Dota 2 is the acclaimed, stand-alone sequel to the Defense of the Ancients mod for Warcraft III. Dota 2 was developed by Valve for PC, Mac, and Linux and it is available for download on Steam. With furious multiplayer arena action, the goal of each match is to destroy your opposition's stronghold.
Dota Underlords may be the hot new game everyone is talking about, but Dota 2 is still one of the most played games in the world.
That’s right, in spite of being 6 years old now, the free-to-play MOBA from Valve is stronger than ever. In fact, Dota 2 is currently the second most played game in the world, with 450,000 concurrent players in one day.
The sequel to the infamous mod, Defense of the Ancients (DotA), Dota 2 pits two teams of five players against each other. Each team has to defend its own base while trying to destroy the enemies base.
You’re in control of a “hero” with unique abilities, and with more than one hundred to chose from, mastering your hero while playing as a team is a real challenge. This explains why MOBAs are so hard to master and why their community is so demanding (and borderline abusive with beginners).Bottom line: It may not be as big as League of Legends, and Heroes of the Storm is still my personal favorite, but Dota 2 is still one of the best MOBAs you can play. With a 90 Metascore and 85% Positive reviews on Steam from over a million gamers, you can’t go wrong with this one.
Dota 2 Mac requirements
Before we go any further, these are the game’s Mac system requirements:
- OS: 10.9 or newer
- Processor: Intel Dual core
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia 320M or higher, or Radeon HD 2400 or higher, or Intel HD 3000 or higher
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 15 GB available space
As you can see, this isn’t a demanding game by any means. Requiring merely an Intel HD 3000 means any modern Mac should be able to run it without breaking a sweat.
That said, for a long time gamers complained on Reddit that it was hard to get a smooth and consistent experience. We take it for a spin to see how it really runs on MacOS.
Can you run Dota 2 on Mac?
Unlike our official reviews on which we test a game on several Macs, we tested Dota 2 on the following macbine:
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2016): 2.0 GHz Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM, Intel Iris Graphics 540 (1.5GB)
This Mac should be a fair compromise as it remains a modest machine because of its integrated graphics but it’s still recent enough to compare with most MacBook Pros out there.
We tested the game on 1280×800 and Medium settings using the Exclusive Fullscreen option (which results in much better graphics and performance):
We ran tests using both the OpenGL and Vulkan rendering API.
Using the still standard OpenGL option, our MacBook Pro runs the game at an average 51,8 FPS (frames per second), which is more than enough for most:
Be aware that FPS can significantly drop when several heroes get into a fight simultaneously. For that reason, it’s better to run the game using modest settings for an overall acceptable experience.
We did run the game using the Vulkan API (which you need to install before running the game) and found it to be as fast but more stable. In the words, we experience a similar 50 FPS on average performance but the drops were less pronounced.
That said, the game did crash a few times meaning Vulkan is not ready for primetime.
Bottom line: If you own a recent Mac, you should be able to easily run Dota 2 on Medium settings. And remember, the game is free-to-play so it can’t hurt to try it for yourself!
Dota 2 Mac download
Dota 2 is a free-to-play game that is exclusively available on Steam.
14 Dota 2 Alternatives & Similar Games for Mac OS
1. AirMech
AirMech is a Futuristic, Action, Free-to-play, Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Single-player and Multiplayer video game created and published by Carbon Games. The game takes place in the fantasy world and offers fast-paced and action-packed gameplay.
It includes exciting characters and allows you to select one of them to get into the world of battle, where you must fight for glory. The game provides you with a combination of strategy, combat, team-based, and exploration elements. You have to team-up with your friends and battle against a team of other players.
To win the fight, you must eliminate all members of opposing the team and destroy their base and headquarters. You can play as a solo or can compete against the computer-controlled team. The game includes three different modes in Solo, such as 1v1, 2v2, or 3v3 Solo.
The game lets you immerse yourself in PvP experience. AirMech offers core features such as Action-RTS, Customize your Army, Different Modes, Control Options, and much more. With the well-written story, engaging and quite impressive gameplay, brilliant mechanics, and superb visuals, AirMech is the best game to play and enjoy.
2. Dragons and Titans
Dragons and Titans is an Engaging, Role-playing, Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA), Fantasy, and MMO video game developed by Wyrmbyte and published by Versus Evil. The game takes place in the fantasy world and offers fast-paced and thrill-packed gameplay.
