A new hero, Frug, is coming to Dota 2: release date, abilities, and appearance

After the release of the Monster Hunter crossover update in Dota 2, files in the game revealed a mention of a new hero – Frug the Barbarian, who will likely become the next playable character.

All the details about the new hero were shared by dataminers on the Dota_DM Telegram channel.

Frug's Story

In the game files, a novella about the new hero named Frug was found, and according to the description, he is not a bard, but a barbarian and will probably be a melee hero

“When I first meet Frug the barbarian, he's sitting on a rock in a forest clearing, bandaging some pretty painful-looking blade wounds. Next to him are the bodies of a few creatures that appear to be made of wood. Or chopped wood after Frug got done with them.

After I introduce myself, Frug explains he's hoping to become a hero. He says I can be the first to write of his exploits, starting with the aftermath of the battle he'd just fought and won.

"When yer lookin' to become a hero, these guys are a good way to get some practice in," the barbarian grunts. "Even them proper heroes still whet their blades on 'em.

"An' here's the best part," he adds before leaning down and pilfering coins from the corpses he'd made”

Frug’s Appearance

The new hero will likely look like an amphibian, resembling a frog with barbarian features, not a bard as previously thought. The character even has a sticker in the Hero Atlas, but it is currently hidden and only displays the hidden hero. Nevertheless, the silhouette already shows heavy armor and rough features.

Credits: Valve Corporation

Frug will likely resemble a classic barbarian with axes or a huge axe and will fight in melee combat.

Frug’s Abilities

The new hero Frug will probably be a melee fighter focused on strength. This fits the barbarian archetype and aligns with his story, where he “chopped” creeps, hinting that he used an axe or a large sword.

Frug’s Release Date

So far, Valve has not made any official announcements, and even in the files there is no mention of when Frug will appear in the game. However, dataminers suggest that the new hero should be added to Dota 2 before the end of the Monster Hunter event.

Considering the crossover is set to last until February 11, 2026, it is likely that Frug will become playable in early February 2026 or late January. If Valve decide not to launch the Winterfrost 2025 event, the hero could appear in the game even earlier.