Dota 2 - about the game: history of creation, popularity, statistics and prize money (2026)
Dota 2 (Defense of the Ancients 2) game page
Information is current as of August 2026.
Dota 2
Dota 2 is a multiplayer team game in the MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) genre, developed and published by an American company Valve. Two teams of five people fight on the same map: each player controls a hero with unique abilities, and the goal is to destroy the enemy’s main structure, the Ancient (Throne). The game is completely free: all 127 heroes are available immediately, without purchases or subscriptions.
When and by whom was it created?
The history of Dota began long before Valve. In 2003, a custom map was released for the Warcraft III strategy game. Defense of the Ancients (DotA) - a mod created by enthusiasts (the first author is considered to be Eul, then the development was led by Guinsoo and Neichus). Since 2005, the mod has been developed by a mysterious developer under the pseudonym IceFrog — it was he who brought DotA Allstars to the status of the most popular custom map in the world.
In 2009, Valve hired IceFrog and began developing a standalone game. Dota 2 has been in closed beta testing since 2011, and official release took place on July 9, 2013 — the game immediately became free-to-play. This is how Valve gave the world the genre, which today is called MOBA, in its standard form.
How popular: numbers
Thirteen years after its release, Dota 2 remains one of the most played games on the planet. According to Steam as of August 2026:
- ~560,000 players simultaneously on average over the last 30 days;
- peak online – 860–870 thousand players daily;
- 2nd place on Steam in terms of the number of players, second only to Counter-Strike 2;
- historical record - 1,295,114 players simultaneously (March 2016);
- monthly audience is estimated at 10–11 million unique players.
The game’s position is especially strong in Russia and the CIS countries: the Russian-speaking Dota 2 community is one of the largest in the world, and the region’s servers are consistently among the busiest.
Money and eSports
Dota 2 is the most “monetary” discipline in the history of eSports. The main tournament of the year The International, has been held since 2011 and is famous for its record prize money, which is collected through crowdfunding: 25% of purchases of the in-game “battle pass” go to the tournament fund.
| Year | The International Prize Pool |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $1,600,000 |
| 2013 | $2,874,380 |
| 2014 | $10,923,977 |
| 2016 | $20,770,460 |
| 2019 | $34,302,501 |
| 2021 - record | $40,018,195 |
| 2023 | $3,092,575 |
| 2025 | $2,881,791 |
In total, The International series distributed about $210 million, and 2021's record $40 million remains the largest single tournament prize pool in esports history. TI10 winners, Russian team Team Spirit, then earned $18.2 million. Esports life is in full swing outside TI: in 2026, the team became the champion of the Esports World Cup in Dota 2 PARIVISION.
Why Dota 2 is so popular
- Honest free-to-play. All heroes are free from the first minute; Only cosmetic items are sold for money. It is impossible to win with a donation.
- Bottomless depth. 127 heroes, hundreds of items, constant patches (patch 7.41 is relevant in the summer of 2026) - the game does not get boring for years, and each game is different from the previous one.
- High ceiling of skill. Dota 2 is considered the most difficult MOBA: people come here for competition and constant growth, and the MMR rating system gives a clear goal.
- Community and content. Thousands of guides, streams, tournaments every month and the legendary “Dota culture” with memes for two decades.
- Spectacular eSports. The International finals attract millions of viewers - even those who have not played for a long time watch the matches.
Dota 2 on our website
In this section we collect the most relevant and useful information on the Dota 2 game. Read our materials now:
- Dota 2 for beginners - where to start and which heroes to choose;
- The best Dota 2 heroes in 2026: meta of patch 7.41 by position - who to pick to win;
- How to increase MMR in Dota 2 — working system from +300 to +500 rating;
- Best Dota 2 Settings — video, quickcast, binds and minimap;
- Roles and positions — who does what from carry to hard support;
- Farm and economics — finishing moves, jungle stacks and timings;
- Patch 7.41 and #MDGA riot — why players bombed reviews and what has changed;
- Smurfs and behavior score — the main pain of matchmaking;
- Is Dota 2 dying?- online, prize money and the future of gaming in numbers.
Our goal is to be useful to players of all levels: from those who have just installed the game to veterans with thousands of hours. The section will be updated with new guides and analyzes.