Dota 2 status effects
Author: Hawk Live LLC
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In Dota 2, the world is not necessarily decided by strong attacks and spells alone, but by negative status effects of different sorts as well. For example from Stuns to Disarms, they can be significant in altering the course of a battle. Let’s look at each one more closely and see how it can be removed.
Disable effect in Dota 2
Disable is an array of effects that prevent the use of abilities or attacking by a hero. This includes stuns, immobilizations, hexes and other similar effects. This kind of status is applied by Lion, Faceless Void and Bane using their abilities.
Disable also includes effects such as:
Stun - stops movement and ability use completely.
Root - prevents movement, but does not affect the use of most abilities.
Hex (transformation) - turns the hero into a helpless creature, usually an animal, which limits the use of abilities and movement.
Sleep - The hero falls asleep, cannot move or use abilities, but wakes up after taking damage.
Taunt - Forces the hero to attack another hero.
Hero | Ability |
| Earth Spike |
| Fiend's Grip |
| Chronosphere |
| Hex |
| Black Hole |
Slow effect
Slow down reduces the movement and attack speed of a hero thus making him less effective in combat. It can apply on both enemy heroes or allied ones; they are used to slow enemies’ movement speed or simply keep them busy while allies make their escape for example Frostbite, Time Dilation or Sticky Napalm.
Slow can be of two types, namely:
Movement Slow - reduces the hero's movement speed.
Attack Slow - reduces the hero's attack speed.
Hero | Ability |
| Frostbite |
| Venomous Gale |
| Frost Blast |
| Viper Strike |
| Frost Arrows |
Break effect in Dota 2
Break disables passives on a hero removing essential buffs as well as skills. It works well against heroes that depend on their passives for survival or damage dealing. Doom, Shadow Demon and Nullifier are some sources of this effect.
Source | Ability |
| Doom |
| Demonic Purge |
| Nullify |
| Diffusal Blade (Purge) |
| Vendetta |
Silence effect in Dota 2
Silence makes it impossible for a hero to cast spells temporarily. It has the ability to restrict what an opponent can do during confrontation thereby making him/her vulnerable. Death Prophet, Drow Ranger and Skywrath Mage possess such an effect.
Hero | Ability |
| Silence |
| Gust |
| Ancient Seal |
| Last Word |
| Geomagnetic Grip |
Disarm in Dota 2
Disarm is an effect that prevents a hero from being able to perform attacks, although he can still move and use abilities. This is especially effective against heroes that depend on their attacks, such as Phantom Assassin. Heaven's Halberd is a well-known item used to apply disarm.
Source | Ability |
| Disarm |
| Bad Juju (Aghanim's Shard) |
| Fates Edict |
| Lucky Shot |
| Phantom's Embrace (Aghanim's Shard) |
This description covers the main negative statuses in Dota 2 and their effects in the game, including examples of heroes and abilities that can inflict them.
Blind in Dota 2
Blind reduces the chance of hitting an enemy with attacks, effectively reducing the total damage a hero can do. This is especially important against heroes that depend on physical damage. An example of an ability that causes blindness is Tinker's Laser, which temporarily renders the target unable to hit their enemies.
Source | Ability |
| Laser |
| Blinding Light |
| Drunken Brawler (Earth Brewling) |
| Smoke Screen |
| Whirling Axes (Ranged) |
Mute in Dota 2
Mute prevents the use of active items that can critically affect a hero's abilities in combat. For example, Doom and Disruptor's Static Storm with Aghanim's Scepter enhancement can impose this status, limiting the enemy's ability to use life-saving items such as Black King Bar.
Source | Ability |
| Static Storm |
| Doom |
| Last Word (Aghanim's Scepter) |
| Tricks of the Trade (Aghanim's Scepter) |
Fear in Dota 2
Fear causes heroes to flee from the source of fear, losing control of their actions. This effect can be used to destroy enemy formations or to save allies. Dark Willow, with her Terrorize ability, is one example of a hero using fear.
Source | Ability |
| Terrorize |
| Spirit Siphon (Aghanim's Shard) |
| Dark Portrait (Aghanim's Scepter) |
| Crippling Fear (Aghanim's Shard) |
Doom in Dota 2
Doom is a status that is imposed by the ability of the hero of the same name, completely blocking the use of abilities and items, as well as dealing significant damage over time. It is one of the most powerful debuffs in the game, as it can completely take a hero out of combat.
Source | Ability |
| Doom |
Bash in Dota 2
Bash is a stun that randomly activates on attacks and can interrupt enemy actions. Heroes such as Faceless Void and Slardar have built-in abilities to stun attacks, making them dangerous opponents in single player battles.
Source | Ability |
| Time Lock |
| Bash |
| Greater Bash |
| Berserker's Rage |
Knockback in Dota 2
Knockback pushes the hero away from the source of the effect, sometimes accompanied by a brief stun. This can be used for defense or as a means of mass control. An example is Drow Ranger's Gust, which pushes enemies away and imposes silence.
Source | Ability |
| Gust |
| Rolling Thunder |
| Blinding Light |
| Boulder Smash |
| Skewer |
These stats represent key elements of strategy and tactics in Dota 2, each of which can significantly affect the outcome of a match.
Conclusion
Knowing how these statuses can be dispelled might just be crucial to winning any team fight in Dota 2. We believe that this overview will help you better understand how negative statuses operate in this game and how they influence its gameplay mechanics.






