Most Popular Dota 2 Heroes
The most popular hero in Dota 2 is Pudge. Many players put this down to his hook ability. Not only is it fun to use, but it can often lead to outright kills and has a fast cooldown period. He also has an overall win rate of over 50%.
Phantom Assassin takes second place. Mainly known as a carry, she is fun to play with and can deal a lot of damage. Her only cons are that she does not take damage well, so needs protection.
The third most played character is Sniper. He is a very easy-to-use supporting character that increases in efficiency the more you use him. Part of his popularity may be down to his very useful shrapnel ability.
FAQs
Who Is the Best Dota 2 Hero?
This depends on your personal preferences. Each character will have advantages and disadvantages depending on your play style. Certain heroes are also more suited to given roles.
Some of the most popular strength heroes are the following:
- Lycan
- Wraith King
- Ostarion
- Mars
- Beastmaster
Popular agility heroes include:
- Monkey King
- Drow Ranger
- Phantom Assassin
- Shadow Fiend
Intelligence heroes that many players choose are:
- Puck
- Lina
- Invoker
- Void Spirit
Who Is the Most Played Dota 2 Hero in 2022?
This can change month upon month. However, at the time of writing Pudge is way out in front for 2022. Over 27 million matches have currently been played using him. The pick rate for the character is over 27% and his win rate is over 49%.
Lion holds second place but is quite far behind, with over 20 million matches played. With a pick rate of 21%, it still has a close win rate of almost 47%.
Sniper is the third most used hero in the last 12 months. Strangely, he has the highest win rate with over 51%, more than Pudge and Lion.
What Are the Different Types of Dota 2 Hero?
The heroes in Dota 2 come in three categories. These are strength, agility and intelligence. Each serves a different purpose, and each of these can have several different roles, serving the following areas:
- Carry
- Support
- Nuker
- Disabler
- Jungler
- Durable
- Escape
- Pusher
- Initiator
Several unofficial roles are assigned and each can take on a given job. With so many heroes, it provides a huge depth of choice and endless combinations.
