The circus is coming to town as Ringmaster, the new Dota 2 hero, is revealed at TI12. The hero is scheduled to release in 2024.
Dota 2 is heading to the Circus as Valve reveals their new hero, Ringmaster. The Ringmaster was unveiled on October 29, during The International 2023 finals with a special reveal video.
In the video, Ringmaster narrates his capture of the unwitting Axe, who is snared by his deadly trap. After being lured into the trap, Axe is pulled inside a circus game-inspired device, presumably to his demise
Ringmaster will be the 125th hero added to Dota 2 (provided no other heroes are added before). Little is known about the hero, but the character is set to release in 2024.
This is a developing story and will be updated as we have more information.
Everything to know about Dota 2's Ringmaster
It's speculated that Ringmaster will be somewhat inspired by Puppet Master, a character from Heroes of Newerth.
If this is correct, the Ringmaster would have the ability to bind enemies, taunt them, and summon a puppet to attack his opponents.
From the teaser video, we can see that Ringmaster may have the ability to control neutral creeps, or create mechanical versions of them to lure heroes. Additionally, it's speculated that the hero will be able to create a large structure, similar to Undying's Tombstone, to ensnare and trap enemies.
Ability speculation
If Ringmaster is inspired by Puppet Master, his abilities might be a little something like this:
- Q - Bind/Stun with short duration
- W - Deploy test of strength/carnival attraction. Deployable unit that taunts nearby enemies
- E - Critical strike buff
- R - Summon Puppet/mechanical minion
Ringmaster appearance and design
Ringmaster's design appears to be mechanical in nature, looking like a puppet or doll. He has key slot in his neck, perhaps implying he's more like a wind-up toy. The hero is also depicted as holding an orb of some kind, which may give him his supernatural powers.