As a more traditional MOBA the matches can be a bit longer lasting from 20 minutes to over an hour averaging closer to 40 minutes and in ranked matches the hero select itself can add almost 10 minutes more on its own as it’s a crucial part of the strategy required. Communication, memory, hand eye coordination and even mental fortitude are all skills players will develop even in casual games with their mates and especially when playing seriously in ranked mode or in a competition.

Most players in Dota 2 play it casually which is actually quite different to competing. There is a ranked mode where players will try their best to win but even that is usually on their own. When played as an esport Dota 2 can benefit from a huge variety of talents outside of playing the game. These can include things like coaching and managing a team but also extends well beyond to anything from commentating the game, refereeing a match or even being the “spectator” by controlling the in-game camera for the viewers.

Dota 2 requires a Steam account to play which has an age restriction of 13 and above. It features matchmaking where the game finds both opponents and any extra teammates you need for your match. This allows players to queue as a team of up to 5 together or play solo with 4 random players. In casual games players can get by with just using the chat in game but when playing seriously they’ll need quick communication so will usually jump into voice chat in a third party program such as Discord.