Veterans of MOBA games are already some of the most serious and competitive people on the planet. Veterans of Dota 2 are even a cut above that, as it's one of the least forgiving and supportive environments to be in. Yet that doesn't stop experts from taking their lumps and suffering on their journey to climb the ladder. Even players who are in the middle of the pack have to try their best just to stay there.
Every rookie makes a certain collection of mistakes. It's not their fault, it's just that Dota 2 isn't like any other standard video game out there. It's not enough to be a gamer, one has to think of it as a combination of an athlete and a chess master. Those looking to improve on their game should take a look at what they need to change. And there is no need to feel guilty about it, everybody who plays the game has committed the same errors when they were learning.
10 Ignore The Trends
The word "meta" gets thrown around a lot for a very good reason in MOBA games. The game is patched and balanced so frequently that it only takes a slight tweak for a character to be on top of the mountain one day and at the bottom of the hill the next.
The pot for Esports keeps getting bigger, so players that want a piece of the prize will need to pay attention to the heroes that are trending up and down. Look at heroes with high win rates and figure out how to both play with them and counter them.
9 Focus On One Hero
Tunnel vision is easy to get when looking at a hero selection screen as diverse as the one in Dota 2. But gamers that want to either rise in the ranks or conquer the battle pass rewards and content will need to succeed with a variety of heroes.
Yes, players can choose to queue up for a specific role. But even then, not all support heroes fit in well with their team or counter the opposing team the same way. It's important to diversify selections that are in the comfort zone.
8 Select The Same Skill Order
Unless somebody cuts a cable in the middle of the game again, the skills selected can't be undone. It is habitual to choose a specific build order that a guide recommends and then stick to that build order regardless of the circumstances.
But sometimes it makes no sense to give the team mana regeneration early with Crystal Maiden or there isn't a magic-user in the lane against Anti-Mage. In these circumstances, select the skills that work the best and come back to the rest later.
7 Forget To Ward Up
It's hard to say where the next big tournament will be located since Valve takes bids to make such determinations, but the city that hosts it won't change the core gameplay. And wards will be central to that gameplay.
Don't let pride get in the way. If a support hero is falling behind on wards, buy them. Very little is more important than getting rid of the fog that clouds vision in Dota 2; even an extra second to run away from a gank is the difference between life and death.
6 Mismanage Creep Waves
Thankfully, Dota 2 has been vigilant about getting rid of smurfs who abuse the matchmaking system, so it's more likely that players will be evenly matched in a lane. But it won't feel that way until learning how to manage the creep waves.
Do not auto-attack the creeps, only try to get last hits for the cash, since pushing into an enemy tower gives foes free and safe farming. And attack allied creeps when they are low on health to make it more likely the enemy pushes to where the player hero can casually gain gold and experience.
5 Mistime The Runes
The COVID-19 pandemic forced plenty of cancellations for Dota 2 in 2020, so this gives professionals and hopefuls the chance to practice at home. Not everyone has a reliable internal timer, but that's okay since there's an actual timer at the top of the screen.
At certain intervals, four bounty runes will spawn, two on each side. Those who aren't ready will find that their rune has been taken by the enemy. Also, don't forget to check on the runes in the river which give a buff that often yields a free hero kill when ganking with it.
4 Take The Farm From The Carries
Dota 2's gameplay focuses on getting a few big heroes strong enough to carry the game. There are plenty of MOBAs out there where each character should farm up, but this game is not one of those.
It's important to prioritize these heroes and give them everything they need early. Let them kill creeps when no enemy is in the lane. Stay out of their experience range so they get the full amount and don't have to split it. Every egg should be in the carry's basket if victory is the goal.
3 Not Stacking Jungle Creeps
The freebie neutral creeps are tempting to kill outright for some quick money and experience that don't have to be shared with other players. And with regular respawn times, it's good to keep the player's side of the jungle relatively farmed down.
That's why doubling and tripling the number of creeps that it is possible to kill is so critical. Instead of going through and killing each set, by attacking one member and running away right before the timer spawns another group, the creeps will stack, increasing all that gold and experience.
2 Failing To Communicate
It's a great learning experience to watch the pros play the game. But players rob themselves of the real experience when they stick to watching in-game footage. Out-of-game streaming reveals that these teams are constantly talking with one another.
They constantly talk about moves that are off of cooldown, missing enemy heroes, and where to place the next set of wards. It can be hard since not every gamer will be on a mic, but at least individual players should cover their own bases and talk about tactical maneuvers during the game session.
1 Raging
Toxicity is an unfortunate part of the community because nobody wants to take responsibility for losing a game. It's easy to get caught up in the outrage and then get banned for a lengthy period of time after an outburst.
The pros never break their keyboards, scream at their allies, or toss their headphones. They stay composed and choose to learn after each defeat or battle gone wrong. Every rookie gets angry at the game, but the sooner this anger is quelled, the faster players learn true mastery.