Valve is still making Dota 2 players pay to avoid toxic teammates

Avoiding players should be something the team’re all entitled to. But Valve is still treating it like a premium feature only available to Dota Plus subscribers.

Valve introduced the avoid player feature in Dota 2 back in 2019 as a part of the TI9 Battle Pass. It wasn’t perfect. But that can be forgiven since it was experimental. And for the most part, it was a success. The player base welcomed it with open arms, and it’s probably because toxicity has always been an issue in Dota 2.

In my opinion, the beloved game has some of the most toxic players in the world. That’s not a slight on the community, which is one of the most passionate and dedicated ones out there. I believe it’s a by-product of the game itself.

Dota 2 is challenging at the best of times and soul-crushing at the worst of times. That can bring out the worst in people, especially when they are shrouded in anonymity.

New players need to learn the game while being scolded. But a bit of constructive criticism is a good thing, and it can go a long way. You will inevitably make mistakes and people will call you out on them. It’s a part of learning the ropes and growing as a player.

However, there’s a difference between constructive criticism and needless toxicity. And the latter happens quite often, even at higher ranks. It gets worse the higher you climb because the stakes are higher and people’s egos are bigger and more fragile.

Think about it. You’re pitted with four allies, each with their strengths, weaknesses, quirks and skill levels, for anywhere between twenty minutes and an hour, sometimes more. Winning the game requires so much teamwork and coordination, all the way from the laning phase to the late game. And even then, there’s no guarantee.

A single misplay or miscommunication is often enough to lose the game. Sometimes it’s you who makes the blunder, other times it’s someone else. And of course, there are times where you lose because the opposition team was better. That’s the reality of climbing the ranks in a MOBA. It’s a long and harrowing journey. And it can be frustrating as hell.