Glossary Dota 2
Welcome to the Dota 2 glossary! Here you'll find definitions of all the key terms, slang, and mechanics used in the game, on the pro scene, and in the community. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced player, this section will help you better understand commentators, analysts, and teammates in matches.
Looking for the meaning of a specific term? Use the search or scroll through the list to discover clever tactics, rare mechanics, and in-game memes.
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Term list
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Aba
Aba in Dota 2 is the shortened name of the character Abaddon. He's a universal hero who can play as support, offlaner, and sometimes even carry. Players often refer to him simply as Aba.
Ability Draft
Ability Draft is a special game mode where heroes receive abilities randomly. Players pick skills from a pool of all heroes' abilities instead of using the standard ones of their chosen hero. This mode allows for the creation of unique ability combinations.
Abuse
Abuse (from the term "abuse") in gaming slang means exploiting a bug, mechanic, or situation in the game to gain an advantage, often unfair or against the spirit of the game. To abuse is a verb describing the active and deliberate use of this opportunity to gain an edge in the game. Usually, it means exploiting a weakness or feature of the game to...
Aeon
Aeon is the shortened name for the Aeon Disk item in Dota 2. The item's internal name was Combo Breaker until November 30, 2017 Patch. When you take damage and your health falls below 70%, a strong dispel is applied and you gain a second buff that provides +75% Status Resistance and causes all damage you deal and are dealt to be reduced to zero.
Agility
Agility is one of the attributes in Dota 2. Heroes with agility as their primary attribute mainly rely on physical attacks and acquired items, which can easily compensate for their abilities' shortcomings. Such heroes most often take on the role of carries. Each point of agility increases: Armor by 0.167 (1/6). Attack speed by 1. For agility heroes...
Ancient
The Ancient is the main structure located at the heart of each teams base in Dota 2. Protecting your own and destroying the enemys Ancient is the core objective of the game. Destroying the enemy Ancient results in victory, while losing your own means defeat — regardless of kills or any other accomplishments during the match.
Arcana
Arcana in Dota 2 is a special type of cosmetic item that significantly changes the appearance of a hero. These are some of the rarest skins in the game. This item completely reworks the hero's model, adding new animations, effects, voice lines, icons, and sometimes in-game progression — for example, an Arcana may unlock new styles after completing...
Armor
Armor is a stat in Dota 2 that reduces physical damage taken. The higher the armor value, the less damage a hero takes from autoattacks and physical abilities. Armor can be increased through stats, items, auras, and abilities. It is especially important for frontline heroes, as it helps them survive battles against heroes with high physical damage....
Attack classes
Attack classes are different ways in which heroes and units deal damage. They determine how an attack is performed and how it interacts with armor, magic, and other defensive mechanics. In Dota 2, there are several attack types, each with unique properties and situational usefulness. Main attack classes: Attack type Melee - attacks that are deliver...
Attack range
Attack range is a fixed distance from which a hero can perform regular attacks. It is constant by default and can only be increased through specific items or abilities. However, the attack type (melee or ranged) does not directly depend on this value. Even with a high range, a unit may still be considered melee based on its classification. This mea...
Attributes
Attributes (or stats) are the basic characteristics of each hero that determine their strength, survivability, and combat potential. They increase as the hero levels up, selects talents, purchases certain items, or uses certain abilities. Illusions also depend on attributes. There are four attributes in Dota 2: Strength; Agility; Intelligence; Univ...
Aura
Aura is a passive effect in Dota 2 that influences allies or enemies within a certain radius around the source. Auras can enhance stats, restore health, grant movement speed or mana bonuses, or weaken enemies depending on their type. Auras can come from items (Mekansm, Pipe of Insight, Vladmir's Offering), hero abilities (Howl, Vengeance Aura, Arca...
Autocast
Autocast is the automatic use of an ability. Its a special feature available on certain abilities that allows them to be used automatically during each attack or action, provided autocast is enabled. Autocast can be toggled on or off by right-clicking the ability icon or by pressing Alt + the corresponding ability key. When active, the ability trig...
Average
Average (avg) refers to the average matchmaking rating (MMR) level of players in a game. When someone says "avg 5k" it means the system matched players with an overall average MMR around 5000. This metric affects the strength of opponents and teammates in ranked games but doesnt always reflect a player's personal MMR. Can also be applied to other p...
Backdoor
Backdoor is an attack on buildings without creeps. In Dota 2, there's a special tower protection mechanic: if there are no allied creeps nearby, the tower takes significantly less damage and quickly regenerates its health. This system prevents heroes from destroying structures alone without creep support and stops pushes from being too easy.
Bait
Bait is a gaming trick where a player deliberately provokes the opponent into aggression or a wrong move with the purpose of then exploiting their mistake. The main role of bait is tactical provocation, which helps control the flow of the game through psychological pressure on the opponent and skillful use of their errors.
Balanar
Balanar is the name of Night Stalker in Dota 2. In the first DotA, the hero was called Balanar the Night Stalker. In an early version of DotA, there was a hero similar to Night Stalker, whose name was Void Demon.
Band
Band is a slang name for the Wraith Band item in Dota 2. An excellent item for agility heroes in the early stages of the game.
Barathrum
Barathrum is the name of the Spirit Breaker in Dota 2. In Latin, Barathrum means underworld. Spirit Breaker has a number of fan-made/alternative names: Roadrunner, referring to his insane speed around the map. Space-cow (Space Cow) — a reference to Astral Trekker, who used the same unit model as Barathrum in the first Dota. Team Spirit Breaker — th...
Barrier
Barrier is a shield that absorbs a fixed amount of damage. It doesn't reduce damage but completely blocks it until its capacity is depleted. There are three types of barriers: Physical barrier — blocks only physical damage.Example: shields granted by Pavise or Solar Crest; Magical barrier — absorbs only magical damage.Example: active effect of Pipe...
Basher
Basher is a slang name for the item Skull Basher. In the original Dota, this item was called "Cranium Basher", a reference to a unique item in Diablo 2. It provides bonus damage, bonus strength, and a passive effect with a chance to stun the enemy for a short duration on attack. This item greatly enhances control over opponents and increases the he...
Battle Cup (BC)
The Battle Cup (or BK) in Dota 2 is a competitive event in a single elimination format. Teams of 5 players can participate. TheBattle Cup takes place on Saturdays. To participate, you must purchase a ticket for $1 or have a Dota Plus subscription. Team matching is determined by tournament tier. If team members have different ranks, the Battle Cup w...
Beast
Beastmaster, often shortened to "Beast" is a hero in Dota 2. Beastmaster is commonly picked in the offlane or midlane. He is strong thanks to his aura, control abilities, and the ability to quickly push lanes. When people say "pick Beast" or "going with Beast" in Dota, they usually mean this hero. Among other things, this name may also refer to the...
Beatrix
Beatrix is the name of Snapfire in Dota 2, and her pet is called Mortimer. She was added to the game with patch 7.23 in November 2019. Snapfire is likely based on early concepts of a unreleased hero "Mortar Team" developed during the DotA era. Her in-game voicelines feature numerous references to various films. "Say hello to my little friend!" is a...
Behavior
Integrity is a player quality that stands for honest, respectful, and fair gameplay. In Dota 2, it means avoiding trolling, throwing, insults, and disrupting team play. Key aspects of integrity: play for the team without sabotaging the match; avoid using bugs or banned exploits; respect teammates and opponents; follow the rules and the spirit of fa...
Belka
Belka is a slang term for the hero Hoodwink in Dota 2. The nickname comes from the fact that the hero is essentially a squirrel, with a fluffy tail, agility, and distinctive appearance. Often played as a versatile support or nuker with control, mobility, and high damage. The term "Belka" is especially common among CIS players.
BF
BF stands for Battle Fury, one of the most popular items in Dota 2. It is most commonly purchased by carry heroes who need to farm the jungle and lanes quickly. The item provides damage, mana regeneration, and health regeneration, but its main feature is the cleave effect, which allows the hero to deal damage to multiple targets at once. For exampl...
BKB
BKB — Abbreviation forBlack King Bar — an item that, when activated, makes the owner immune to effects for 6-9 seconds (the duration decreases with each use) and increases magic resistance by 60%. This is one of the key items in the game for many characters.
Blade Mail
BM stands for Blade Mail. It's an item that reflects a portion of incoming damage back to enemies. The item provides bonus armor and damage and is especially effective against high-damage heroes. It is built from Broadsword, Chainmail, and a recipe. Total cost: 2100 gold.
Blind
Blind is a negative effect (debuff) that gives the target a chance to miss its regular attack. Simply put, when a hero or creep is affected by blind, their attack may not hit the enemy, even if the animation plays out. Main sources of blind in the game: Keeper of the Light — ability Blinding Light Riki — Smoke Screen Tinker — Laser Radiance — aura...
Blink
Blink is an action of instantly moving a hero over a certain distance. In most cases, the word "blink" refers to the Blink Dagger item, which allows teleportation to a targeted location. However, blink is not only an item but also a type of movement that can be performed using abilities of certain heroes, such as Anti-Mage or Queen of Pain. Blink i...
Bonik
Bonik / Bonya is a common nickname for the hero Clinkz in the Russian-speaking Dota 2 community. The name "Bonik" comes from Clinkzs original name in DotA Allstars — Bone Fletcher, which translates as "bone archer." The word Bone became the root of the nickname "Bonik" or "Bonya," which has stuck around since the Warcraft III era and is still widel...
Booster
Booster is a player who, for money or by agreement, helps another person increase their MMR in Dota 2. This usually involves playing on someone else's account or queueing with the client to ensure wins and fast rating growth. This practice undermines the integrity of the ranked system and is considered unfair. Accounts involved in boosting may be b...
