Let’s face it, every game seems to consist of the same exact heroes or the same heroes are expected to play a specific role. Otherwise, the entire team expresses frustration the entire match. What has come of us the gaming community that we force ourselves to plan the same strategies in an effort to win a match. Is this the inevitable gameplay for a competitive online game? No. I believe the answer is more rooted in our psyche and how we function as a species.

So what’s going on? What exactly is Dota2? The short answer is that Dota2 and other MOBAs that participate in online competitive rankings and leaderboards are zero sum games. Every match must have a winner and a loser. In order the maximize a player’s optimal chances of winning, it is common for that player to invest their time and effort into learning a small number of heroes. Most of those heroes eventually contribute to the game meta hero pool. This minimization of strategies is a very human trait. We are hardwired into believing that by repeating a winning strategy we are deserving of that victory.

Well, I’m sorry to tell you, but you are wasting your time. The best counter strategy to someone playing a max-min gameplay is to throw in a random element. Especially, when those players are unfamiliar with the entire hero lineup. Players who play non-meta heroes actually have a better chance of winning a match than those who play the same three heroes. It’s rather unfortunate that players cannot enjoy the vast pool of heroes in the game simply because everyone else doesn’t play them.

As a matter of fact, Dota2 actually rewards players who randomize their hero selection. It’s an odd incentive that I feel unbalances the favorability of a random hero. The advantage of playing an outlying hero heavily outweighs the small gold bonus at the beginning of the game.

You as a player may not immediately like or understand the hero you have never played. I assure you though that the effort you put into learning a new hero is well worth tour time. I honestly don’t like picking my hero in a match, I’ve also played all the heroes enough times to have a feel of their play styles. I’d also recommend using LEGACY hot keys on those heroes too. I do not like the QWER hot keys that has become standard on heroes. No personality. Each hero has a unique play style to them that is best explored and discovered the way the hero was designed.

I hope you enjoy a few matches with a new hero.

-Beary