Valve announces The Ringmaster coming in 2024

Valve announces The Ringmaster coming in 2024

Otomo

30 Sep, 2023, 00:37

|

Last updated: 11 Apr, 2025, 01:15

At The International 12 (TI12) Valve announced the next hero to join the Dota 2 roster. Ringmaster will be coming in 2024.

Not much detail has been revealed about the new hero, but there are certain hints to what he does in the trailer.

Everything we know about the Ringmaster in Dota 2

Dota 2's Ringmaster looks like a great controller.
Good luck escaping that (Credit: Valve)

From the trailer video, we can see the Ringmaster controls a creep to lure enemies. That's not unexpected, since the hero is based on the Puppet Master from Heroes of Neworth.

When Axe is lured to a carnival device, he tests his strength on the machine. We believe that Ringmaster will use some ability based on the enemy's strength, the stronger the enemy, the higher the impact. It could be from how high their main attribute or level is, time will tell.

After Axe hits the machine, he is immediately grabbed and sucked into it.  Ringmaster will likely have some form of control that locks enemies away for a few seconds, possibly his ultimate.

In 2021 a few people datamined information from the Dota 2 servers and found a few unused abilities, we expect at least a couple of these to be used for Ringmaster (possibly called Puppet Master back then).

Puppet Master: Chastise (Deleted), Command Puppets, Craft Puppets (Deleted), Dark Marionette, Marionette Cancel, Marionette, Master of Puppets, Pull the Strings, Punch No Judy, Siphon Soul (Deleted), String Up, Voodoo Doll, Funhouse (New ability), Limelight (New ability), Mannequin Pull (New ability), Mannequin Push (New ability) and Standing Ovation (New ability).

Not much else is known about the hero, but we're hopeful he comes out early in 2024, which for Valve would be November.

Till then, happy pubbing!

READ MORE: Zai: "This might have been my last TI"

Image Source provided by: Valve

 

Latest news

Indonesia to Host the IESF World Esports Championship 2026

Indonesia to Host the IESF World Esports Championship 2026

The IESF World Esports Championship 2026 is heading to Indonesia, bringing together athletes from around the world across five esports titles.
23 Sep
Sofia Guimarães

South American Dota 2 Sees A Path Back After ESIC Bans Vintage and DarkMago

The bans against Vintage and DarkMago give South American Dota 2 a clear point to address match-fixing concerns and rebuild trust across its competitive scene.
12 Sep
André Guaraldo

Team Falcons Leaves Dota 2 over Long-term Strategy and Sustainability

Team Falcons has officially left Dota 2, ending a nearly three-year run that included a The International 2025 title. The organization says the move follows a strategic review and a shift toward ecosystems with greater long-term operational sustainability.
7 Sep
André Guaraldo

This is How Team Spirit Won The International 2026

Team Spirit went from a long-lasting crisis straight to lifting the Aegis of Champions in 2026. Part of this accomplishment is directly related to Yaroslav "Miposhka" Naidenov. Spirit dove deeper into their crisis after he left and, almost like magic, snapped out of it as soon as he returned as coach.
31 Aug
Eric Oliveira

Virtus.pro and LGD Gaming Start Off the Post-TI Roster Shuffle

As usual, after The International, we get a wave of roster changes, and in 2026, the shuffle season started off with Virtus.pro and LGD Gaming dismissing their respective Dota 2 rosters.
27 Aug
Eric Oliveira

The International 2026 Meta Recap: Hoodwink Dethroned

The International 2026 is over, and after a long-lasting reign, Hoodwink was finally dethroned as the most popular pick in Tier 1 tournaments. Team Blue has taken the lead, but what about performance?
24 Aug
Eric Oliveira

Team Spirit Are The International 2026 Champions

After a thrilling best-of-five, Team Spirit lifted the Aegis of Champions and were crowned The International 2026 Champions! They carved their names into the Aegis and go down in history as the first three-time TI Champions.
23 Aug
Eric Oliveira

Comments (0)

Log in to comment on this match