Bootcamp
A bootcamp is a training camp or location where a team gathers for joint practice sessions and strategic discussions before important tournaments. During the bootcamp, players live together, practice intensively, analyze opponents games, and work on team coordination to prepare thoroughly for competition. The abbreviation "BC" is commonly used in t...
Branch
Branch is a slang term used in the Russian-speaking Dota 2 community to refer to the Iron Branch item. Its one of the cheapest items in the game, providing +1 to all attributes, and is often bought at the start for a small early-game boost. The term comes from the English word branch, as the item looks like a small wooden twig. It can be planted on...
Break
Break is a status effect in Dota 2 that temporarily disables a heros passive abilities. While under the effect of Break, all passives — such as evasion, lifesteal, critical strikes, or aura bonuses — stop functioning. Break is used against heroes whose strength relies on passive skills. It reduces their effectiveness in fights and can completely sh...
Bristle
Bristle is short for Bristleback, which is what players often call this character. The hero is known for his endurance, ability to absorb damage, and deal a large amount of damage in prolonged battles.
Brooch
Brooch is the slang name for the item Revenant's Brooch in Dota 2. It grants each attack a 30% chance to deal an additional 80% of the attack`s damage as bonus magic damage.
Brown boots
Tapok, also known as boot or brown boot, is a slang term for the item Boots of Speed, which provides a basic increase to a hero's movement speed, significantly improving their mobility. The name "brown boot" comes from the item's appearance. This item is essential for most heroes and serves as the foundation for creating more advanced types of foot...
Brusok
Brusok is a slang term for the item Bracer in Dota 2. It is called this because of its similar pronunciation. The expression is mostly used within the CIS community and is rarely encountered outside of it.
Buff
In Dota 2, a buff is a positive effect that enhances a character. Buffs can increase stats, speed up health or mana regeneration, grant invisibility, increase damage, movement speed, and more. A buff is the opposite of a debuff, which weakens a character (e.g., slowing, stunning, reducing armor, etc.); A buff can also refer to a hero's enhancement...
Build
A build is a set of items, abilities, and talents that a player chooses for their hero in a match. The build depends on the role, playstyle, the situation in the specific game, and the teams goals. For example, a carry heros build might include items that provide more effective damage against opponents, while a supports build focuses on the teams o...
Buriza (Daedalus)
Buriza is a slang name for the item Daedalus, originating from the Dota Allstars era, where its predecessor was called Burize-do Kyanon. It was crafted from Crystalys and Demon Edge, and cost 5550 gold. The name is a direct reference to the legendary crossbow from Diablo II, known for its powerful critical hits. The item's name and concept in Dota...
Butch
Butch is a shortened nickname for the hero Pudge in Dota 2, originating from his original name Pudge the Butcher in DotA Allstars. This name reflected his image a butcher with a hook who hooks and kills enemies. Butch is also a courier with the same name, released in 2014 as part of the Treasure of the Bottled Cloud and Treasure of Molten Steel set...
Buyback
Buyback is the ability to instantly resurrect after death by paying gold. It's typically used in critical moments when a hero must quickly return to a fight or defend the base. After using buyback, there's an 8-minute cooldown, meaning if the hero dies again, they wont be able to return instantly. Buyback is a risky move, as it costs a lot of gold...
Calibration
Calibration is the process through which a player's current competitive ranking is determined. In Dota 2, calibration takes place after a series of matches, and its results depend on the player's individual performance, team victories, and other metrics. With the release of the "New Frontiers" update, the traditional calibration system was removed...
Cancer
Cancer is a slang, offensive term that players often use to describe those who play poorly, make serious mistakes, or hinder the team. In the English-speaking community, it is more often compared to a cancerous tumor, i.e., something that harms the team from within. In the Russian-speaking segment, it usually implies that the player has claws inste...
Carry (position one)
A hero who plays in the safe lane and needs a lot of farm. This role is the main damage dealer. Their task is to farm as much gold and experience as possible in order to become the strongest hero in the late game and lead the team to victory.
CD
Cooldown (CD) is the time required before a spell or item can be used again after activation. Cooldown can be reduced through specific items, runes, talents, and upgrades such as Aghanims Scepter or Shard, as well as through neutral items and hero mechanics that allow more frequent ability usage. Some heroes can reset or bypass cooldowns with their...
Chain stun
Chain stun is the sequential use of control abilities (stuns, hexes, etc.) so that the enemy has no time to escape one disable before the next one begins. In simple terms, the target remains locked down without a break.
Cheese strategy
Cheese strategy in Dota 2 is a tactic based on using unconventional heroes, items, or actions that unexpectedly create high pressure or quick success for the opponent. Usually, such strategies require a high level of coordination and surprise, because if the opponent is prepared, they can be easily countered. Cheese is often used to catch the enemy...
Chicken (Sky Mage)
Chicken or Sky Mage is the nicknames of Skywrath Mage in Dota 2. Dragonus is called Chicken because of his bird-like feet, wings, and coloring, and Sky Mage its just his shortened name.
Cleave (Splash)
In Dota 2, the terms splash and cleave refer to types of AoE damage that are dealt to enemies near the primary target, but there are differences between them: Cleave Cleave is physical damage that spreads in an arc in front of the hero after a normal attack. Damage is only dealt to enemies in the cleave area, which is usually highlighted by a visua...
CM
CM is a shortened form of the heros name Crystal Maiden. She is a support hero with crowd control abilities and an aura that restores mana to allies. Additionally, CM is also an abbreviation for Captain's Mode, which is used in professional matches and tournaments.
Console
The console is a built-in control tool in most online games that allows players to input commands for customization, debugging, or retrieving information. Through the console, users can adjust game settings (such as graphics, sound, or controls), track technical data, view errors, or access developer features. The console is widely used in competit...
Consumibles
Consumables are single-use or temporary items used to restore health, mana, or provide short-term effects. Common examples includeTango, Healing Salve, Clarity, Smoke of Deceit, Dust of Appearance, Observer and Sentry Wards. In the early game, consumables help players survive on lane, while in mid and late game they offer tactical advantages. Thoug...
Core
Core — a hero who becomes the central combat force of the team over time. The main goal of a core is to gain enough items and experience to become strong and "carry the game" in the mid and late stages. These heroes require a large amount of resources: gold (for buying items) and experience (for leveling up abilities). As a result, they usually tak...
Counter-pick
A counter-pick is the selection of a hero that effectively counters a specific enemy character, making it harder for them to farm, gank, or participate in team fights. Counter-picks are based on abilities, playstyles, and hero interactions, allowing players to gain an advantage on the lane or throughout the match. A skilled counter-pick choice help...
Courier
Courier (or cour) is a special unit designed to deliver items from your base or the Secret Shop to your hero (and back). As your hero levels up, the courier gains certain bonuses — for example, when your hero reaches level 4, the courier becomes a flying unit. If the team has Marci, her innate ability Special Delivery passively increases the level...
Creep Score
CS (Creep Score) refers to the number of enemy creeps killed and allied creeps denied. Its an important indicator of a heros farming efficiency. Creep score is visible during a match — it appears in the top-left corner of the screen. For example: 120/25, where the first number is the number of last-hits, and the second is the number of denies.
Creep-hero
A creep hero is a special type of unit in Dota 2 that possesses the properties of both a regular creep and a hero. These are usually summoned or temporarily controlled creatures obtained through abilities or items, such as the Helm of the Dominator. Creep heroes can have increased health, abilities, auras, and effects, making them an important part...
Crimson
Crimson is a shortened name for the item Crimson Guard, which grants the hero a significant amount of health and armor, and upon activation creates a shield around allies within a radius that reduces incoming physical damage for a short time. This makes it especially useful against teams with high physical damage and mass attacks. The item is often...
Crit
Crit — Critical Strike. It is a passive effect that gives you a chance to deal an increased damage when attacking. Crites are especially useful for heroes with high physical damage and attack speed, as they will allow you to deal powerful attacks that can quickly destroy enemies. Example of abilities with crit: Phantom Assassin - Coup de Grace Wrai...
Crutch
Kostyl (meaning crutch) is an unofficial name for the item Power Treads in the old version of Dota. Nowadays, this term is almost out of use: players mostly say "PT (Power Treads)" , but veterans of the scene may still refer to the item as "Kostyl". The nickname originated from the item's icon, which featured a wooden leg. Wooden legs have traditio...
CWs
Scrims, prac matches, or CWs are practice games between teams played outside official tournaments. These matches help teams refine strategies, improve coordination, and test drafts in a setting close to real competition. CW stands for clan war, a term rooted in the early days of games like CS 1.6 and Warcraft 3. It's still commonly used in the Russ...
Damage
Damage is the amount of health points removed from a character when attacked by a hero, affected by abilities, or influenced by various effects. In Dota 2, damage plays a key role in battles and can determine the outcome of a fight. There are three main types of damage: physical, magicaland pure.
Damage block
Damage block is a mechanic in Dota 2 that reduces a fixed amount of incoming physical damage from each attack. Unlike armor, which reduces damage by a percentage, damage block cuts a specific number of damage before other modifiers are applied. This mechanic is especially effective against heroes with fast but weak attacks, as it significantly redu...
Damage manipulation
Damage manipulation is a game mechanic that alters the final amount of damage received or dealt by a unit. This includes factors like armor, magic resistance, and various damage amplifications or reductions. Damage manipulation is divided into incoming (modifies damage taken) and outgoing (modifies damage dealt). Different sources of manipulation c...
Damage Return
In Dota 2, the term "return" most commonly refers to Blade Mail — an item that return damage back to units attacking its owner. However, "return" can also refer to other sources of damage reflection or return, such as the neutral item Pyrrihic Cloak or Spectres Dispersion ability.
