Valve Releases New Dota 2 Hero Ringmaster

Dota 2 developer and publisher Valve Corporation just dropped Ringmaster, the latest hero to join the ranks of the Dota 2 roster.

First teased as part of a cinematic trailer at The International 2023 (TI12), Ringmaster was initially scheduled to be released in “early 2024”, according to Valve. But as most fans of the company and of Dota 2 already know by now, Valve does what Valve will, and that is be (un)fashionably late to everything.

Still, certainly better late than never. Ringmaster has arrived, and with a very unique kit in tow. Though he may not be available in Captains Mode, and likely won’t be even into TI13, pub players can now pick him in every other game mode.

Master of the Dota Circus

As an Intelligence hero with a seriously disruptive set of abilities, Ringmaster is meant to be a support hero, primarily.

Nothing emphasizes this more than his second ability Escape Act (W), which encases either himself or a target friendly hero in a sword-box — the very same one that real life circus acts use to “stab” performers within. Any hero inside the box gains bonus magic resistance, slow resistance, and movement speed. They also gain phased movement during this time, allowing them to walk straight through other units unhindered.

Though it doesn’t banish targets and make them invulnerable like Shadow Demon’s Disruption (Q), the additional durability Escape Act provides should not be underestimated. The increase in movement speed is also quite valuable, since it makes getting away from enemy heroes that much easier. That said, it does not protect against stuns nor does it provide status resistance, so it still kind of loses to heavy lockdown lineups.

Introducing The Ringmaster, the newest addition to Dota2's hero pantheon, alongside this year's collection of TI-focused games, events, and rewards, The Compendium!https://t.co/M3owzGvXYG pic.twitter.com/X2AodFHbtQ

— DOTA 2 (@DOTA2) August 23, 2024

Ringmaster isn’t all about defense, though. No sir, he has plenty of offensive power to throw around as well. It starts with Impalement Arts (E), which causes Ringmaster to throw a dagger at a target point.

This dagger does not home in on enemy units, so it’s a pure skillshot, but landing it on an enemy hero has some serious benefits. The dagger slows the unit by 100 percent for four seconds, which is kind of ridiculous in its own right already. But on top of that, it also applies a bleed effect that damages the afflicted hero for up to 5 percent of its maximum health. Not current, but maximum health. Tanky heroes like Centaur Warrunner aren’t going to like dealing with this ability.

Impalement Arts does flat damage to creeps, so it’s also very useful for securing ranged creeps in the laning phase. Past that, however, it’s not that great for farming or clearing waves, despite being on a short one second cooldown. It costs 80 mana per cast, so Ringmaster will quickly run himself dry if he tries to use it to clear waves.

His remaining regular ability Tame the Beasts (Q) is a hybrid offensive and defensive spell, causing the fear effect to affected units in an area, while also dealing magic damage in the process. This is a chargeable ability, with longer charge times increasing the damage output and fear duration but reducing the AoE radius.

Tame the Beasts could have some interesting synergies, such as with Bloodseeker’s Rupture (R) or Puck’s Dream Coil (R). Even without drafting specifically to maximize Tame the Beasts, though, it’s still a welcome ability that can prove itself handy in different situations.

Rounding out his kit is his ultimate ability, the Wheel of Wonder (R). Upon use, Ringmaster throws out a mesmerizing wheel at a target point, knocking enemy units aside as the wheel flies out. Enemy units that are within a 600 unit radius of the wheel will take damage over time, and receive a 50 percent movement speed slow.

That’s not all. Any enemy hero that looks in the wheel’s direction for more than 0.5 seconds is automatically taunted towards the wheel, in much the same way as Axe’s Berserker’s Call (Q). The first enemy hero to be taunted this way also activates a timer on the wheel, which blows the wheel up for massive magic damage when it expires.

Trickster Extraordinaire

Ringmaster also has one of the most unique innate abilities in Dota 2 in the form of Dark Carnival Barker. Any time an enemy hero dies within a 925 unit radius of Ringmaster, he gains a charge of Dark Carnival Barker, which he can use to throw out various circus items with a myriad of effects.

Funhouse Mirror, for example, creates an illusion of Ringmaster that lasts for 18 seconds. Strongman Tonic increases an allied hero’s strength temporarily, with the bonus amount being based on Ringmaster’s hero level. Finally, Whoopee Cushion propels Ringmaster forward 400 units, while leaving a stink cloud behind that slows enemy units by 30 percent.

All in all, Ringmaster’s identity is clear: he is there to cause chaos and havoc in teamfights and ganks while having something to protect his teammates as well. Whether or not he is suited for the current metagame in Patch 7.37b is still anyone’s guess at this point, of course, but on paper, he already looks like a potential menace in this teamfight-focused meta.