Sometimes, the worst Dota is actually the best Dota. The International 12 (TI12) was one of the most thrilling Dota 2 tournaments in recent years, boasting top-notch production, an enthusiastic crowd, and a dynamic meta that led to some fantastic matches. However, despite how spectacular TI was, something was missing — mistakes.
Lately, more fans have been drawn to watching lower-tier Dota players than the pros, finding it far more entertaining. After a decade of professional matches, it's rare for anything to genuinely surprise a seasoned viewer, only the most intense games keep them on the edge of their seat. In contrast, when ten players from the lowest ranks are thrown together, surprises are almost guaranteed. From major misplays to bizarre strategic choices — or the lack of any strategy — low-level Dota games are full of unexpected moments.
The Allure of Imperfection
The most amusing bad Dota content comes from the Yogscast, a collective originally known for their Minecraft videos about a decade ago, which now includes many Dota enthusiasts. Every Tuesday, on the main Yogscast stream, Joe Hickson and Daf take on a Dota A-Z challenge, where Daf must win a game with every hero in alphabetical order while Joe acts as his coach. However, Daf openly admits he’s not a skilled Dota player, and learning a new hero isn’t easy.
“Playing a hero for the first time is tough, and I’m just not very good at the game,” Daf admits. “I’ve dropped over 1000 MMR recently, and now we’re diving into the territory of really crazy games,” he confesses.
These unpredictable games are what make the streams so captivating. A memorable example from before their A-Z challenge days was during the Scrub Dota series, where various Yogscast members commented on low-level Dota games. In one match, a well-farmed Alchemist sneaked into the Dire base and destroyed the ancient through backdoor protection, with no defenders returning to stop him. It’s a strategy that should never have succeeded, but at lower skill levels, anything can happen.
“Scrub Dota works because the games are awful, and you can never predict what’s going to happen,” says Joe. “The plays are all over the place, and by forcing Daf’s MMR down with a new hero each game, it just makes for a funny experience. At lower ranks, you can get away with crazy stuff because everyone’s bad.”
A Community of Comedic Failures
Another Yogscast member who frequently showcases bad Dota is Pyrion Flax, a veteran Dota streamer and a familiar face on almost every TI broadcast team. Every Tuesday, he hosts in-house games for his Twitch subscribers, and the repeated mistakes from the same players over months of watching are hilariously entertaining.
“I’ve always enjoyed watching people mess up under pressure,” says Pyrion. “I love slapstick comedy, but not mean-spirited humor. When I know and like someone, I see the humor in their failures, and bad Dota is something so many people can relate to,” he explains.
The players from these in-house games have even organized their own tournament, The Goonternational, for the past two years. Instead of their regular weekly games, the community forms teams and competes in a full tournament modeled after The International, with the winning team earning a community-funded donation to a charity of their choice. The tournament's popularity even led to a podcast, and the final match drew over 800 concurrent viewers.
More Than Just Entertainment
The Goonternational and in-house games aren’t just fun to watch—they give players a chance to experience Dota in a more competitive format than they usually would. While the games remain friendly, there’s still a competitive edge, and players get to use the pro-style draft, a rarity in public matchmaking.
“The competitive aspect of the in-houses and The Goonternational is something I think most players enjoy,” says NPR, a two-time Goonternational winner and in-house regular. “The average player doesn’t often play captain’s mode because there aren’t many platforms for it. Other leagues and tournaments mostly cater to higher-level play.”
Celebrating Mediocrity
Of course, the charm of these streams wouldn’t be the same if the streamers were highly skilled and condescending. The fact that they, too, are average at best gives the streams a collective feel, making them more wholesome than expected.
“We are almost all bad; the average player in any game is far from impressive, and half the entire user base is, by definition, going to be worse,” Pyrion notes. “We should celebrate mediocrity and understand that while this game is incredibly challenging, having fun means you’re succeeding.”
In the end, it’s this celebration of imperfection that makes bad Dota so compelling. It reminds us that, at its core, gaming is about having fun, sharing laughs, and enjoying the unpredictable chaos that unfolds when things don’t go according to plan.
Conclusion
In the end, it’s this celebration of imperfection that makes bad Dota so compelling. It reminds us that, at its core, gaming is about having fun, sharing laughs, and enjoying the unpredictable chaos that unfolds when things don’t go according to plan.