The difference in win rates between Radiant and Dire teams in Dota 2 has grown since The International 2023, where Radiant was much more successful. This trend continued and even increased during the ESL One Kuala Lumpur qualifiers last week, showing there’s a big problem.
In The International 2023, Radiant won 59 percent of the matches, which was a lot more than the Dire’s 41 percent. This number increased to 71 percent at ESL One Kuala Lumpur so far, proving there’s something fundamentally wrong with the map that is causing it.
The Dota 2 community has tried to figure out what is causing it, and the consensus seems to be that Radiant’s safelane is safer and has better warding spots compared to Dire, which in turn, makes it easier to farm.
However, there are other reasons too. Players think Radiant has an edge with Roshan because of how the map’s timing works. Around the 20-minute mark, when teams are usually ready to fight Roshan, he’s on the Radiant side. This puts Radiant in a better position to get the first Roshan than Dire. This timing also matches with the day cycle, making it easier for Radiant to see Dire teams trying to interfere. It also lines up the spawn times.
One Dota 2 player suggested a solution: have Roshan’s initial spawn have a random chance of occurring on either side and then switch sides with each day or night cycle, instead of a set schedule. Some also mentioned Radiant has a better-designed jungle with improved paths and easier camp pulling. They also noted the mana regeneration buff in the safe lane is better than the health regeneration buff on the Dire side.
Whatever the reason, it’s clear Radiant holds an advantage in professional matches. This advantage doesn’t seem as significant in public games, likely because non-professional players are not as precise and efficient with their timings and in making the most of these advantages.
