All Dota 2 Hero Release Dates, Newest to Oldest

William Westerlund / July 25, 2025 / 3 min read

Dota 2 is a game defined by its heroes, featuring over 100 unique characters, each with their own abilities, strengths, and roles. Mastering these heroes is essential for improving your gameplay, whether you’re climbing ranked or playing casually with friends.

In this guide, you’ll discover when each hero was added to the game and what roles they fulfill.

All Dota 2 Hero Release Dates

Dota 2 All Heroes

Here are all the 126 heroes that you can pick in your Dota 2 games:

No. Name Date Role
1KezDecember 2024Carry
2RingmasterOctober 2024Soft Support
3MuertaMarch 2023Carry
4Primal BeastFebruary 2022Offlaner
5MarciOctober 2021Versatile
6DawnbreakerApril 2021Offlaner
7HoodwinkDecember 2020Soft Support
8Void SpiritNovember 2019Midlaner
9SnapfireDecember 2019Soft Support
10MarsMarch 2019Offlaner
11GrimstrokeAugust 2018Hard Support
12PangolierOctober 2017Offlaner
13Dark WillowOctober 2017Soft Support
14Monkey KingDecember 2016Carry
15UnderlordAugust 2016Offlaner
16Arc WardenDecember 2015Carry
17Winter WyvernJanuary 2015Hard Support
18OracleNovember 2014Hard Support
19TechiesAugust 2014Soft Support
20PhoenixMarch 2014Soft Support
21TerrorbladeFebruary 2014Carry
22Earth SpiritDecember 2013Soft Support
23Ember SpiritNovember 2013Midlaner
24Legion CommanderNovember 2013Offlaner
25Elder TitanOctober 2013Offlaner
26AbaddonOctober 2013Versatile
27Skywrath MageSeptember 2013Soft Support
28TuskSeptember 2013Soft Support
29BristlebackAugust 2013Offlaner
30TimbersawAugust 2013Offlaner
31MagnusJuly 2013Offlaner
32Centaur WarrunnerJuly 2013Offlaner
33Troll WarlordJune 2013Carry
34MedusaJune 2013Carry
35SlarkMay 2013Carry
36VisageMay 2013Versatile
37IoApril 2013Hard Support
38Keeper of the LightApril 2013Hard Support
39Naga SirenMarch 2013Carry
40Nyx AssassinMarch 2013Soft Support
41DisruptorFebruary 2013Hard Support
42RubickFebruary 2013Soft Support
43UndyingJanuary 2013Offlaner
44Ogre MagiJanuary 2013Soft Support
45Treant ProtectorDecember 2012Hard Support
46MeepoDecember 2012Midlaner
47Chaos KnightNovember 2012Carry
48Lone DruidNovember 2012Carry
49Shadow DemonOctober 2012Hard Support
50BrewmasterOctober 2012Offlaner
51LycanSeptember 2012Carry
52Outworld DestroyerSeptember 2012Midlaner
53SilencerAugust 2012Versatile
54InvokerAugust 2012Midlaner
55AlchemistJuly 2012Carry
56GyrocopterJuly 2012Carry
57Spirit BreakerJune 2012Soft Support
58UrsaJune 2012Carry
59DoomMay 2012Offlaner
60Ancient ApparitionMay 2012Hard Support
61SpectreApril 2012Carry
62ChenApril 2012Hard Support
63BatriderMarch 2012Offlaner
64EnchantressMarch 2012Soft Support
65OmniknightFebruary 2012Hard Support
66ClinkzFebruary 2012Carry
67Dark SeerJanuary 2012Offlaner
68LifestealerJanuary 2012Carry
69Nature’s ProphetDecember 2011Versatile
70LeshracDecember 2011Midlaner
71ClockwerkDecember 2011Offlaner
72DazzleDecember 2011Hard Support
73Dragon KnightNovember 2011Versatile
74LunaNovember 2011Carry
75Anti-MageAugust 2011Carry
76AxeAugust 2011Offlaner
77BaneAugust 2011Hard Support
78BloodseekerAugust 2011Carry
79Bounty HunterAugust 2011Soft Support
80BroodmotherAugust 2011Versatile
81Crystal MaidenAugust 2011Hard Support
82Drow RangerAugust 2011Carry
83EarthshakerAugust 2011Versatile
84HuskarAugust 2011Carry
85JakiroAugust 2011Hard Support
86JuggernautAugust 2011Carry
87MiranaAugust 2011Versatile
88MorphlingAugust 2011Carry
89NecrophosAugust 2011Versatile
90Night StalkerAugust 2011Offlaner
91Phantom AssassinAugust 2011Carry
92PuckAugust 2011Midlaner
93PudgeAugust 2011Versatile
94RazorAugust 2011Midlaner
95RikiAugust 2011Carry
96Sand KingAugust 2011Offlaner
97Shadow FiendAugust 2011Midlaner
98Storm SpiritAugust 2011Midlaner
99SvenAugust 2011Carry
100TinyAugust 2011Versatile
101Vengeful SpiritAugust 2011Hard Support
102WeaverAugust 2011Carry
103WindrangerAugust 2011Versatile
104ZeusAugust 2011Midlaner
105KunkkaAugust 2011Versatile
106LinaAugust 2011Midlaner
107LichAugust 2011Hard Support
108LionAugust 2011Hard Support
109Shadow ShamanAugust 2011Hard Support
110SlardarAugust 2011Offlaner
111TidehunterAugust 2011Offlaner
112Witch DoctorAugust 2011Hard Support
113EnigmaAugust 2011Versatile
114TinkerAugust 2011Midlaner
115SniperAugust 2011Carry
116WarlockAugust 2011Hard Support
117BeastmasterAugust 2011Offlaner
118Queen of PainAugust 2011Midlaner
119VenomancerAugust 2011Versatile
120Faceless VoidAugust 2011Carry
121Wraith KingAugust 2011Carry
122Death ProphetAugust 2011Midlaner
123Phantom LancerAugust 2011Carry
124PugnaAugust 2011Midlaner
125Templar AssassinAugust 2011Midlaner
126ViperAugust 2011Midlaner

