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

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 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.

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.

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.

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 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"