If Dota 2 was a major in college, here’s what it would look like

There are people who say “If Dota 2 was a college course, I would ace it.” Some can actually walk the walk, but then there are those who look blankly at you at the mention of turn rate, reliable gold, pure damage, patch notes and other things that are pretty basic to the regular pro.

Let’s be honest here. A lot of people underestimate what playing professional Dota 2 is like and fail to realize that it is not like public matchmaking at all. Pub games make things look easy when in fact, it’s complex enough that it really could be a college course of study.

What would a Dota 2 curriculum look like? Here is the required course list:

Entrance exam and evaluation test

All students must take an entrance exam, both written and practical. The practical examination will test your game mechanics and experience level, while the written exam tests your game knowledge. All students must take the entrance exams, but students who score high enough on both exams may place out of the DOTA 101 and 102 requirements. Exam results will also be used to place students with other students of similar skill levels for in-game labs and drills.

(See: 5 signs that you’re still a Dota 2 noob (and how to cure it))

DOTA 101: Fundamentals of Dota 2

This course will cover the fundamentals of Dota 2, starting with a basic history of the game and its roots in the RTS genre, and moving into a broad survey of the game’s elements. Students will learn about all of Dota 2’s heroes, and the basics of the Dota 2 meta and roles. This will include some coverage and discussion of Dota-specific terminology like “carry”.

DOTA 102: Team Play

This course will cover all of the roles within Dota 2 and how these roles interact and interplay as a cohesive unit. As part of this course, students will be asked to develop a working understanding of every role in the game through in-class labs and independent practice. Students who complete the course will have a solid understanding of how a good Dota 2 team functions in each stage of the game, and what each role’s responsibilities are at each stage of the game.

Prerequisite: DOTA 101