Dota 2’s metagame is notorious for shifting and changing course on a dime thanks to the flexible nature of hero roles and the huge impact items have. These days especially, diverse tournament metas are to be expected, with only a handful of heroes going unpicked.
At the highest levels of play, games can be won or lost even before the creeps spawn. Having a good hero composition can spell the difference between a struggle to breach high ground or a team with heroes that complement each other and form a well-oiled machine.
Based on the current competitive metagame, this tier list outlines which heroes are picked most often by professional teams and those that stand out in terms of their win percentages. Note that this list will not include every hero, mainly because there are simply too many in Dota to count. Instead, we’ll break down the list to only include around 40 of the most popular and effective heroes.
Here’s our tier list for the best Dota 2 heroes. Check back from time to time as the list is updated with every major patch.
Dot Esports’ Dota 2 tier list
S-tier: Most popular, borderline-broken
These S-tier heroes make up the top of Dota 2’s meta right now. You can expect to see these heroes in most professional matches and high-ranked matches—if they don’t get banned first. All data is courtesy of stats site Spectral and Dotabuff.
- Lifestealer
- Warlock
- Wraith King
- Abaddon
- Lich
- Night Stalker
- Dark Seer
- Witch Doctor
Lifestealer
A carry of old has finally returned to the top of the pack. Naix leads the Dota 2 hero charts in win rate for 7.36b so far thanks to his scaling Hero Facet, Copse Eater, which grants Lifestealer bonus HP after killing any unit.
Warlock
We’re seeing Warlock rotate into a much more powerful position four support after buffs to his Innate ability and his outrageous health and right-click base damage. Between his range and his early-game tankiness, Warlock’s a tough one to bring down before he hits level six. After that, you best gank him when his ultimate is down.
Wraith King
Wraith King (or Skeleton King for you oldheads) stormed to the top of the win rate charts after Patch 7.36. Most players have leaned into the Spectral Blade Hero Facet which grants a Pure damage curse effect on right-click and a post-death Wraith Form Innate ability. While his skeleton summoning build was hit hard, he’s turned into a monster as a carry.
Abaddon
Abaddon has remained remarkably consistent despite such a massive meta-shift in 7.36. While he may not hold his peers’ ridiculous 55 percent-plus win rates here, he’s remained stable despite the introduction of Innates and Facets. He’s one of a few S and A-tier heroes with decent win rates across both his Facets.
Lich
Lich’s role as a hard support still relies heavily on his ultimate Chain Frost, but his mana recovery Innate makes him incredibly annoying in the lane. Pair Lich with a melee carry to ensure your Frost Armor damage spreads to opponents while you run them down spamming your Q.
Night Stalker
The horrors of Night Stalker were truly realized upon the release of his night-based Facets and Innate back in 7.36, and since then he’s remained a mainstay at the top of the win rate charts. Both Facets sit at above 53 percent on their own, meaning no matter which direction Night Stalker chooses, you won’t see him coming.
Dark Seer
Dark Seer is back! The offlaner has proven to be one of the toughest heroes to balance in Dota 2 and because of that, we often see him fluctuate from amazingly good to horribly weak. We’re in an era suiting the former at the moment, with many Dark Seer players opting for the Heart of Battle Facet.
Witch Doctor
Rounding out the S-tier is Witch Doctor, who hasn’t been long off the list. Nerfs in 7.35 after a period of dominance saw him tumble to the middle of the pack, but slight buffs have seen him sneak under the radar since 7.36b.
A-tier: Often seen, competitive at most levels
- Arc Warden
- Phantom Lancer
- Silencer
- Underlord
- Axe
- Oracle
- Visage
- Pudge
- Troll Warlord
- Leshrac
A-tier heroes can be just as strong as those above them. Members of A-tier often have higher pick rates as they’re less likely to be banned than S-tier heroes. The heroes on this list could even break into the top tier after small balance patches.
This tier generally consists of heroes who can win their lane by themselves and possess mobility spells. Farming fast will also be a plus for these heroes to extend their early lead.
B-tier: Pocket-picks, outliers
- Centaur Warrunner
- Spirit Breaker
- Bounty Hunter
- Necrophos
- Enigma
- Outworld Destroyer
- Shadow Shaman
- Skywrath Mage
- Enigma
- Legion Commander
- Dark Willow
B-tier heroes are seen less commonly than their S or A-tier peers. The heroes in the third tier are still relatively strong, but they may have a few shortcomings that prevent them from breaking into the tiers above. Most B-tier heroes tend to be situational picks, requiring the right team setup or opponent to truly thrive.
This is not an end-all list of heroes to pick. As mentioned, the flexibility of roles and laning in Dota 2 means that even the most unorthodox picks and strategies can sometimes work.
And with the huge variety of heroes available to play, there’s almost always a way to fit that one Dota 2 hero into your team composition.