Denying
Denying is a mechanic that allows you to kill your allied units (creeps, heroes, or towers) to prevent the enemy from gaining gold and experience. An allied hero can only be denied if they have negative effects and less than 25% HP. For creeps, non-heroes, and illusions, this threshold is 50% of full HP, and for towers, it is 10%. Deny is used to c...
Deso
Deso is the shortened name for the artifact Desolator in Dota 2. This item was named "Stygian Desolator" in Dota, a reference to an item from Anarchy Online. This name is now used by an upgraded version of the Desolator, which drops as a neutral item. This item significantly increases the hero's physical damage with a +50 damage bonus and a passive...
Detection
Detection is an ability or item that allows players to reveal invisible enemies and their spells. In Dota 2, detection includes items like Sentry Ward, Dust of Appearance, and Gem of True Sight. Without detection, it's hard to locate and kill invisible heroes, making vision control a crucial part of the game.
Diffusal
Diffusal is a slang term for the Diffusal Blade item in Dota 2. This artifact grants heroes bonus attack speed, mana, and a unique active ability that slows enemies, along with a passive effect that burns the enemys mana on attack. Because of its mana burn, Diffusal is effective against heroes reliant on their abilities and also provides crowd cont...
Disarm
Disarm is a status effect in Dota 2 that prevents a hero from attacking for its duration. While disarmed, the hero can still cast abilities, use items, and move freely. Disarm is particularly effective against heroes who rely on auto-attacks, as it completely shuts down their physical damage. This effect is often used to stop carries during teamfig...
Discord
Discord is the shortened name for the Veil of Discord item in Dota 2. This artifact increases magical damage against enemies. When activated, it applies an effect to the area around the hero, increasing incoming magical damage to enemies within it. It is often purchased by mid laners with a focus on magic damage or by supports to increase the damag...
DK (Dragon Knight)
DK (Dragon Knight) — a versatile melee carry or offlaner, known for his tankiness, stable farming, and strong crowd control. A strength-based hero, he is often used for pushing thanks to his ultimate, Elder Dragon Form. He has a reliable stun, good armor, and quickly becomes tanky. Suitable for both aggressive early play and long, drawn-out games.
Dodge
Dodge in Dota 2 has two meanings. First, it refers to avoiding enemy abilities — for example, using a blink or invisibility spell to avoid a stun or ultimate. Such a move is called "dodging" a spell or "he dodged it." Second, Dodge is a feature available with the Dota Plus subscription. You can add players to a dodge list, and if you do, you wont b...
DPS
DPS (Damage Per Second) is a measure of the damage a hero deals per second. In Dota 2, DPS usually refers to consistent physical damage dealt by heroes through basic attacks and abilities. High DPS is important for quickly eliminating enemies, especially for carries and heroes focused on damage output. The term is often used to evaluate a hero's ef...
Draft
Draft is the process of selecting heroes by teams before a Dota 2 match begins. In Captains Mode, during the draft, teams take turns banning and picking heroes, aiming to build a strong lineup and counter the opponents strengths. In regular ranked matches, players simply pick heroes one by one without bans, forming teams for the game. On the pro sc...
Drums
Drums is a slang term for the item Drum of Endurance in Dota 2. In the original Dota, the item was called Ancient Janggo of Endurance. The item looks like a drum, which is where its name comes from. It grants bonus stats, attack speed, and movement speed, and has an active ability that temporarily boosts nearby allies. It is usually purchased in th...
Echo
Echo is the slang name for Earthshaker's ultimate ability, Echo Slam. The skill deals area damage based on the number of enemy units nearby.
Effective HP
Effective HP (EHP) in Dota 2 is a metric that reflects how much damage an enemy must deal to kill a hero, taking into account not only their current health, but also their damage resistance (armor against physical damage and magic resistance against magical damage). In other words, it is the amount of damage a unit can take, taking into account arm...
Ember
Ember is a shortened name for the hero Ember Spirit. He is known for his high mobility and the ability to deal both magical and physical damage, making him a frequent pick for the mid or safe lane.
Eredar
Eredar is the name of the Shadow Demon in the first Dota. It was removed in Dota 2 to avoid copyright issues with Blizzard, as the Eredar are a race of magic wielders from the Warcraft universe. Shadow Demon's fun/alternate name was "Giblet", innards of birds that are used in cooking.
Eul
Eul — a slang name for the item Eul's Scepter of Divinity. Another common variation is simply called "Eul", closer to the English pronunciation. The item is used for control, interrupting abilities, and saving allies or oneself.
Evasion
Evasion is a mechanic in Dota 2 that gives a hero a chance to avoid a physical attack, completely nullifying the damage. When evasion triggers, the attack is considered a miss and deals no damage. The evasion chance is expressed as a percentage and can be gained through items, abilities, or talents. Evasion is especially effective against heroes wh...
Event
Event refers to a limited-time in-game occurrence in Dota 2 featuring special activities, custom game modes, exclusive rewards, and thematic visuals. Events are often tied to holidays (like New Years or Halloween), major tournaments (such as The International), or significant game updates. During events, players can complete challenges, open treasu...
Eye of Skadi
Skadi is a shorthand for the item Eye of Skadi, which grants bonus to all attributes, health, mana, attack speed, and armor. On hit, it slows the enemys movement and attack speed, and also reduces the effectiveness of healing and health regeneration.
F10
F10 is a term used to refer to the first 10 kills in a match — the initial kills that occur during the early phase of the game. This term is most commonly used in the context of betting: "F10" (or "First to 10 kills") refers to a market offered by bookmakers. Bettors can wager on which team will be the first to reach 10 kills in a specific match.
F9 (pause)
F9 is the hotkey for pause in Dota 2, and its the default setting in the game. When pressed, the game is temporarily halted, and all actions stop until the pause is lifted. This feature is used to stop the match for a short time to handle technical issues, communicate with teammates, or address other unexpected situations.Frequent pauses can annoy...
Fail
Fail — a mistake or failure in the game or a specific action. When a player makes a wrong move, misses an opportunity, or loses a fight, its called a fail. To fail means to make errors or mess up during a match. The term is informal and often used to describe poor gameplay or blunders.
Farming
Farming is a term that describes the actions of a player who earns gold and experience in order to become stronger (buying artifacts, leveling up). The process consists of killing creeps both in the forest and on lanes.
FB (First Blood)
FB (First Blood) is a term in Dota 2 that refers to the first kill in the game. It occurs when one player kills an enemy hero before anyone else. This event is significant because it grants bonus gold for the kill.
Fear
Fear is a status effect in Dota 2 that forces a hero to run away from the enemy for the duration of the effect. During this time, the player completely loses control over their hero — they cannot attack, use abilities, or activate items, making them vulnerable to attacks and other forms of control.Fear is especially useful for scattering enemies an...
Feed
Feed is when a hero dies frequently, giving the enemy an advantage by granting them extra gold and experience. The term applies both to accidental deaths caused by mistakes and to intentional actions. From this word also comes the insulting nickname "feeder", used to describe a player who dies often and thus helps the enemy team.
FF
The term FF (from forfeit — "to surrender" and fast finish) in Dota 2 is used to indicate the desire to end the match early. Originally, this term came from DotA Allstars, where the consol command "-ff" initiated a vote to surrender. Although Dota 2 does not have this feature, the expression FF has remained in the gaming slang. Players use FF not o...
Fissure
Fissure is an ability of the hero Earthshaker. It creates a stone barrier along a targeted line, dealing damage and stunning enemies. It also temporarily blocks movement, allowing for effective area control. In addition, FISSURE is the name of a tournament organizer that hosts major Dota 2 events, including the FISSURE Universe and BetBoom Dacha se...
Flask
Flaska is a slang term for the item Healing Salve. It is used to quickly restore a heros health. If the character takes damage from an enemy hero while the salve is active, its effect is interrupted.The term originates from the original Dota (Warcraft III), where a similar item was called Flask of Sapphire Water — thats where the shortened nickname...
Force
Force refers to Force Staff, an item that pushes any hero forward over a short distance. Its most commonly used for saving allies, chasing enemies, or escaping disables. Highly popular on supports due to its versatility and mobility.
Fountain
The Fountain is a location at the base of the Radiant and Dire where heroes regenerate health and mana. It serves as the spawn point at the start of the game and after death. If a player remains inactive after respawning, they become invulnerable. The fountain also deals massive damage to enemy heroes who enter its attack range.
FP
FP in Dota 2 is an abbreviation for First Pick, which refers to the first hero chosen by a team in Captains Mode. The side with First Pick starts the draft and chooses a character first.
Freezes
Freezes are short game lags where the screen freezes and the player cant control their hero. They usually happen due to internet issues, system overload, or problems in the game client.
Games modes
Game modes are different types of matches in Dota 2, each with its own rules and features. They affect how the game is played, team composition, match time, and victory conditions. Main modes: All Pick (AP) — classic mode where each player freely picks any hero. Captains Mode (CM) — team mode with captains who draft and ban heroes; used in tourname...
Gang
Gang - a surprise attack on an enemy hero, often involving multiple allies, to break the enemy's momentum, knocking them out of the game for a while and creating a gold and experience advantage for the team. The term gank can also be used to refer to a kill that has already been committed.
Gantel
Gantel is a slang term for the item Gauntlets of Strength, which increases a heros Strength attribute, directly boosting their health. Due to its versatility, the gauntlet is often purchased in the early stages of the game, helping Strength-based heroes quickly increase survivability and combat potential. It is especially important for tanks and he...
Gg Wp
GG (Good Game) is an abbreviation used to show sportsmanship and respect after a match. Players type it in chat to acknowledge a well-played game, regardless of the outcome. WP (Well Played) means that someone made good plays or decisions. It's used to compliment teammates or even opponents.
