"It's just DOTA 2 for kids" DOTA 2 Veteran, Puppey on League Of Legends

"It's just DOTA 2 for kids" DOTA 2 Veteran, Puppey on League Of Legends

Harrison Htet

4 Feb, 2024, 18:26

|

Last updated: 10 Apr, 2025, 10:45

Rivalries are a common occurrence in various aspects of life. For instance, we have the well-known rivalries of Ronaldo and Messi or Mohammad Ali and Joe Frazier. These rivalries have become a part of history.

However, one rivalry that remains unresolved to this day is between Dota 2 and Legend Of Legends. Since the beginning, the communities of these two games have been at odds with each other. In a recent interview, a Dota 2 veteran player, Clement "Puppey" Ivanov, shared his opinion on League of Legends, referring to it as Dota 2 made for kids.

Puppey The International 2022
Puppey at The International 2022 beating Team Liquid to move on to the grand finals (credits: Valve)

Additionally, Puppey is not the only Dota 2 veteran to make this kind of comment on League Of Legends. Sebastian “Ceb” Debs, the back-to-back TI champs, was the first professional Dota 2 player who got pulled into this never-ending debate. Back then, the player made a hilarious reply to the statement of former CEO of G2 esports, Carlos "Ocelote" Rodríguez.

Are the games comparable? 

The Dota 2 versus LOL debate has been going on for a long time. Thus, let’s take some time to reflect on whether these two games are comparable because they have a common ancestor, Defence of The Ancients.

Although both games have some differences, they have the same objectives - to destroy the opponent’s building. League is known for its fast-paced action. Additionally, the game left out some core mechanics of its ancestors to make it simpler for newcomers.

from-zero-to-hero-how-to-determine-your-dota-2-hero-type
Dota 2 is a MOBA game that was released in 2011. It paved the way for the future of esports with a tournament featuring million-dollar prize pool (credits: Valve)

Dota 2 is a game that retains the complex mechanics of its predecessors. It also has a strategic depth that allows players to use different playstyles during matches. Unlike LOL, the game has a courier system to deliver purchased items to the team's heroes and a unique ability to deny creeps, which stalls the level progress of the opponents.

Dota 2 lina at New Frontiers update
Lina, a Dota 2 hero with the highest rank available, Immortal, in her hand.
Credits: Valve

Players need to understand the heroes and these in-game mechanics to climb the ranks of Dota 2. Thus, due to these well-thought-out minute details, Dota 2 has a steeper learning curve.

The Professional Scene

Although the game has similar in-game mechanics, the professional scenes for both games are drastically apart.

The International 2021 Champions- Team Spirit
Team Spirit won the biggest prize pool in TI history at The International 2021.
Credits: Valve

Recently, a famous Dota 2 personality, Janne "Gorgc" Stefanovski, compared the tournament winnings of both games, Dota 2 and League of Legends. In his comparison, he noticed that the League’s tournament winnings were much lower than that of Dota 2. Thus, to reignite the love-hate relationship between both communities, he remarked that League’s legend, Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok has a noob winning in Dota 2.

Faker's fourth world trohpy
Faker with his fourth Worlds trophy (credits: Colin Young-Wolff/ Riot Games)

His remarks are not entirely incorrect. However, there is more to the situation that needs to be considered. In Dota 2, most of a player's earnings come from tournament winnings. However, in the case of League of Legends, the scenario is vastly different. Professional players in League of Legends primarily earn their income through various sponsorship and contract deals.

The debate of which game is better has been going on for more than a decade now, and it shows no sign of showing down. Thus, to settle the debate once and for all, Team Secret’s in-game leader, Puppey hilariously suggested a boxing match between the strongest man of each game.

Featured Image Source: Valve

Read More: Ceb: "If we had to pick one, we would pick character over talent"

Latest news

Doublelift Announces New Retirement Home Tournament Featuring Former LCS Stars

Doublelift Announces New Retirement Home Tournament Featuring Former LCS Stars

Few names in LCS history have garnered more recognition than Peter "Doublelift" Peng. In honor of his roots and a time in League of Legends esports that is now gone, the former pro has announced he will be hosting a 'Retirement Home Tournament', featuring former LCS stars as well as some names from "before there was even an LCS."
1h
Martin Arévalo-Östberg

Quartero's Curios: New Season, New Sets

As The International 2026 gets closer, our friend Quartero renewed his stock of items and brought in a new trio of sets for Broodmother, Nyx Assassin and Venomancer to unlock by playing pubs.
6h
Eric Oliveira

9z Stun Vitality at the IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 3

9z came into Stage 3 of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 as heavy underdogs and left everyone with their jaws on the floor, beating Team Vitality in what is already being called one of the biggest upsets in recent Counter-Strike 2 history.
10h
Thales Costa

BetBoom Upset Team Falcons in IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 3

BetBoom did not come to IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 3 to make up the numbers. They swept Team Falcons 2-0 in Round 2 of the Swiss stage, sending one of the world's top-three teams into the 1-1 pool with a performance nobody expected from the 13th-ranked side in the world.
11h
Thales Costa

Hanwha Life Esports Take Down T1 to Secure First-Ever MSI Qualification

Hanwha Life Esports' terrific run of form continues. After finishing the Group Stage in first place in the standings, HLE now took down T1 in the LCK 2026 Road to MSI bracket in dominant fashion. With the win, Hanwha Life became the first LCK team to lock in their spot at MSI 2026 in South Korea.
17h
Martin Arévalo-Östberg

C9 Vulcan Makes LCS History After Winning 2026 Spring Split MVP

Before Cloud9 take the stage for the final week of games at the 2026 LCS Spring Playoffs, it's time to celebrate their veteran Support player. Philippe "Vulcan" Laflamme was just crowned MVP of the 2026 LCS Spring Split, making him only the third Support player ever to receive the honor in LCS history.
11 Jun
Martin Arévalo-Östberg

Overwatch Shion: Abilities, Perks, and Playstyle Explained

Meet Shion, Overwatch's newest Damage hero and a deadly Flanker from the Hashimoto Clan. Here's everything you need to know about her abilities, perks, and how to play her.
11 Jun
Adarsh J. Kumar

Comments (4)

Log in to comment on this match
No comments yet

Log in and be the first to start the conversation!

Show more comments