It provides you with a combination of team-based strategy, combat, and exploration elements. The game allows you team-up with your fellows and competes against other online players in 10 to 15 minute 5vs5 matches.
The game includes more than 20 unique dragons and up to twenty weapons for each game. You can get into the game world by selecting your character, where you must complete a set of objectives to earn skill points that you can use to upgrades your weapons, items, and equipment.
Ultimate Dragon Lord, Forge your Weapons, Dominate the Leaderboards, Customization Options, etc. are the core features of the Dragons and Titans. With the stunning mechanics, addictive gameplay, and brilliant controls, it is the best alternative to League of Legends and Dota 2.
3. Games of Glory
Games of Glory is an Entertaining, Free-to-play, Action, MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena), Strategy and MMO video game developed and published by Lightbulb Crew. The game provides you with fast-paced gameplay and lets you immerse yourself in a non-stop action experience.
Games of Glory takes place in the Sci-fi universe and offers a combination of team-based, stealth, and PvP elements. You can enter into the fantasy world by choosing your character and abilities, where you have to team-up with your friends and fight against a team of other players.
Each team contains five heroes having various abilities, powers, and skills. You must collect items and equipment during the battle and use it against your opponents. Your goal is to fight against your enemies, destroy their base and headquarters. The game includes two different maps and modes, such as Avandia (Protect the VIP) and Arkashan.
The Intense Fighting, Aim all of your Shots, Pure Skills, Wide Selection of Weapons, Run-and-Gun Mechanics, and much more are the core features of the game. With the stunning visuals, superb mechanics, impressive gameplay and brilliant controls, Games of Glory is the best alternative to League of Legends and Dota 2.
4. Strife
Strife is a Free-to-play, Action Role-playing, MMORTS, and MOBA video game created and published by S2 Games. The game provides you with a combination of Strategy, Combat, Exploration, and Co-op elements and offers fast-paced gameplay.
The game takes place in the fantasy open-world environment and lets you uncover its dark secrets. It includes various heroes and enables you to choose one of them, each with unique skills, abilities, and weapons. You have to team-up with your friends and battle against a team of other players. You must defend your base and destroy the structure of your opposite side.
It lets you fully customize your character as you want and complete various objectives. The game rewards you with points as you win or achieve the goals that you can use to upgrades and unlock additional weapons, items, and equipment.
Strife includes core features such as Customization, Fantasy World, Exploration, Variety of Weapons, Equipment, Upgrades, Modes, and much more. With the superb visual details, engaging and wholly immersive gameplay, and fabulous mechanics, Strife is the best game to play and enjoy.
5. Heroes of the Storm
Heroes of the Storm is an Engaging, Action, Fantasy, Strategy, Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, Combat, and Multiplayer video game created and published by Blizzard Entertainment. The game offers both free-to-play and freemium models, in which you can purchase your favorite heroes.
The game provides you with a fast-paced and action-packed gameplay that contains a combination of PvP, RPG, Combat, and Exploration elements. It focuses on five versus five matches and allows you to enter into the game world by selecting your character after that, and you must team-up with other players and fight against your opposing team and AI.
It features various modes, such as Tutorial Mode, Training, Versus AI, Hero League, Team League, and much more. In the game, your primary task is to fight against other teams, eliminate their teammates, and destroy defensive towers and bases to win. You can use a lot of weapons and can gather various items and equipment during the gameplay. It rewards you as you complete the objectives and can use them to unlock or purchase upgrades, weapons, elements, and other stuff.
Heroes of the Storm offers the most prominent features such as Control option, Strategy, PvP, Upgrades, Customization, and others. With the superb mechanics, stunning visuals, addictive gameplay, and brilliant controls, Heroes of the Storm is the best game to play and enjoy.
6. Heroes of Newerth
Heroes of Newerth is a Fantastic, Action, Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, Strategy, and Multiplayer video game created and published by Frostburn Studios. The game takes place in the fantasy world and provides you with fast-paced gameplay.
It lets you assume the role of the hero and allows you to explore the exciting world to uncover its secrets. In the game, your primary goal is to team-up with your friends and fight against a team of other players. The game features various modes, such as Co-op, Casual, Normal, and player Hosted.