How to Pick a Dota 2 Hero for Victory

Dota 2 Hero Dates

Choosing the right hero in Dota 2 can be the difference between victory and defeat. With over 120 heroes, each offering unique skills and playstyles, picking wisely means understanding both the game and your role in it.

First, consider your team composition. If your allies already picked core heroes, consider choosing a support to balance the draft. Team synergy matters more than individual skill in most matches.

Next, look at the enemy draft. Counter-picking is a powerful tool. For example, heroes like Nyx Assassin are strong against intelligence casters, while Axe punishes illusion-based heroes like Phantom Lancer.

Understanding counters gives your team a natural advantage before the game even starts.

Also, choose heroes you are comfortable with. Picking a high-tier meta hero that you’ve never played often leads to poor performance. Practice and mastery are more important than current tier lists for most players.

Lastly, think about the lane you’ll be playing. Some heroes dominate certain matchups, while others are better in roaming or jungle roles. Consider mobility, crowd control, teamfight potential, and scaling.

Conclusion

Dota 2 features many different heroes. Each of them is unique and offers a highly specific set of advantages. Mastering at least a dozen of these heroes will help you to gain MMR and climb the ladder faster.

Once you’ve chosen your favorite heroes, you can customize their appearance with Dota 2 skins.

FAQs

What was the most recent hero added to Dota 2?

The most recent hero added to Dota 2 is Kez.

How often does Valve release new Dota 2 heroes?

Valve typically releases one hero every 1–2 years, though this has varied depending on development focus and community events.

Which hero had the longest gap between reveals and release?

Void Spirit and Snapfire were teased months before their actual release in late 2019, generating major hype during The International.

Where can I see a complete list of hero release dates?

This article gives you a complete list.

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William is an author, editor, and an avid gamer with thousands of hours in CS:GO (Counter-Strike 2). He also enjoys playing Rust, Dota 2, and TF2 but never became as proficient in any of those games.

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