Ghoul
Ghoul is the nickname of the hero Lifestealer in Dota 2. Previously, in the days of Dota Allstars, he used the Ghoul unit model from the Undead faction. Despite the change of his official name, the old name stuck and is still actively used by players. Lifestealer's fun/alternate name in DotA was Gollum, a significant character in the "Lord of the R...
Glyph
Glyph is a team-wide ability that makes all of your team's buildings invulnerable for a few seconds. It's usually used defensively to stop an enemy push and buy time — for example, while your teammates are respawning. Glyph activates instantly and has a long cooldown, so it needs to be used wisely.
Gosu
Gosu is a term originating from Korean esports. In Korean, 고수 (gosu) means "master", "expert", or "highly skilled player." The word became popular during the StarCraft: Brood War era, used to describe top-tier players. Today, it's used in many competitive games, including Dota 2, CS2, and Valorant, to describe players with exceptional skill.
GPM
GPM in Dota 2 stands for Gold Per Minute. This indicator shows how much gold a player earns on average per minute of play. GPM will allow you to evaluate the effectiveness of a player's farming.
Guide
Guide is a set of instructions or recommendations for playing Dota 2. It usually includes advice on how to play a specific hero: which items to buy, which skills to level, and how to behave at different stages of the match. Guides can be in text or video format and often include tips from professional players or useful insights for players of any s...
Hard support
A hard support, or "position five", also known as a full or hard support, is a hero who plays in the safe lane and assists the carry. This is the support with the lowest priority for farm and resources on the team. The termsupport comes from the English word meaning to support. The terms full and hard reflect the responsibility of this role — the p...
Heal
Heal is a key element of team support, allowing heroes to extend their life in fights and increase their effectiveness. This function is most often fulfilled by supports.
Hex
Hex is a disable effect in Dota 2 that completely prevents a hero from using abilities, items, attacking, or applying most effects, while also transforming their appearance (usually into an animal). A hero under Hex is also heavily slowed. Hex is one of the strongest forms of crowd control in the game, as it disables all core actions at once. Its u...
Hide
Hide/Banished— a state in which a unit temporarily vanishes from the map: it cannot be attacked, takes no damage, and is unaffected by other mechanics. The unit becomes invulnerable but cannot move, attack, or use abilities and items. It still gains experience and gold if involved in events. Examples: Infest (Lifestealer), Phase Shift (Puck), Astra...
Hook
Hook is an ability of the hero Pudge, which allows him to pull an enemy toward himself.
Icarus
Icarus is the name of Phoenix in Dota 2, sometimes heard among players familiar with the classic version of the game. The name is refers to the mythological character Icarus, who flew too close to the sun on wings made of wax and feathers, resembling the fiery appearance and abilities of the hero. In Dota, Phoenix controls fire and heals allies, an...
Imba
Imba is slang derived from the word imbalance, used by players to describe a hero, item, or strategy that is excessively powerful and disrupts the balance of the game. An "imba" hero might have overly strong abilities, an item may provide too much value for its cost, or a certain combination may lead to easy wins. The term is often used critically,...
Immortal
In Dota 2, Immortal is a unique and valuable type of cosmetic item that changes the appearance of a hero and often adds special visual effects to their abilities. It can also change the model, sound, and other parameters. For more information about cosmetic items, see ourarticle. In addition, Immortal can refer to the Immortal rank.
Impact
Impact in Dota 2 is the actual value a player brings to their team, regardless of raw stats like kills or damage dealt. This concept includes everything that affects the outcome of the match: from smart plays in teamfights and proper positioning to warding, creating space for cores, and making the right decisions in key moments. Even if a player ha...
Intelligence
Intelligence (or int) is one of the attributes in Dota 2. Intelligence determines a hero's maximum mana and mana regeneration. Heroes with intelligence as their primary attribute typically rely on their abilities to deal damage or assist allies. These heroes are mostly support characters or mid laners. Each point of intelligence increases: Maximum...
Interface style
Interface style refers to the visual design and layout of all control and display elements in the game: health bars, minimap, buttons, fonts, etc. In Dota 2, there are different interface styles that players can choose or customize through settings or mods. A well-chosen style helps improve in-game awareness and enhances overall comfort.
Invisibility
Invisibility, or "invis," is a state where a hero becomes unseen by enemies without special detection tools. In Dota 2, invis can be a passive or active hero ability, an active effect from items, or invisibility runes. It is important to remember that towers automatically reveal invisible heroes if they are within vision range, and invisibility doe...
Jugger
Juga — a shortened name for the hero Juggernaut in Dota 2. A warrior from the Isle of Orital, known for his loyalty and sword mastery. Specialized in physical damage. Often played in the carry position.
Juke
Juke is a game term for dodging an enemy's attack or spell with quick and unpredictable movements. The player can use the jungle and other places on the map, or simply change the direction of movement to confuse the enemy. For example, we can take the situation on the fifth map of The International 2013 Grand Final between Natus Vincere and Allianc...
Katka
Katka is a Eastern European slang term used to describe a single gaming session, match, or round, most commonly in competitive online games like Dota 2, CS, or LoL. It usually refers to a full game from start to finish, regardless of the outcome — win or loss. The term is widely used among Russian-speaking players in everyday conversations, livestr...
KDA
KDA is a gaming term derived from the words Kill/Death/Assist. Its used to evaluate a player's performance in a match and reflects how effectively they participate in battles: how many enemies theyve killed, how many times theyve died, and how often theyve assisted teammates. A high KDA usually indicates that the player contributes significantly to...
Kiting
Kiting is a tactic of keeping the enemy at a distance, avoiding direct confrontation. The essence of it is to deal damage from afar while preventing the enemy from closing in or retreating, and to provoke them into unfavorable situations. Kiting can also involve distracting an opponent from their key objectives like farming or warding — wasting the...
Lanaya
Lanaya is the name of the Templar Assassin in Dota 2. She is also often referred to as Templar or simply TA.
Lane
A lane is one of the three main paths on the Dota 2 map where heroes and creeps move and early-game battles occur. There are top, middle, and bottom lanes, each with its own characteristics. For the Radiant side, the bottom lane is considered easier — its typically chosen for heroes who need time to farm and level up. The top lane is more difficult...
Last hit
Last hit is the final blow dealt to an enemy creep or hero that grants gold. It's a fundamental skill for most core heroes, especially in the early game. Being able to consistently secure last hits allows players to farm faster and gain an economic advantage. Only the player who delivers the killing blow gets the gold, so precision and timing are c...
Late
Late game refers to the late stage of the game, when heroes have already collected the main items and have high levels, and most team fights determine the outcome of the game. This stage begins around the 35-40 minute.
Leash
Leash is a special status effect that limits the use of certain movement spells by affected units. Unlike a stun, leash does not immobilize the target or prevent them from attacking or casting most abilities, but it blocks the usage of specific mobility spells, such as blinks and teleportation. It is important to note that blinks and similar instan...
Linken
Linken is a slang name for the item Linken's Sphere in Dota 2. The name Linken's Sphere refers to Linken, a character in World of Warcraft, who in turn is named after Link, one of the main characters in The Legend of Zelda series of games.
Loot
Loot refers to any in-game items that drop or are given during gameplay. In Dota 2, loot includes chests, sets, arcanas, voice lines, and other cosmetic items that can be obtained from chests, by participating in events, or purchased in the store. In other games, loot often drops from defeated enemies or bosses. Overall, loot is associated with rew...
Lose
"Loss" (from the English "lose") refers to a defeat in a match or game. In esports and competitive games, a loss means that a team or player has lost a round, map, or the entire match. The term is often used in contrast to a win. The expression "lose streak" is also commonly used, meaning a series of consecutive losses. In Dota 2, as in other games...
Lothar
Lothar is a slang name for Shadow Blade, dating back to Dota Allstars, where the equivalent item was called Lothars Edge. It was built from Claymore and Shadow Amulet, and cost 2800 gold. The name refers to Anduin Lothar — a legendary hero from the Warcraft universe.
Low skill
Low skill or LS is a term used to describe a player with a low level of gameplay. It usually refers to poor understanding of game mechanics, weak execution, bad positioning, and insufficient knowledge of heroes or items. The term is often used in a derogatory way but essentially means the player hasnt yet developed the necessary skills to compete a...
LP
LP is an abbreviation for Low Priority. It is a special punishment system that Valve uses for players who violate the rules of the game or exhibit toxic behavior. What does it mean to be in LP: If you are in LP, you can only play matches in Single Draft mode with players who are also in the low priority queue. What causes LP: Frequent game abandonm...
Lucifer
Lucifer is the name of Doom in Dota 2. In the original version of the game, he was called Lucifer the Doom Bringer. When Dota 2 was released, the name was shortened to Doom, but Lucifer stuck in the community. It emphasized the heros demonic theme and sounded dramatic, so the name is still used by those who remember the Warcraft III era and classic...
Lump of Coal
During the Frostivus 2023 winter event in Dota 2, Valve introduced the "Toxic Lump of Coal" — a special item given to players for violations such as smurfing and other rule breaches. This gift served as a warning: the regular "Toxic Lump of Coal" signaled misconduct, while the "Very Toxic Lump of Coal" meant a permanent account ban. This creative a...
Macro control
Macro control in Dota 2 refers to managing the game on a strategic and global level. This includes rune control, securing key areas of the map, distributing heroes across lanes, planning movements, timing neutral creeps and Roshan, as well as organizing team fights, deciding when to push enemy structures, or claiming map control. Strong macro contr...
Magic Resistance
Magic resistance is a mechanic in Dota 2 that reduces the amount of magical damage a hero receives. Magic resistance is expressed as a percentage reduction of magical damage, and its value can be increased through items, auras, or abilities. Every hero in the game has a base magic resistance, which can be increased, for example, by using items like...