Before starting the game, you need to select the character and customize it as you want and ready for an incredible arena battle. To win, you must destroy the base of your opposing team. During the gameplay, you can gather items, equipment, and can use them against other teams to eliminate their teammates.
Dota 2 Free Mmorpg Games Mac Download
Heroes of Newerth include most prominent features such as Team-based, Strategy, Customization, powerful AI, Upgrades, and much more. With the best mechanics, Friendly Controls, Engaging gameplay, and stunning visuals, Heroes of Newerth is an excellent game to play and enjoy.
7. Defense of the Ancients
Defense of the Ancients is a Wonderful, Action, MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena), Fantasy, and Strategy video game developed and published by IceFrog. The game offers similar gameplay to League of Legends and Dota 2.
The game takes place in the fantasy world and features exciting characters. You can select your hero from the given and customize it as you want. It provides you with a combination of strategy, team-based, RPG, and Combat elements and lets you immerse yourself in the fast-paced gameplay experience.
In the game, your task is to create your team with other players or friends to jump into the arena battle where you have to fight against other players’ teams. To win the fight, you have to eliminate the members of opposing teams, destroy their defensive towers and bases. The game rewards you with XP points as you complete the objectives.
You can use your points to purchase or upgrades additional weapons, items, and others. It includes various modes and maps, and it revolves around two factions. Defense of the Ancients offers core features such as Direct Controls, different Modes, Customization, Upgrades, AI, and much more.
8. Awesomenauts
Awesomenauts is a Gorgeous, Action, MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena), 2D Platformer, Sci-fi, Co-op, Single-player and Multiplayer video game developed and published by Ronimo Games. The game takes place in the futuristic year 3587 and provides you with a combination of space, combat, strategy, and side-scroll elements.
At the start of the game, you have to select your character from available heroes named Awesomenauts. Each character has its unique abilities, skills, and powers. The game revolves around two teams of three characters. During the gameplay, you must team-up with other players and get into the world of battle where you have to fight against a group of other players and destroy their defensive towers and bases.
There is a massive variety of weapons, items, and other things for you. The game rewards you as you complete the objectives and can use it to unlock or upgrade new weapons, equipment, and other stuff. Awesomenauts include core features such as 3v3 Mode, Customization, Team Deathmatch, Split-Screen Action, Regular Updates, and much more. Awesomenauts offers superb mechanics, stunning visuals, and exciting gameplay.
9. Dota
Dota is an Amazing, Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA), Role-playing Combat and Defense video game developed by Valve Corporation. The game focuses on two different teams and lets you select one of them and dive into battle.
The main objective to destroy all members of the against the team, heavily protected structures, bases, and corners of the map. You can use massive units called Heroes and can get assistance by AI (Artificial Intelligence) Controlled fighters.
Explore the game world, gather resources (Gold, Iron, Metal, Silver, and more) and use them to purchase items, equipment, and weapons to level-up during the mission. The plot revolves around two teams, such as the Scourge and the Sentinel.
Each player in the game can control only one hero equipped with unique, powerful units and abilities. Earn experience points by killing computer-controlled characters and use them to purchase upgrades and more. Dota offers key features, addictive gameplay, stunning graphics, isometric view, etc.
10. Total War: Rome II
The Creative Assembly introduce another game of the most popular Real-time Strategy video game series of Total War named as Total War: Rome II. It is an eighth game in the Total War series that was released on September 3, 2013, on Microsoft Windows and Mac platforms. The game takes place in the classic antiquity period and offers a more complex portrayal of each culture. The game focuses on a Real-time battle and faction-based conquering theme. At the beginning of the game, it allows the player to choose his character with various classes. Each class of the game has its own characters and powers. It also allows the player to become a part of the large kingdom, controls his factions, makes his own military force and get into the battlefield to show his skills and prove them as a best in the world. The game offers a brilliant combination of RTS and Economics that makes the game more interesting and enjoyable. Total War: Rome II offers most prominent features such as new game world, powerful enemies, new factions, and upgrades, etc. With quite addictive gameplay, well-written storyline, improved visuals and enhanced game mechanics. Total War: Rome II is a best RTS game as compared to its previous games.
