Recently, Dota 2 has been making waves within the MOBA community, as it announced one of the most surprising collaborations by partnering with the Monster Hunter franchise to introduce new cosmetics. It has certainly caught people's attention and has no doubt brought in a flock of new fans to the game.
However, as great as that may be for one of Valve's most successful franchises, it is still far behind League of Legends in terms of popularity. As someone who has played Dota 2 for countless years, I can confidently say that, given its current state, it is unlikely to ever achieve the fame that Riot Games' creation has managed to create for itself.
A good reason for this is that, compared to League of Legends, Dota 2 has become significantly more challenging for new players to get into. Despite numerous years of updates, LoL, for better or worse, has not changed as much in terms of its core gameplay, which is considerably easier to learn but hard to master compared to most other MOBAs. This is why many people prefer it, as it remains accessible despite its long-standing presence. However, the same cannot be said for Dota 2.
In its early days, it was similar to League of Legends in that, despite the numerous features and mechanics that needed to be learned, it was still simple enough for people to get into. Nowadays, it feels impossible for newcomers to try to pick up.
New features like Facets, Innate Abilities, and Neutral Item crafting make the game feel more bloated than necessary, making it hard for people to learn everything they need to. It takes a considerable amount of time and effort to understand them all together with the previous ones that were already established. If one isn't willing to do so, it results in a less enjoyable overall experience, which is why many would rather play the much easier game in League of Legends.
The other major reason why League will always outshine Dota 2 is that Riot Games is more willing to invest effort into marketing its game to the people, as opposed to Valve. Due to promotional materials such as the incredible music videos for their World Championships and the top-quality animated series, Arcane, Riot Games has ensured its creation is known by everyone, even those who don't play the game at all. League of Legends has done a great job in ingratiating itself into modern culture, securing a future and a legacy that many will remember.
Dota 2 had the potential to do the same in its own way, as the International tournaments and the player documentary-style True Sights allowed for great opportunities to ensure it remained relevant and memorable. However, Valve hasn't really been putting in the same effort it once did to secure its popularity, and has left it mostly to fans to raise interest in the game.
The company attempted again with a Netflix animated series in 2021. However, its mediocre reception and how forgettable it was made it clear that the company isn't willing to pull out all the stops anymore, thus extinguishing the hopes that Dota 2 will be part of the mainstream as it was in the past.
The game certainly has charm, and it remains a beloved favorite among many. However, it's clear that in terms of relevance and attracting more players, League of Legends surpasses Dota 2 by a considerable margin. The latter could still catch up to the former, but that's only if Valve does the same things Riot Games has, which is, unfortunately, highly unlikely.
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