Magical damage
Magical damage is a type of damage in Dota 2 dealt through abilities that use magic. It does not depend on a heros attack power and is always based on the strength of the ability itself. Magical damage is not affected by the targets armor, but it can be reduced through magic damage block from items or abilities, such as Corrosive Skin from Viper or...
Mana
Mana is a resource required by heroes to use abilities and some items. Each hero has a limited mana pool that can be increased through attributes (intelligence), items, or talents. Mana regenerates over time and through regeneration effects, and is spent whenever an ability is used. However, there is an exception — Huskar, who, due to his innate ab...
Maphack
Maphack (or MH) is a cheating program or exploit that allows a player to see the entire map and enemy movements, even when they are outside their team's vision. It gives an unfair advantage, as the player can track opponents, avoid danger, or set up ambushes. Using maphack is strictly prohibited and results in a ban.
Mask
Mask is a slang term for the item Morbid Mask in Dota 2. In DotA, this item was called Mask of Death.
Meka
Meka — a slang name for the item Mekansm. Popular among support heroes and offlaners, as it provides team-wide healing and armor. Often purchased to strengthen the team during the midgame.
Mercurial
Mercurial is the name of Spectre in Dota 2. It comes from the heros full name in the classic version of the game — Mercurial, the Spectre. Although in Dota 2 the name was shortened to just Spectre, many players — especially older ones — still refer to her as Mercurial. This nickname comes from the Warcraft 3 era and carries nostalgic weight for vet...
Micro control
Micro control in Dota 2 refers to precise management of individual heroes and their abilities during combat. It includes skill usage, positioning, reacting to enemy actions, effective item usage, and coordination during fights. Good micro control helps win duels, avoid deaths, and fully utilize a heros potential.
Mid
The middle lane on the map and the role of the player who occupies it. The midlaner receives solo experience and quick access to key items and levels. Their task is to dominate the lane, control runes, assist other lanes (roam), and set the pace of the game. Mobile heroes with high damage, capable of farming and killing quickly, are often picked fo...
Midas
Midas is an item that instantly kills an enemy or neutral creep when used and grants bonus gold and experience. It significantly speeds up resource gain and hero leveling. Using Midas improves long-term economy, allowing faster purchase of key items and strengthening the hero over time.
Midlaner
Player who plays in the middle lane and focuses on gaining experience. Typically take on the role of a playmaker during the early stages of the game, rotating to other lanes and attacking opponents with a numbers advantage.
MKB
MKB is an abbreviation for Monkey King Bar, one of the items in the game. It is often purchased against heroes who have abilities or items that increase their chance of missing attacks. Pierce is a passive artifact ability that increases the chance of true strike by 80%. Pierce works against any source of miss chance, not just evasion. This means t...
MMR
MMR (Matchmaking Rating) is a numerical indicator of a player's skill in competitive games, including Dota 2. It is used to match players of approximately the same level. MMR affects who you play with and against. The higher your rating, the more experienced players you will encounter in matches. For more information about the Dota 2 rating system,...
MMR Double down tokens
Double down tokens are special in-game items that allow players to double the MMR change in a single match. If you win with an active token, your rating increases twice as much as usual; if you lose, it decreases twice as much. Using these tokens carries a high risk: a single game can significantly boost or damage your rating. They are usually give...
MoM
MoM is the shortened name for the Mask of Madness item in Dota 2. The artifact grants vampirism and has an active ability that significantly increases attack speed but reduces armor and prevents abilities from being used while the effect is active. It is usually built on carries for quick damage and farming. In Dota Allstars, this item was also cal...
Nerf
A nerf is a reduction in the effectiveness of a hero, item, ability, or mechanic made by the game developers in patches. The purpose of a nerf is to balance the game, especially if something becomes too powerful and starts to dominate.
Nerub
Nerub is an old nickname for the hero Nyx Assassin from Dota Allstars. It originates from his original name — Nerubian Assassin. In the classic version of the game, the hero used the model of a Nerubian from Warcraft III — a spider-like race introduced in the Undead campaign. With the transition to Dota 2, the hero got a new name and design, but th...
Net worth
Net worth is the total amount of gold the hero has earned during the game. It includes all gold, including gold earned from kills, creep farming, passive income, and gold already spent on items. You can view the networth after the end of the match - it is displayed in the game statistics, under the table with your hero's stats.
Nevermore
Nevermore is the name of Shadow Fiend in Dota 2. In the classic version of the game, the heros full name was Nevermore the Shadow Fiend, and Nevermore became the go-to name for many players. It is also a reference to Edgar Allan Poes poem The Raven, where the raven was called Nevermore — after the word it kept repeating. Even after the release of D...
Nortrom
Nortrom is the name of Silencer in Dota 2. He was often called that in the first Dota, where he used the Night Elf Spell Breaker model from Warcraft III. Silencer used to have a different color scheme for his costume and icons. The changes to Silencer were probably made to differentiate him from Dragon Knight, who had a similar color scheme.
NS
NS is an abbreviation for the hero Night Stalker in Dota 2, who becomes extremely powerful during nighttime. His ultimate, Dark Ascension, creates artificial night, enhancing vision, damage, and mobility. NS is often used as a ganker, initiator, and vision control hero. Thanks to hisCrippling Fear ability, which applies a long-lasting silence in an...
Nuke
A nuke in Dota 2 is a burst of high single-target damage from abilities or items that is quickly dealt to the enemy. Its often used to finish off targets, interrupt spellcasting, or control opponents. Nukes are essential for securing kills and gaining lane dominance. These are typically heroes with strong spells that can deal significant damage to...
Nuker
A nuker is a hero in Dota 2 who specializes in dealing high amounts of damage in a short time using their abilities (nukes). The main goal of nukers is to quickly eliminate or weaken enemies through powerful, high-damage spells. They are most effective in the early stages of the game, when opponents have low health and little magic resistance. Nuke...
Nullik
Nullik is a slang term for two items: Nullifier and Null Talisman. Nullifier is an active item that removes all positive effects from an enemy, applies a slow, and blocks the reapplication of buffs, making it effective against heroes with defensive abilities. Null Talisman is a basic artifact that grants additional stats, mainly intelligence, as we...
OD
OD stands for Outworld Destroyer in Dota 2. He is known for strong magical damage and powerful lane pressure. His ability Arcane Orb deals pure damage that increases with his mana, making him very dangerous in fights. Astral Imprisonment removes enemies from battle and steals their mana, weakening them and empowering himself. OD excels at controlli...
Offlaner
An offlaner, or "position three", is a hero who plays in the offlane. Their main task is to survive under pressure, prevent the enemy carry from farming, and gain experience. In the mid-game, they often take on the role of an initiator or tank, starting fights and creating space for their team. The term "offlaner" comes from the English phrase"hard...
Offline mode
Offline mode is a game mode in Dota 2 where the player is not connected to game servers. It is used for practice, testing heroes, items, and mechanics without the presence of other players. Players can start a solo match with bots or without any opponents. Offline mode does not affect matchmaking rating and does not require an internet connection a...
Outfarm
Outfarm is a situation where a player or team earns more gold and experience than the opponent over the same period of time. Outfarming provides an advantage in items, levels, and tempo, allowing a team to dominate fights and close out the game faster.
Outpost
An Outpost is a map objective that can be captured to gain territorial control. Its become capturable only after the enemy loses a tier 2 tower on a lane. Capture time is 6 seconds, but it decreases if multiple heroes participate. Outposts allow teleportation closer to key combat areas. The base teleport time is 4 seconds.
Overlay
An overlay is an additional layer of information displayed on top of the game screen. In Dota 2, overlays show crucial data — such as ability status, gold amount, rune spawn timers, or cooldown trackers. They help players make faster decisions and stay aware of the game state. The term "overlay" can also refer to third-party match analysis tools li...
PA
PA stands for Phantom Assassin in Dota 2. A slick carry specialized in instant kills thanks to critical strikes from the ultimate Coup de Grace. Thanks to Blur, PA hides from the minimap, and Stifling Dagger allows harassment from a distance. Especially dangerous with damage items. Effective against fragile targets but vulnerable to control and hig...
Panda
Panda is the nickname for Brewmaster in Dota 2. In the first Dota, Brewmaster, like Storm Spirit, Ember Spirit, and Earth Spirit, was a Pandaren — a member of a race from the World of Warcraft universe — and was called Pandaren Brewmaster. To avoid copyright issues, the Brewmaster model was redesigned. Now he looks more like a red panda than a gian...
Patch
A patch is an official game update that changes the balance of heroes, items, the map, and other gameplay mechanics. In Dota 2, patches can include new heroes, major gameplay changes, or simply bug fixes and UI improvements. Each patch affects the meta, shifting popular heroes and strategies. Because of patches, teams constantly adapt and adjust th...
Per-minute metrics
Per-minute metrics (GPM / XPM) are stats used to evaluate a player's efficiency: GPM (Gold Per Minute) — the amount of gold earned per minute. The higher, the better the farming. For example, a good carry might have 600+ GPM. XPM (Experience Per Minute) — the amount of experience gained per minute. It's crucial for leveling up quickly. For instance...
Physical damage
Physical damage is a type of damage in Dota 2 dealt through auto-attacks or physical abilities that do not rely on magical power. It is determined by a heros strength and damage modifiers such as critical hits or bonuses from items and auras. Physical damage can be reduced by the targets armor. Armor lowers the amount of damage taken from physical...
Piercing
Piercing is a mechanic in Dota 2 that allows ignoring part of the enemy's armor, reducing its defensive impact and thereby increasing the physical damage dealt. Piercing can be either percentage-based or fixed, depending on the source. This effect allows heroes to effectively fight against enemies with high armor, making them less resistant to auto...
