Dota 2 is a popular MOBA with many tutorials for new and experienced players to sink their teeth into. Despite offering elaborate tutorials, many features are still hardly touched upon, let alone given proper explanations.
While players know they can pause in Dota 2, they are not given instructions regarding how to do so. Additionally, Dota 2 players are not told when to pause. Keeping this in mind, this guide will cover everything there is to know about pausing in the MOBA.
How to Pause in Dota 2
To pause a game in Dota 2, players need to press the F9 key.
While players can pause the game at any time during a match, it is not commonly used in Dota 2 except when someone disconnects.
How to Change the Pause Hotkey in Dota 2
Players that want to change the pause hotkey can do so by following these simple instructions:
- Press the gear icon to access the Settings menu.
- Select the Hotkeys tab.
- Under Interface, look for Pause.
- Select the Pause hotkey and change it accordingly.
When to Pause in Dota 2?
While the game does not explicitly explain when players should pause, there are scenarios when pausing is recommended, such as when a player disconnects.
If a player disconnects, their team can pause the game until they return. Once the player returns, pressing the F9 key will unpause the game.
The opposing team can also unpause a game after waiting thirty seconds. Additionally, every player can only pause once at a time.
It is worth noting that if a player disconnects and does not return, the rest will be free to leave the game. However, the player that disconnected and did not return will be penalized for leaving the game in the following ways:
- The player’s game will be marked as an abandon.
- The player will lose MMR.
- The player could have a negative behavior score if the remaining players report them.
In case of a disconnection for valid reasons, the game gives players up to six minutes to reconnect before being marked with an abandon.
When Not to Pause in Dota 2?
Besides technical issues or disconnections, players are advised to avoid pausing the game during critical moments. For instance, pausing during a gank to alert an ally or pausing to tilt the opposing team during a team fight is frowned upon.
Dota 2 is available on PC.