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Awesome References in Dota 2, Part 1

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Was that a JoJo reference?

Dota 2 -

Axe dota 2 — Axe's line "Better red than dead"

It's a reference to Cold War slogans. The opposing saying once was "Better dead than red" and it was all about anti-communism and nuclear disarmament. (Image credit: Valve Corporation)

Dota 2 aegis greek mythology — Aegis of the Immortal

The item that drops from Roshan grants immortality to the one carrying it. At the same time, according to the in-game lore, Zeus gave up on his own immortality to come down and live with mortals. According to Greek mythology, it was Zeus' shield. (Image credit: Valve Corporation)

Aghanim zelda — Aghanim

The fabled creator of the item we often buy, Aghanim was actually revealed during the Dota 2 summer event in 2020. Did you know that the original Aghanim comes from the Legend of Zelda series and he was probably the inspiration for his Dota 2 counterpart? (Image credit: Nintendo)

Dota 2 puck — Puck

The hero Puck is a reference to a play – William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" has a fairy that's also called Puck. It's no coincidence that Dota 2's Puck speaks in Iambic pentameter, a type of metric used in poetry and drama! (Image credit: Valve Corporation)

Shadow fiend dota 2 — Nevermore

Shadow Fiend's name in Dota 2 is Nevermore – a clear reference to Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven". (Image credit: Valve Corporation)

Tarrasque — Heart of Tarrasque

Heart of Tarrasque was without a doubt inspired by the huge monstrosity you see above. A Tarrasque is usually described as a dragon-like creature. It's also a popular monster in D&D. (Image credit: Wizards of the Coast)

Lina dota 2 reference — Lina

Lina's old name in the original DotA was Lina Inverse. The latter is the main character of the manga and anime series Slayers. Much like in Dota 2, Lina is a powerful sorceress that likes to blast everything in her way. (Image credit: Valve Corporation)

Ctulhu — Necronomicon/Armlet of Mordiggian/Dagon

All three Dota 2 items are references to the work of H.P. Lovecraft, the famous creator of the Cthulhu mythos. (Image credit: H.P. Lovecraft wiki)

Dota 2 riki anonymous mode — Riki

Back in DotA, Riki's name was Rikimaru. In Dota 2, Riki still has a couple of lines using his old name, including "Rikimaru comes for you". Rikimaru is the main character of the Tenchu video games. (Image credit: Valve Corporation)

Faceless void dio — Faceless Void's Chronosphere cast animation

With his Chronosphere ultimate, Faceless Void stops time. The way he casts it is almost identical to one of the main villains in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure – Dio. (Image credit: Reddit)

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Dota 2 has been out for over 7 years and it'll have its 8-year anniversary in 2021. The original DotA is much older than that and numerous references are still scattered in the modern-day sequel. Today we're starting a journey to take a look at some of the most interesting references in Dota 2. It'll probably take some time before we manage to cover them all, so stay tuned!

READ MORE:

For more Dota 2 and gaming news, stick to EarlyGame. Check out our Twitter and Facebook, and ring that bell on our YouTube channel!

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Dota 2 has been out for over 7 years and it'll have its 8-year anniversary in 2021. The original DotA is much older than that and numerous references are still scattered in the modern-day sequel. Today we're starting a journey to take a look at some of the most interesting references in Dota 2. It'll probably take some time before we manage to cover them all, so stay tuned!

READ MORE:

For more Dota 2 and gaming news, stick to EarlyGame. Check out our Twitter and Facebook, and ring that bell on our YouTube channel!