Pike
Pike is a shortened name for the item Hurricane Pike, which combines damage and useful stats including strength, agility, and regeneration. It allows activating an effect that pushes away both the target (enemy or ally) and the hero themselves, helping maintain distance, escape pursuit, and position effectively in fights. It is especially valued by...
Ping
Ping is the delay between a player's action and the server's response (measured in milliseconds). The lower the value (e.g. 20–60 ms), the better the responsiveness. High ping (200+ ms) causes lag, delays in casting abilities, and movement. Additionally, Dota 2 features map pinging — signals players send on the minimap or the battlefield to alert t...
Pipe
Pipe is the shortened name for the Pipe of Insight item in Dota 2. When the item was transferred from Dota to Dota 2, its name was simplified from Khadgar's Pipe of Insight to Pipe of Insight. Khadgar is the name of a character from the Warcraft universe. The artifact provides team protection against magic damage: the active ability creates a barri...
PL
PL is an abbreviation for the hero Phantom Lancer in Dota 2. He is an agility-based carry whose main strength lies in creating numerous illusions that confuse and overwhelm enemies. WithDoppelganger, PL can dodge projectiles and mislead opponents, while Juxtapose generates illusions on attack. He excels in extended fights where it's hard to disting...
Plitka (Plita)
"Plitka" or "Plita" is a slang term for the item Platemail in Dota 2. It is called this because of its similar pronunciation. The expression is mostly used within the CIS community and is rarely encountered outside of it.
Portal
A Portal is a gameplay element introduced in patch 7.33, known as Twin Gates. These are special teleportation gates located on the Radiant and Dire sides, allowing players to quickly travel between parts of the map. The teleportation spell takes 4 seconds to channel and costs 75 mana — the same as using a Town Portal Scroll (standard teleportation...
Power spike
A power spike is the moment in the game when a hero becomes most effective: their damage, survivability, and overall impact reach their highest point at that stage. During this period, the hero can force fights, make full use of items or abilities, and significantly influence the outcome of the game.
Primal
Primal is a shortened name for the hero Primal Beast. He is a strength offlaner and initiator with high survivability and abilities for control and damage in team fights. His key skills allow him to quickly engage in fights, push enemies away, deal area damage, and stun. Primal Beast is valued for his ability to initiate battles and hold the frontl...
Procast
Procast (or burst combo) is a sequence of abilities and/or active items used in a very short time to deal maximum damage or quickly achieve a specific effect (like disable, kill, or initiation). Its most often associated with heroes whose spells deal magic damage and are most effective when cast quickly and precisely in succession. A good procast r...
Prosviet
"Prosviet" (from Russian, literally "reveal") is a slang term used to describe the use of items that reveal invisible enemies. Most often, it refers to the use of Dust of Appearance, but depending on the situation, players may also mean Sentry Ward or Gem of True Sight. The phrase dai prosviet means using detection items for reveal an enemy who has...
Pseudo-random distribution
Pseudo-random distribution (PRD) is a mechanic that regulates the probability of certain effects being triggered by abilities and items in a game. Unlike true random distribution, where each coin flip is independent, PRD increases the probability of an effect being activated with each unsuccessful attempt. This makes effects trigger more consistent...
PTS
PTS is an abbreviation for Points. It is most often used in the context of games, especially in Dota 2. In this case, PTS refers to the number of rating points MMR (Matchmaking Rating) — a numerical indicator of a player's skill. The number of PTS determines the rank (e.g., Guardian, Crusader, Legend, Divine, etc.). For more information about the D...
Pub
Pub (from public game) is a regular game with random players that is not organized as part of a tournament, team, or professional scene. The full name is public match. In a pub, you are matched with other players from matchmaking.
Pull
Pull (or creep pull) is a core mechanic in Dota where a player — usually the support — pulls neutral creeps toward the allied lane creeps, causing them to fight. This slows down the enemy lane push, disrupts their farming rhythm, and helps control the lane experience. The term "pull" comes directly from the action of pulling the neutral creeps. In...
Pure damage
Pure damage is a type of damage in Dota 2 that cannot be reduced.It is applied directly to a hero's HP and is not affected by external factors, making it extremely effective against any target. This type of damage cannot be blocked by items or abilities that reduce physical or magical damage. Pure damage is used to bypass enemy defenses and is espe...
Push
Push is an active lane attack to quickly destroy enemy towers and buildings. During a push, it is important to kill the wave of enemy creeps as soon as possible and bring as many of your own creeps to the enemy tower as possible. Usually, you should push quickly so that the enemy doesn't have time to regroup and fight back. When you destroy the tow...
Quick Buy
Quick Buy is a feature in Dota 2 that allows players to pre-set a list of items that can be purchased with a single keystroke. It is especially useful in combat or critical moments — for example, after a hero dies, when its important to quickly buy the necessary items before respawning in order to maintain game tempo. Quick Buy helps save time and...
Radik
Radik is a shortened name for the item Radiance in Dota 2. The term "Radik" is commonly used in Ukraine and CIS countries. Its core feature is a burn aura that deals magical damage every second to all nearby enemies. The effect also works on invisible units and can disrupt spellcasting or proper positioning. In addition to damage, the item provides...
Rage
Rage is a state of intense irritation or anger experienced by a player during a Dota 2 match. It usually happens due to poor gameplay, conflicts with teammates, or general frustration. In a rage state, a player may start insulting others, flaming, sabotaging the team, ping spamming, or even leaving the match. This behavior destroys team morale, red...
Raindrop
Drop (or drops) in Dota 2 is a slang term for the item Infused Raindrops. It becomes available for purchase starting from the 3rd minute of the game and is highly effective in lane against heroes with a lot of magical damage, because it blocks 120 magical damage from abilities when the incoming damage exceeds 75. You can learn more about the damage...
Rank
Rank in Dota 2 reflects your skill level in ranked matchmaking. It helps determine how well you play compared to other players. Ranks are visible in your profile and when selecting a ranked game mode. Learn more about the ranking system in our article.
Rapier
Rapier (Divine Rapier) is one of the most expensive and powerful items in Dota 2. It grants a massive damage bonus, but if the hero carrying it dies, the Rapier drops and can be picked up by any player. Its a very risky but potentially game-changing item for a carry or midlaner in the late game.
Rebra (Ribs)
Rebra (in translation from Russian, it means Ribs) is a slang name for the Assault Cuirass in Dota 2. The item began to be called this back in the days of Dota All Stars, where the icon of the artifact closely resembled ribs. The name stuck and is still used today. In addition, the cuirass icon in Dota 2 also features a pattern resembling ribs. The...
Refresh
Refresh is an effect that resets all abilities and active items of a hero. It is implemented through Refresher Orb and the one time use Refresher Shard, which drops after Roshan's third death if killed by the Dire side, and is guaranteed to appear after every subsequent death. Refresher Shard also disappears after use, shares cooldown with Refreshe...
Relics
Relics are Dota Plus customization elements that are slotted into a heros relics panel and track various in-game actions. They are unlocked using Shards, which are earned by playing matches, and come in two types: Battle Relics — track general gameplay stats such as kills, assists, wins, etc; Heroic Relics — track unique hero-specific actions like...
Report
A report is a complaint about a player in Dota 2. Reports are used to notify the system about toxic behavior, feeding, ruining, cheating, or smurfing. For each game, a user who violates the rules can be reported once in each category. The system reviews these complaints, and repeated violations can lead to penalties: low priority matchmaking, commu...
Rexxar
Rexxar is the old name of the hero Beastmaster in Dota Allstars, still used by old-school players. The name comes from the character Rexxar in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne — he was the prototype for the hero in classic Dota. Back then, heroes in Dota used models and unit names from Warcraft, so Beastmaster was directly called Rexxar. With the tr...
Rizzrak
Rizzrak is the name of the hero Timbersaw from the Dota Allstars era. In the original Warcraft III map, the hero was called Rizzrak the Goblin Shredder. This name appeared in the map editor and technical data but was not always visible in the game interface. With the transition to Dota 2, the heros name was changed to Rizzrack the Timbersaw, and th...
Roam
Roam — is a playstyle for supports (typically position 4). The term roamer comes from the English word roam, meaning to wander. In-game, it refers to actively moving around the map without staying on a specific lane. The goal of a roamer is to create pressure across the map and help secure an early advantage for the team. In the current patch, this...
Roshan
Roshan is the most powerful neutral creature in the game. He resides in a pit by the river and changes his location depending on the time of day. Killing Roshan grants the Aegis of the Immortal — an item that allows one player to resurrect after death. Later in the game, Roshan can also drop Cheese, Aghanims Scepter, and other useful items. Once Ro...
Rune
A rune is a temporary object on the Dota 2 map that grants a hero a powerful effect when picked up. Runes spawn at specific times during the game and play a key role in map control, farming, and initiating fights. Runes can be stored in a Bottle for later use. If unused for 90 seconds, the rune will activate automatically. Types of runes and their...
Salo
Salo is a slang term used by Dota 2 players to refer to the Silence effect, which temporarily prevents a hero from using abilities. This phrasing is commonly used in Ukraine and the CIS. While silenced, a hero cannot cast either active spells or ultimates, but can still move, attack, and use items. This effect is especially dangerous for heroes who...
Sange and Yasha
"SY" is a slang term for the item Sange and Yasha, which is built from the components Sange and Yasha. The item provides bonus to a heros primary attributes and increases status resistance (reducing the duration of stuns, silences, and other disables). It is most commonly used by carry heroes who need a balance of damage, speed, and survivability.
Scorp
Scorp is a common nickname for Sand King among Russian-speaking Dota 2 players. It comes from the word scorpion, as Sand Kings design and animations resemble a scorpion. In original DotA, his name was Crixalis the Sand King, and players naturally shortened his identity to Scorp due to the visual similarity. The name has stuck since the early Warcra...
