Never ask a jungler why they missed the gank, never ask a carry why they took your farm, and never ask aDota 2orLeague of Legendsplayer which game is the best.
That’s because both fandoms are absolutely dedicated to theirMOBA of choiceandwill defend their virtues with the fervor of zealots.
Dota 2: 10 Hardest Heroes to Play
From Invoker to Meepo, these are some of the most difficult heroes to learn to play in Dota 2.
As for me, I find myself going back to Dota 2 when I want to play particular heroes, and opening up League of Legends when I want to have a fun little power tripor unwind without too much pressure or strategizing.
Both games obviously have their strengths and weaknesses, and for this list, I will be trying to look at both and give my final verdict on which one comes out on top.
8Graphics and Visuals
League of Legends and Dota 2 have wildly different takes on visual representation, with the former opting fora more cartoonish lookand the latter improving on the aesthetic introduced in the original Defense of the Ancients,itself a mod for Warcraft III.
With Riot, the idea is to always go for a simple and minimalistic design, whereas Valve has repeatedly enhanced the visual aspects of Dota 2. These elements also tie into the gameplay, with Dota boasting a much more straightforward range of visual cues for players.
While graphics can be incredibly subjective, I’ll have to give this one to Dota 2, not just because the textures are more refined and the spell and item effects are clear and distinguishable,but because it also manages to maintain a level of artistic beautyabove and beyond what League of Legend does.
7Gameplay Loop
League of Legends
League of Legendsis the comfort foodyou go back to when you want to switch your brain off, stomp a few lanes, and win a stimulating victory.
Dota 2, on the other hand, demands your full attention and mental prowess, because every decision matters,and every second can swing the game the other way.
Every League Of Legends Champion In Arcane Ranked
How well does Arcane translate these Champions from the game?
The sheer depth of the mechanics involved makes Dota 2’s gameplay loop much more rewarding, but that’s not always a good thing. A lot of gamers are looking to switch off their brains when they play online games, and to say Dota is not the game for that would be a huge understatement.
If you’re looking for a much more grounded gameplaythat still manages to tickle those adrenaline-seeking parts of your brain, League of Legends is the definitive MOBA experience.
6Complexity
When it comes to complexity, there’s no question thatDota 2 will run circles around League of Legendswith its multifaceted gameplay.
In League of Legends, you have to master your hero and learn the different items that make up the game’s apparatus and balance.
In Dota 2, you have to master your hero, learn its specific counters, and then learn to counter those counters,while keeping the dizzying inventory of items in mind.
Add to that the recent inclusion of neutral items (in 5 tiers!) and different facets with different abilities for the same heroes, and you’ll realize why few games in history — and not just the MOBA genre — can compete with Dota 2 in terms of complexity.
5Learning Curve
The greatest thing about Dota is the pure pleasure derived fromlearning its grand symphony of moving parts,but that also happens to be its greatest weakness.
You see, back when I originally started playing the game in 2014, Dota 2 was much simpler. Over the long years, though, Valve has made the game increasingly more difficult to master.
These days, even Dota 2 veterans have a hard time keeping up with its complexity, and that makes it a nightmare for new players to take everything in and learn the ropes.
On the other hand, League of Legends streamlines the gameplay experience, making the heroes and the items much easier to wrap your head around.
Riot has followed a much more natural evolution, seamlessly integrating new players into its large fanbase. That, in a way, furtherexplains League of Legends' timeless popularity.
4Hero Pool
As of 2025, League of Legends has 170 Champions, whileDota 2 has only just added the 126th hero to the pool,the swashbuckling bird known as Kez.
You’d think the choice would be obvious due to the sheer diversity of the heroes alone, but as people who’ve played both games will tell you,you only technically have access to 20 Championsat any given time (thanks to a rotation system) in League of Legends.
The rest are locked behind a paywall, allowing players to either use progression milestones or the in-game currency to unlock new heroes. Dota 2, meanwhile, givesfree access to all heroes from the get-go.
Moreover, Dota 2 heroes have a sense of complexity, making them more dynamic in each session. Essentially, Dota allows you to have dozens of different builds for a single hero, a feature noticeably absent from many heroes in League of Legends.
3Map Design
While both Valve and Riot are known to tinker with the map layout from time to time, the former sees it as yet another mission to prove that no game can challenge Dota 2in the dark art of baffling complexity.
League of Legends always favors minimalism regarding the classic MOBA layout, but the Dota 2 map has seen a lot of modifications over the years.
Considering elements like extra farm lanes for the map’s respective Safe Lanes, not to mention the Bounty Runes, the Wisdom (XP) Runes, the Water Runes, the Lotus Pools, the Secret Shops, as well as the Tormentors, it’s safe to say this point goes to Dota 2.
Because, unlike the gameplay itself, this is one of those few instances where complexitymakes the experience more rewarding and non-repetitive rather than overwhelming.
2Community
Without the community, an online game is nothing, and Valve and Riot have both been extremely lucky in that they have suchpassionate fan bases that boast teamwork, fan creations, and global events.
The League of Legends World Championship is a global contest that brings people together to celebrate their timeless love for the game, while Dota’s The International, the annual tournament with some of the highest prize pools in esports, is crowdfunded by fans through a battle pass system.
Granted, there will always be toxic players in any online game, but one of the greatest things about Dota and League of Legends is how their respective communities come together to celebrate their love for MOBA.
I can’t quite give this point to one or the other, as both fan bases are extremely dedicated to their game,guaranteeing LoL and Dota 2’s continued success in the foreseeable future.
I’ve spent thousands of hours in Dota 2 and League of Legends, and it’s still difficult for me to pick a clear winner. But based on the criteria we used in this list,we can pass the crown to Dota with a measure of certainty.
The game has experienced its highs and lows, yet its concurrent player count consistently remains in the hundreds of thousands.
If League of Legends is fast and flashy and all about teamwork, then Dota 2 is a game of chess,where every move demands careful calculation and the foresight to anticipate your opponent’s counter moves.
And for that reason, I genuinely believe that it will go down in history as one of the most meticulously crafted, artisanal video games of all time.
Dota 2: 10 Best Early Game Items For Support Heroes
Picking the right items can be crucial in Dota 2’s early game. This list breaks down the best items you can choose for your Support Hero.
