Dota 2 gives away everything that matters: all heroes, all modes, all the depth. What it asks for instead is patience. The first hour is tutorials, bots and a lot of reading, and ranked play stays locked for a long while after that.
The first hour, minute by minute
- 00:00
Install through Steam
A Steam account is the only sign-up. The download is around 60 GB, so on typical UK broadband this is the longest wait of the hour.
- 00:25
Tutorial chapter one
The built-in tutorial covers moving, last-hitting creeps and using abilities, with a guided lane and clear prompts.
- 00:35
Heroes, items and a lot of reading
The tutorials move on to items and towers. This is where Dota's size shows: every hero is available, and each has four or more abilities to learn.
- 00:45
First full match against bots
A full-length five-a-side match with bots on your team and against you. Expect it to run past the end of the hour.
- 00:55
The shop, finally
The only store prompts in the hour are the Dota Plus panel and the current event. Nothing interrupts a match.
- 01:00
Where you stand
Unranked matchmaking with real players is open. Ranked stays locked until you have linked a phone number and played 100 hours.
What the first hour gets right
Dota 2 never asks you to unlock a hero. Every one of them is on the picker from the first minute, which removes the grind that most competitive games use to pace new players. The tutorial chapters are tidy and teach the three habits that matter early: last-hitting, staying near your team and not chasing into enemy towers.
Bot matches are a genuinely good place to learn. You can pause, look up an item and try heroes without letting anyone down.
Where it asks a lot
The download is huge for a game you have never tried, and the first hour is heavy on reading. Items, abilities, courier, runes and vision all arrive at once, and the tutorial can only scratch the surface. Many new players spend their first week in bot and unranked games, and that is the right call.
Ranked play needs 100 hours and a phone number linked to Steam. That is a sensible gate against throwaway accounts, but it means your first month is entirely casual.
Money: what Valve actually sells
There is no premium currency in Dota 2. Items are paid for from your Steam Wallet in pounds, so the price you see is the price you pay. The regular battle pass was retired after 2022; since then the calendar has been free story events with optional paid cosmetic packs.
Dota Plus is the one recurring cost: a monthly subscription with hero challenges, stats and extra cosmetic rewards. It is pleasant, not necessary. Valve shows the exact UK price inside the game, and it works out at roughly the price of a coffee a month.
Who should play it
Players who want one game to learn for years, enjoy strategy as much as reflexes and don't mind being bad for a while. If you want a quick match after work with little homework, a lighter team game will suit you better.
What we liked, what we didn't
Worth your hour
- Every hero free, forever, with nothing sold that changes a match
- No premium currency: prices come straight from your Steam Wallet in pounds
- Bot games are an excellent, low-pressure classroom
- Free story events keep the calendar busy
Watch out for
- A 60 GB download before you can try anything
- The first hour barely scratches the surface of the rules
- Ranked needs 100 hours and a phone number
- Seasonal randomised treasures appear around events
What Dota 2 really costs
Free, or included in the price
- The full game and every hero
- All modes, including ranked once unlocked
- Free story chapters in seasonal events
- A free event treasure at login during some events
Price list (UK, VAT included)
| Item | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Dota Plus, one month | about £3.40 | Hero challenges, stats, extra cosmetics. Exact UK price shown in the game |
| Dota Plus, six or twelve months | about £19 to £35 | Cheaper per month when bought ahead |
| Event cosmetic packs | varies | Optional skins and effects sold during events such as The Dark Carnival |
| Event treasures | about £2 each | Randomised cosmetic items; drop rates for the rarest items are shown in the game |
Dota 2 sells event treasures that contain a random cosmetic item. Valve shows the drop rates for the rare, very rare and ultra rare tiers in the game, and the chance of a rare item rises with each treasure opened. They are cosmetic only and easy to ignore.
Our month-one advice
Spend nothing. Play bot and unranked matches, try a dozen heroes and see whether the game has its hooks in you after a month. If it does, a month of Dota Plus is the most useful thing to buy, because its hero challenges teach you as you play.
Prices checked 24 September 2026 on the official UK stores. They change with sales and currency updates, so the store checkout price is the one that counts.
How to pay for Dota 2 in the UK · Set a spending limit first
Questions people ask
Is Dota 2 really free?
Yes. Every hero and every mode is free. The only things for sale are cosmetics, event packs and the optional Dota Plus subscription.
Why can't I play ranked yet?
Valve requires a phone number linked to your Steam account and 100 hours of play before ranked matchmaking opens.
Is there still a Dota 2 battle pass?
No. The last one ran in 2022. Since then Valve has run free story events with optional paid cosmetic packs.
How do I stop a child spending in Dota 2?
Dota 2 purchases go through Steam, so Steam Families controls cover them. Our Steam guide shows how to block the store or approve each purchase.