Scripts
Scripts are automated programs or sets of commands that perform actions in Dota 2 without the player's direct input. They are designed to simplify or speed up certain in-game processes. Scripts can be legal (such as binds and macros within the game client), but more often the term refers to banned modifications that provide unfair advantages. Illeg...
SD
SD (Single Draft) is a game mode where each player is given four random heroes and must choose one to play. Unlike regular draft modes, the limited selection forces players to adapt and try heroes they may not usually play. This mode is often used for variety or to practice with non-standard heroes. It is also assigned as a penalty for players in l...
Secret Shop
The Secret Shop is located in the center of the map: one is in the forest between the top and mid lanes on the Radiant side, and the other between the bottom and mid lanes on the Dire side. Both heroes and couriers from either team can use it, but its items are not available in the base shop. Moreover, the Secret Shop is not only an in-game locatio...
Seledka
Seledka (herring) is the nickname of the hero Slardar in Dota 2, widely used in the CIS community. The name is associated with his appearance, which resembles a sea fish — herring. The nickname has been popular among players since the days of Warcraft III and remains to this day.
Semi support
A support, or "position four", also known as a semi-support, is a hero who plays a helping role in the team. Usually positioned in the offlane alongside the offlaner, they place wards, provide crowd control, heal allies, and perform other supportive tasks. The position four support sacrifices farm for the team's benefit and moves around the map mor...
Set
A set is a bundle of cosmetic items that change the appearance of a character. Usually, a set includes several items that can be equipped on different parts of the character's body: head, weapon, back, shoulders, etc. Sets may differ in rarity and number of items in the set.
SF
SF refers to the hero Shadow Fiend, who is often picked for the mid lane. He can farm quickly and deal high damage thanks to his ability to collect souls from killed creeps. SF is commonly chosen for lane dominance and burst damage. He requires good micro-control and a solid understanding of the hero's power spikes.
Shard
Shard is a slang term for the item Aghanim's Shard in Dota 2. It is an item that enhances or adds a new ability to a hero. Aghanim's Shard is named after Aghanim, one of the main villains in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
Shiva
Shiva is the common nickname for the item Shivas Guard. It provides armor and an active ability that slows nearby enemies.
Short and Long
Short and Long in Dota 2 are lane names based on the distance from the standard creep meeting point on the lane to their own Tier 1 tower. Short is the lane where this distance is minimal. The name comes from the English word short. Short is often considered the safe lane, because farming here is safer — its easier to retreat quickly under tower pr...
Side Shop
Side shop is a store in the jungle near the side creep lanes. It allowed players to buy certain items from the secret and general shops without leaving the lane. This shop are no longer available and have been removed from the game. Now, a pool with lotuses is located where they used to be.
Silence
Silence is a status effect in Dota 2 that prevents a hero from casting abilities while it's active. A silenced hero can still move, attack, and use items. Silence is effective against heroes who rely heavily on their abilities, temporarily reducing their threat level. This effect is often used to interrupt initiations or suppress enemy heroes that...
Skill
Skill refers to a hero's ability in Dota 2, which can be either active or passive. Active skills must be cast manually and are aimed at enemies, allies, or areas. Passive skills work automatically and enhance a heros attributes or behavior. Each hero has a unique set of skills that defines their playstyle and team role. Additionally, the word skill...
Slippers
Slippers is a short term for Slippers of Agility, a cheap starting item that increases a heros agility, boosting damage, attack speed, and armor for characters who rely on this stat. It is most commonly purchased by carries or supports early in the game and used to build Wraith Band.
Slot
Slot is a space in a heros inventory where an item can be placed. Each hero has six inventory slots, and this limitation requires strategic decisions about which items to carry. In addition, the term also refers to a tournament spot that a team earns through qualifiers or a direct invitation.
Snowball
Snowball in Dota 2 is a term with two meanings: Snowball ability of the hero Tusk: he turns into a snowball that rolls toward the enemy, picking up allies along the way. Upon arrival, it deals damage and stuns opponents. Snowball as a strategy — refers to rapidly gaining momentum: a hero or team that gets an early lead (e.g., kills or a won lane) b...
Space
Space is a term from team communication that means creating freedom of action for your allies. Making space means distracting the enemy, prolonging fights, pushing lanes, or simply interfering with opponents while your carry farms safely. For example, if an offlaner single-handedly draws the attention of three enemy heroes and survives — theyve cre...
Split-push
Split-push is a tactic for the late stages of the game. In this strategy, one hero pushing the lane while the team distracts the enemy in another part of the map. The main goal of split-push is to distract the enemy and create an advantage that forces the enemy to make decisions that are not always favorable. To be most effective, a character must...
ss
ss — short for miss — is a signal that an enemy has left the lane, warning allies to be careful on other lanes. To quickly report that the enemy is missing you can use the chat wheel or click on the icon of the corresponding enemy hero with the Alt key pressed.
Stack
Stack - an additional group of neutral creeps created by taking away creatures at a certain time. If done correctly, a new wave will appear in place of the old creeps and several stacks will appear in the camp at once, which will allow you to farm more gold and experience at once. You can also stacking creeps with abilities. For example, Kunkka's T...
Status resistance
Status resistance is a stat in Dota 2 that reduces the duration of negative effects applied to a hero. The higher the status resistance, the faster the hero recovers from stuns, silences, slows, and other forms of crowd control. This stat does not block the effect completely, but it shortens its duration. For example, if a hero has 30% status resis...
Sticks
Sticks are an active item called Magic Stick that accumulates charges when nearby enemies use abilities. When activated, sticks consume charges to instantly restore health and mana, helping with survival and resource management early in the game. The number of charges is limited but can be increased by upgrading the item to Magic Wand, which also g...
Storm
Storm is a shortened name for the hero Storm Spirit. He is known for his high mobility and kill potential, which makes him a popular pick for the mid lane.
Strength
Strength is one of the attributes in Dota 2. Determines the maximum amount of health and its regeneration. Heroes with strength as their primary attribute are harder to kill than others and most often take on the role of initiators, being the first to engage in combat and taking most of the damage from enemy attacks. Each point of strength increase...
Stun
Stun is a status effect in Dota 2 that completely disables a hero's ability to move, cast spells, use items, or attack for a certain duration. An enemy affected by a stun becomes vulnerable and cannot respond to anything happening around them while the effect lasts. Stuns are one of the strongest forms of crowd control in the game and are often use...
Support (supp)
Support (supp) — a hero whose main role is to assist the carry, place wards, provide vision, heal, initiate or cancel TPs, and control enemies with disables (stuns, silences, slows), while giving up farm for the team's benefit. These heroes are often picked for their crowd control, saving abilities, or utility in teamfights. Usually played as posit...
Swap
The meaning of the word swap in Dota 2 varies depending on the context: Swapping heroes — players can swap their picked heroes during the draft phase. Swapping lanes — players can agree to swap lanes for a more comfortable matchup. Vengeful Spirit`s Swap — this is the name of her ultimate ability, Nether Swap.
T1
T1 is a term in Dota 2 usually used to refer to the first line of defensive towers for each team. Every team has three of these towers on their side of the map — one on each lane (top, mid, and bottom). T1 towers play a key strategic role, as destroying them opens the way to the next tier towers (T2, T3) of the enemy. It also gives the team an adva...
Tango
Tango is a consumable item in Dota 2 used to restore a heros health. It allows the user to eat trees, gradually regenerating HP over time. Its a basic and one of the most essential items in the early game to help stay alive on the lane. When used on a tree planted by Iron Branch, the healing duration is doubled. If used on an allied hero, the Tango...
Tarrasque
Tarrasque is the slang name for the Heart of Tarrasque item in Dota 2. The name refers to the nearly invincible monster Tarrasque from Dungeons Dragons, which in turn refers to the mythological dragon Tarrasque. It provides a health bonus and a unique passive regeneration effect that restores a significant amount of health outside of combat if the...
Tavern
The tavern and the phrase to go back to the tavern originated in the original DotA - a custom map for Warcraft 3. Back then, there was no user-friendly interface to choose from hundreds of heroes. Instead, all heroes were placed in taverns, sorted by attribute (Strength, Agility, Intelligence) and aligned with Radiant and Dire sides, which were the...
TB
TB is a shortened name for the hero Terrorblade in Dota 2, commonly used by players for convenience in voice and text communication. Players refer to him as "TB" due to the difficulty of pronouncing the full name during fast-paced gameplay. The term has become standard across all regions and is used alongside the heros full name.
TBD and TBA
TBD (To Be Decided) and TBA (To Be Announced) are terms used when certain information is still unknown or not yet finalized. In Dota 2 tournaments, they most often appear in match schedules or brackets. TBD means that a participant or result will be determined later, for example, after the outcome of a previous match. TBA means that the information...
Teamplay
Teamplay — coordinated team effort where players work together to achieve a common goal. It involves communication, strategy, and mutual support to win the game. Good teamplay is crucial in team-based games like Dota 2.
THD
THD is an abbreviation for Twin Head Dragon, the name of Jakiro in the first Dota. This abbreviation is also used as the name of a build for Tidehunter based on physical damage — TideHunterDamage.
The Ame Curse
The Ame Curse is a term in the Dota 2 community referring to the series of failures of Chinese professional player Wang Ame Chunyu in the grand finals of The International. Despite consistently showing top-level performance and being regarded as one of the strongest carry players in the history of the game, Ame failed three times to secure the cham...
The Buchholz coefficient
This is an additional indicator used to determine the position of a team in the tournament table when points are equal. It is calculated as the sum of the points of all teams with which the team has played in a Swiss system tournament. The method was proposed by German chess player and theorist Bruno Buchholz in 1932. Initially, it was used in the...
