‘Be fast with muting people,’: Grubby gives the best advice to players wanting to get into Dota 2

Legendary Warcraft III player Grubby continues his Dota 2 adventures as fans worldwide tune in to watch how the former pro hones his skills. And, consideringGrubby has decades of experience playing real-time strategy (RTS) games, he’s also been helping his viewers who are considering trying out Valve’s MOBA with some useful tips and tricks.

During a recent stream, Grubby’s chat asked him whether he would recommend others to play Dota 2. The Dutchman said that while the game is one of the top three games he’s ever played, it isn’t the most accessible game to new players.

Even with a notoriously steep learning curve that turns many prospective players away, Grubby believes that even new players can enjoy Dota 2 if they follow a few simple rules, like eliminating the need to win. 

I don’t think [Dota 2] is super accessible for new players, but it’s not that bad either,” Grubby said. “So long as you follow these simple rules, like don’t need to win or learn fast. Focus on fun.”

While such impulses drive players to get better at games and have a more competitive approach, they might also make losses more devastating and prevent newer players from having fun.

Grubby advises new players to focus on having fun while learning Dota and use outside sources like YouTube videos and guides to help them navigate through their rookie season. There are dozens of channels and resources available that have been specifically tailored to the new player experience, such as commentator Purge’s entire YouTube channel and website.

The streamer’s last suggestion was to mute toxic players as quickly as possible during a match because nothing good comes from sitting in a game and listening to someone constantly flame others, especially if you are playing casually. 

It’s only been a few months since Grubby started playing Dota, and it seems like it was enough time to get the RTS players up-to-date with the lingo and player behavior in the game, with his chat and the community as a whole largely agreeing with these simple rules.