Diretide is one of the most famous events in Dota 2, as it was an instant hit when it first came out in 2012. Though most expected the event would be a yearly occurrence, it suddenly disappeared for six years until it came back in 2020.
Whenever Diretide is live, players assemble their elite squads with their friends to take on the almighty Roshan and collect as much candy as possible. These candies can later be exchanged for cosmetic rewards, which can vary in quality. Farming more candies can allow players to unlock more exclusive skins like Arcanas.
If this is going to be your first time experiencing Diretide, you may feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content and the gameplay elements in the event. Some consider Diretide as an acquired taste, and it generally takes a few games to get familiar with the game mode’s meta.
Here’s everything you need to know about Diretide in Dota 2.
What is Candyworks in Diretide? Dota 2’s candy redemption system
Throughout your Diretide journeys, you’ll accumulate quite a bit of candies which you can exchange for cosmetic items like sets and skins in the Candyworks.
What are the rewards in Diretide?
Players will be presented with three cosmetics when they open the Candyworks, and they’ll have the option to reroll their offerings. The reroll is capped at 10 times a week, and they can be earned by playing the game.
The main source of candies will once again be playing Dota 2, and players will be free to choose their favorite game mode. Diretide, ranked, turbo, and unranked all reward players with candy for their time, capping at five candies per week. Candies can also be found inside Candy Sacks, which are awarded to players for unlocking certain battle pass levels.
How to play Diretide in Dota 2
Instead of towers, players will be working with four Taffy Wells in Diretide games. Throughout the match, you’ll need to focus on collecting Taffies, which can be obtained from Greevils or by taking down other players. Once you get your hands on some Taffies, you’ll want to toss them into an enemy well.
Taking down all the enemy wells will be the key to victory, and Roshan will spawn to help you with just that. When Roshan spawns, it will attack the well with the most Taffies.
How to win Diretide in Dota 2? Diretide mechanics
- Pick the best Diretide heroes that excel at teamfighting.
- Farm Aura items like Wraith Pact and Pipe of Insight to help out your team.
- Learn when to defend and prioritize defending if you have a Tuffy advantage.
- Take care of the Well Guardians early in the match to avoid dealing with them later.
Picking the best heroes for the job is essential if you want to win Diretide games in Dota 2. Choosing heroes that can farm Aura items like Wraith Pact, Guardian Greaves, Shiva’s Guard, Crimson Guard, and Pipe of Insight can generally help your win rate. Omniknight, for example, is one of the best heroes that can farm these items in the game mode alongside Undying.
Given the limited sources on the map, Legion Commander is also a popular pick, as she can snowball out of control with her ultimate bonus damage. You should prioritize picking heroes with self-sustaining abilities and teamfight potential since you’ll need to ensure your survival toward the later sections of the match.
Heroes aside, there are also a few in-game elements that you’ll need to focus on while playing Diretide. Getting rid of the well guardians early on in the game can often make a huge difference since they don’t respawn. Leaving the guardians alive can allow them to pull off game-changing plays in the decider seconds of a match.