The Neustadtl Score (the Sonneborn-Berger score)
An additional indicator used to determine a team's position in the standings when points are tied. It is calculated as the sum of the points of all the teams that this team has defeated, plus half the points of the teams with which it drew. The method was proposed by Austrian chess player and theorist Johann Berger in the late 19th century and was...
The Slayer
The Slayer was the original title of the hero Lina in DotA (Warcraft III), where she was known as Lina Inverse the Slayer. Back then, most heroes had both names and class titles "The Slayer" emphasized her role as a high-damage nuker with explosive magic. In Dota 2, the name was shortened to simply Lina, but in the Russian-speaking community, the n...
Three-two-two (322)
322 is a term used when a team or player is suspected of match fixing. It originates from an incident in 2013: Alexey Solo Berezin, who at the time represented ROX.KIS, bet $100 against his own team at odds of 3.22 on zRage and won that very same $322. Immediately after that, the team and players were suspended from participating in competitions. S...
Throne
Throne is a slang and alternative name for the Ancient, dating back to the original Dota. In the Dota Allstars map, the Scourge Ancient was based on the model of the Frozen Throne — an object from the Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne campaign where the Lich King sat. Because it looked like an icy throne, players started calling it simply the throne.
TI
TI is the abbreviation for The International, the premier Dota 2 tournament hosted annually by Valve. It features the top teams from around the world competing for one of the biggest prize pools in esports history.Known for its high-level play, dramatic storylines, and massive viewership, The International is the most prestigious event in the Dota...
Tilt
Tilt is a state of emotional distress or frustration experienced by a player, usually caused by in-game failures, team mistakes, or unpleasant situations. In this state, the player makes poor decisions, loses focus, and performs worse. Signs of tilt: anger or frustration toward teammates or opponents reckless and aggressive actions breakdown in tea...
Tip
Tip is a commendation system in Dota 2. During a match, players can tip another player — an ally or even an enemy — as a sign of respect, support, or simply as a reaction to a highlight. A player can send up to 10 such compliments per week. For each tip given or received, 50 Dota Plus Shards are awarded, which can be spent on in-game bonuses: relic...
Tormentor
The Tormentor is a new type of neutral boss creep that comes with a protective barrier. Only one Tormentor exists on the map at a time, and its position alternates based on the time of day — always appearing in the corner opposite Roshans current pit. Upon being killed, one hero on the team is granted an Aghanim's Shard. If all heroes already posse...
Tower
A tower is a defensive structure on the lanes that attacks enemies and protects heroes. Destroying enemy towers is a key part of strategic gameplay. Each of the three lanes has 3 towers (tiers 1, 2, and 3), with increasing strength: the higher the tier, the more damage, health, and armor the tower has. In addition, each team has 2 tier 4 towers loc...
TP out
TP out refers to using a Town Portal Scroll to urgently escape from a dangerous position. Its commonly used to retreat to base or relocate to another accessible area. The teleportation spell takes 3 seconds when teleporting to a tower for the first time, then 5 seconds, and each subsequent use increases by 0.5 seconds. Teleporting to outposts takes...
Trade
Trade is a word that can have several meanings depending on the context. During the laning phase, a trade is an exchange of health — when both players hit each other with attacks or spells, reducing each others HP. A well-executed trade can provide an advantage and even lead to a kill. Trade also refers to the exchange of items through the Steam in...
Travels
Travel Boots (often called Travel or Travels) is a popular term for the item Boots of Travel in Dota 2. It allows teleportation to allied buildings or creeps, provides a significant movement speed boost, and occupies the boots slot. This item is often purchased by carries or mids to move around the map faster, split-push, and join fights in time. T...
Traxex
Traxex is a nickname for the hero Drow Ranger that dates back to the Dota Allstars days, when her original name in the game was Traxex. In the Russian-speaking community, the humorous variation "Traxsex" also became popular, highlighting the characters femininity and provocative appearance, especially in earlier versions of her model.
Tri-lane
Tri-lane is a strategy where three heroes go to the same lane. Most commonly, this was the safe lane. Supporting the carry with two supports provided strong lane control and zoning of the enemy offlaner. An aggressive trilane was also frequently used — three heroes with disables and damage to "shut down" the enemy early on. Tri-lane is an important...
Triangle
Triangle refers to a small forest area on each side of the map that contains two creep camps, including Ancients. Although there are only two camps now, there used to be three, which is how the area got its name.
Trolling
Trolling in Dota 2 is deliberate player behavior that prevents the team from winning. It can also refer to mockery or an attempt to provoke a negative reaction through words or actions. Forms of trolling in Dota 2: feeding (intentionally dying to enemies); picking heroes without purpose or out of role (e.g., picking a jungler with no strategy); des...
True random distribution
True Random Distribution (TRD) is a type of probability where each trigger is calculated independently of previous attempts. This approach doesn't use pseudo-random logic and is entirely based on pure chance. TRD in Dota 2 can be divided into two subtypes: flat distribution and discrete distribution. Flat distribution: Some mechanics roll a random...
Tryhard
Tryhard is a player who plays with maximum seriousness and focus, putting in full effort to win the match. This person tries to avoid mistakes, carefully plans strategies, and actively communicates with the team. A tryhard is someone who gives it their all, even when the game is tough or the team isnt strong. Sometimes, the term is used with slight...
Turbo
Turbo is a game mode in Dota 2, officially called Turbo Mode. Its designed for faster and less intense matches. Key features of Turbo Mode: Increased gold and experience gain Accelerated respawn times for map objectives Weakened towers Matches usually last 15–25 minutes Hero selection follows All Pick rules Items can be sold from anywhere on the ma...
Urn
Urn — short for Urn of Shadows. An item that provides some damage and mana regeneration, along with an active ability to either heal allies or damage enemies. Commonly built by supports and offlaners.
Vac ban
VAC ban (Valve Anti-Cheat ban) is an automatic ban issued by the Valve Anti-Cheat system for using cheats in Source engine games such as CS:GO, Dota 2, Team Fortress 2, and others. Once a VAC ban is applied: you cannot play on secure servers for that game; the ban is permanent and cannot be removed; VAC bans are displayed on your Steam profile. Not...
Valora
Valora is the name of Dawnbreaker in Dota 2. She was added to the game in April 2021 (in patch 7.29). In the game files, Dawnbreaker is named Valkyrie. She is also referred to as Battle Maiden several times.
Vessel
Vessel — a slang name for Spirit Vessel. An upgraded version of the Urn. Very effective against heroes with strong healing, as it reduces healing and regeneration effects. Often built by supports or offlaners.
Vladmir
Vladmir is a shorthand name for the item Vladmir's Offering in Dota 2. The name of the item and its essence refer to Vlad III Dracul and his fictional counterpart, Dracula. This item grants an aura to allies that provides lifesteal, bonus damage, armor, and mana regeneration. Vladmirs Offering is often bought by supports, offlaners, or aura-based h...
Void
Void — a shortened name for the hero Faceless Void in Dota 2. A hero specialized in mobility and control. Often played in the carry or offlane positions. Among other things, this name may also refer to the hero Void Spirit.
Ward
Wards are special items that give vision on the map and/or will allow you to detect invisible enemies. There are two types of wards: Observer Ward - gives vision in a certain area; Sentry Ward - reveal invisible objects and heroes.
Watcher
The Watcher is a neutral structure that provides vision when active but does not reveal invisibility. If a Watcher is already captured, it can be deactivated for 2 minutes with another activation. Watchers are located in the large and side jungles on both sides of the map.
WD
WD — short for Witch Doctor. A support hero with strong crowd control and area damage thanks to his abilities Paralyzing Cask and Death Ward. Often played as position 4 or 5.
Wisp
Wisp in Dota 2 is the nickname of Io. In the first Dota, the hero's nickname was Guardian Wisp. In Dota 2, he was renamed Wisp, and then Io. Despite this, he is still sometimes called Wisp.
WP
WP (well played) in Dota 2 is a simple but important term used by players to show respect for good and coordinated gameplay by a team or opponent. Its often said after successful team plays or at the end of a match. Usually, WP comes paired with gg (good game), forming the phrase gg wp, which means a well-played game. Besides praising the gameplay,...
XPM
XPM in Dota 2 stands for Experience Per Minute, which is the amount of experience a hero gains on average per minute of play.
Ymir
Imir is the true name of the hero Tusk (formerly Tuskarr). The nickname comes from Ymir — the primordial ice giant from Norse mythology. Imir is associated with cold, ice, and northern harshness. All of this is reflected in the heros theme, using snowballs, ice shards, and slows. Although the official in-game name is Tusk, the name Imir has been us...
YOLO
YOLO (from You Only Live Once) is usually used to describe risky, aggressive, or reckless behavior in a game. Most often, it means that a player is consciously taking a high risk for a potentially high reward.
Zemelya
Zemelya is a colloquial nickname used in the Russian-speaking Dota 2 community for the hero Earth Spirit. The name comes from the Russian word for "earth" or which ties directly to the heros element and identity. It's often used in a casual or humorous way. Earth Spirit is a complex and highly mobile support hero, known for his ability to initiate...
Zombie
Zombie is the unofficial nickname of the hero Undying in Dota. The character's name is Dirge. Previously, during the Dota Allstars era, he used a zombie model from the Human faction's story mission The Culling. Despite the change in his official name, the old name stuck and is still actively used by players. In addition, Undying's voicelines contai...
Zxc-ghoul
Zxc-ghoul is a meme archetype of a Dota 2 player, inspired by the aesthetics of the anime Tokyo Ghoul. The ghoul is a character associated with darkness, loneliness, and inner suffering. In the gaming context, it refers to a player with an aggressive playstyle and dramatic behavior. The first representatives of ghouls in Dota 2 were ALOHADANCE and...
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