11. Total War Battles: KINGDOM
Total War Battles: KINGDOM is a Free to play, Real-time Strategy, City-Building, Single and Multiplayer video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by SEGA. In this game, the ultimate task of the player creates his own land with a number of buildings and units. At the beginning of the game the player has few resources which the player can use build his kingdom, but after completing the several levels, it allows the player to unlock more items and resources to create more advanced buildings. After creating his land, it allows the player to recruit and train his military force to conquer territories in order to expand his area. The game also offers a multiplayer mode that allows the player battle against his opponent in real-time and tests his skills. Total War Battles: KINGDOM offers most prominent features such as completely freely to play, lots of upgrades, unlockable achievements, new locations, command his army and different kinds of buildings, etc. The game offers immersive and quite engaging gameplay, brilliant graphics and enhanced game mechanics.
12. Paladins
Paladinsis an Action, FPS, Open-World, MOBA, PvP, Team-based and Survival video game by Hi-Rez Studios. In this game, the player can take on the role of a unique character who has some unique abilities and skills. The game takes place in the fantasy world that allows the player to create a team with other online player and starts the combat against the opposing team members. The game offers excellent, fast-paced, action-packed gameplay that immerses himself deep into the unique game world. It allows the player to freely move in the massive game world and complete the game objectives in order to progress. The game includes key features such as huge range of Weapons, different Modes, Power-ups, Upgrades, Unlockable Achievements, Customization option and lots of other things, etc. With stunning gameplay, objective storyline, dynamic background music, and beautiful visual details. Paladins is one of the best Massively Multiplayer Online video game as compared to the other same genres.
13. Paladins: Champions of the Realm
Paladins: Champions of the Realm is a Multiplayer Fast-paced and Third-person Shooter video game developed and published by Hi-Rez Studios. The game provides various characters known as Champions, for the player to choose during the play. Each champion has its own appearance, weapons and skills. Choose one of them and fall into the game world. There are multiple category are available in the game such as Front Line, Support, Damage and Flank which the player must choose before start. During the gameplay, the player is able to freely move in the unique, stunning environment, use his weapons and kill all the opponent members. Siege, Onslaught and Team Deathmatch, there are three different modes of the game and in each mode, the player must complete a certain amount of task to progress. Paladins: Champions of the Realm includes prominent features such as multiple cards, items, game currencies, achievements, unlock special weapons, amazing environment to explore, power-ups and much more. With enhanced mechanics, fantastic game world and Ultra-HD visual details. Paladins: Champions of the Realm is one of the best Multiplayer Third-person Shooter game as compared to the others.
14. Smite
Smite is an Awesome, Action, Free-to-play, Co-op, MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena), Survival, Third-person, and Role-playing video game created and published by Hi-Rez Studios. The game provides you with a combination of RPG, Team-based, Strategy, Exploration, and Combat elements and lets you immerse yourself in Fast-paced and action-packed gameplay experience.
In the game, you can assume the role of the visage of god or any other mythological creature to take part in arena combat. Each character has its unique abilities, skills, and powers. Your primary task is to team-up with other players and choose the best strength and skills for them. After that, you have to fight against a team of other god and computer-controlled characters.
The game includes various modes, and maps, revolving around two factions. You can get into the game world by selecting your personality and create your team with other online players. The game drops you in the world of battle, where you must control your side and fight against a group of other players.
To win the arena battle, you have to destroy your enemy defensive towers and their core bases. It includes various playable modes, such as Co-op, Practice Mode, and others. Smite includes core features such as Team-based, Customization, Upgrades, and much more.
More About Dota 2
Dota 2 is a Free-to-play, Action-Adventure, Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, Single-player and Multiplayer video game created and published by Valve Corporation. It is the direct sequel to Defense of the Ancients, taking place in the fictional year and allows you to explore the game world and fight against a team of other players.
The game includes various characters, each with unique powers and abilities, and lets you choose one of them, control your team and jump into the battle where you have to protect your complex structure and destroy the enemies.
It allows you to customize your hero as you want and explore the world consists of a set of challenging missions. During the gameplay, fabulous prizes will become a part of your collection, as you complete the objectives, and you can use your rewards to unlock or purchase upgrades, power-ups, and other stuff.
You can immerse yourself in the PvP battle arena with other players. Fully Character Customization, Upgrades, Stealth, Two Faction, various Modes, etc. are the most prominent features of the game. With superb mechanics, addictive gameplay, brilliant mechanics, Dota 2 is the best game to play and enjoy.