League of Legends. I've played both properly: League on and off since 2012, and 1,028 hours of Dota 2 on Steam after I switched over completely. I'm back on League now, and for a new player in 2026, League is the one I'd tell them to pick.
Dota is the deeper game, and it isn't dead. But it asks a lot more of you, and its games run longer. Here's how I ended up playing both, what Dota does better, and why I went back.
How I Got Into League of Legends
Through the DayZ mod. That's the original mod for Arma 2, not DayZ standalone, and the mod is the one I rate. It came out in spring 2012 and hit a million players in its first four months, per Wikipedia, and all of us were playing it.
Then loads of the guys I played DayZ mod with kept stopping to go and play this game called League of Legends. I didn't like the appeal of it. I'd never played a game in that style before. Eventually, I got bullied into playing it.
League had come out in October 2009, and its Season 2 ran from November 2011 to November 2012, per the League wiki. With the DayZ mod arriving in spring 2012, that puts my start in Season 2.
Why I Switched from League to Dota 2
At Season 8 of League, which was 2018, I switched to Dota 2 entirely and didn't play League at all. That's where the 1,028 hours come from.
Dota came first, in a way. The original DotA was a Warcraft III mod from 2003, per Wikipedia, and League was built on that idea. Dota 2 itself only came out in July 2013, per its Steam page, years after League.
What Dota 2 Does Better Than League
Dota has more mechanics than League, and more going on at any one time. So there's a lot more to learn in Dota before you're actually playing well, and that takes patience. That's the part that matters most when I think about which one a new player should pick.
Why I Went Back to League
Game length. Dota games were getting so long. Dota 2 matches usually last around 30 minutes to an hour, per Wikipedia's Dota 2 page, and they can go on as long as both Ancients are still standing. League's Summoner's Rift matches can be over in 15 minutes, per Wikipedia's League page.
And when I went back, I didn't go back to Summoner's Rift. I went back to playing ARAM, and that turned into ARAM Mayhem. That's still where I play League now.
Is Dota 2 Dead in 2026?
No. I don't think it'll ever die. On 9 October 2026, Dota 2 had a 24-hour peak of 867,674 players and a 30-day average of 573,812, per SteamCharts. You're not going to struggle to find a game. It's rated Very Positive on Steam too, with 80% of nearly 2.8 million reviews positive, per its Steam page.
I still watch The International when it comes around, the same way I watch Worlds for League. TI 2026 was in Shanghai in August, where Team Spirit beat Team Vision 3-2 in the final, per GosuGamers. Worlds 2026 runs from 15 October to 14 November in the US, with the final at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, per Wikipedia. The pro scene is still moving too, with Topson returning to OG for the 2026-27 season.
Dota 2 vs League of Legends: A Quick Comparison
| Dota 2 | League of Legends | |
|---|---|---|
| Average match length | 30–60 minutes | As short as 15 minutes |
| Learning curve | Steep , more mechanics, more complexity | More accessible for new players |
| Player count | 867,674 peak / 573,812 avg (Oct 2026) | Widely played globally |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (80%, ~2.8M reviews) | Not on Steam |
| Best for | Players who want depth and patience to match | New players and those with limited time |
Which Should a New Player Pick in 2026?
League. I assume new players are going to be younger and more dopamine-fried, and I don't think many of them are going to have the patience to learn Dota 2, if I'm honest.
If you do start on League, games.gg has a beginner's guide to Summoner's Rift and a list of the best champions for beginners. And if you ever want more depth, Dota will still be there. It's free on Steam, and it's not going anywhere.
