Dota 2 Easter Eggs featuring hidden pop culture and game references
Author: Hawk Live LLC
Last updated:
Dota 2 is not just another complicated strategy game, but there are also hidden elements, or "Easter eggs," that coincide with some of the games and movies, books and even people in real life. Some of these Easter eggs are straightforward, while others are buried deep in the vast combinations of words and stories that make the game. This article describes some of the most remarkable Easter eggs discovered in Dota 2 ranging from references to pop, culture to other games from the company valve and more.
Pop Culture References in Dota 2
Players within Dota 2 often utilize phrases which are borrowed from books, song or movie characters. Here are some that are standout:
Bane and Shakespeare’s Macbeth: One of the more gruesome heroes of Dota by the name of Bane, is known to sometimes roam around the map and say “Sleep no more!” This Easter egg quote is a precise embodiment of the ghost of Banquo who comes into the picture in Shakespeare's Macbeth after Banquo is murdered.
Lina and Rock Legends: Lina is not only a fierce warrior, her voice lines are full of respect for a rock and roll culture that should not die. One of the most misattributed phrases is “Its better to burn out than to fade away” how wonderful it is, the late great Kurt Cobain turned this into a mantra for his own life, but as many people realize, this is a famous quote from Neil Young’s Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black). “Helter swelter!” Is yet another one of her phrases that’s a wordplay from the Beatles’ Helter Skelter.
Credit: Valve Corporation
Kunkka and Samuel Taylor Coleridge: It is interesting to note here that when Kunkka kills Windranger he might state ‘on me alone it blew’ which Kunkka has said in the past when he feels emotional about the past. This comes from Coleridge’s famous poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, which is centered on a curse that befalls a sailor.
References to Valve Games in Dota 2
Kunkka, the father of games and assassin classic video game relocator Counter Strike, has a penchant for placing references to other Valve games in Dota 2. Here are some considerable references:
Portal and Io droning in the background When equipped with the Ai’s Arcana, Io begins for a moment, a song from the end of Portal 2. This is a throwback to another classic of Valve, which will bring more joy to fans of both games.
Credit: Valve Corporation
‘Operations’ in “Dota 2” and “Counter-Strike”. From Techies, who is an expert in explosives, says a line which sounds exactly like what is uttered in Counter-Strike, “Bomb has been planted”. With respect to voice-lines and sound effects LoL Sniper’s Assassinate ability sounds very similar to that of an in-game AWP sniper rifle shot in Counter-Strike.
Easter Eggs in Dota 2 Map
It is still safe to say that even the geography of Dota 2 has its easter eggs which players can relish on a quick pass:
Roshan’s Secret: it is part of the lore within the game that Dota 2 has it in which Roshan yields Aegis of the Immortal – an in-game item worth any assets in the title. Turning the pages of Dota 2 maps, Aegis may also be spotted tabulated with the former International champions as a small sense of the communication of esports and the in-game item’s impact.
Hidden GG Branch: One memorable easter egg (That is what the name is) actually refers back to the original DotA mod where players would refer to the Branch item as the “GG branch”. If you type in “GG” in the search bar of the dota 2 shop, it pulls up the GG branch, but makes sassy wait for it.
Credit: Valve Corporation
Easter Eggs in Dota 2 Hero Voice Lines
Coming in at several of the richest Easter Eggs in game’s voice lines are conversations that the heroes handle including heroes concerning in-game history and other outside elements.
Axe’s Cold War Line: On the other hand, the militaristic Axe has been said to utter the phrase “Better red than dead” which originated from the Cold War, and was recited during political battles. Additionally a slogan popular to the US A3’s states ‘better dead than red’ which basically was used as an opposition against communism.
Mars and the Music: Each time Mars goes for his ultimate ability, Arena of Blood, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture begins to evolve. It is part of the planets suite composed by Gustav Holst specifically a movement called Mars the Bringer of War, which works well considering Mars is Dota’s god of war.
Lifestealer and Gollum: Lifestealer has a Gollum type of voice and mannerisms due to his particular way of speaking and a penchant of referring to himself as “we” or “us” as many Gollum characters do in the lord of the rings saga. He actually echoes Gollum’s character from Tolkien’s epic when he states "I loves raw fish!".
Item-Related Easter Eggs in Dota 2
Interestingly enough, certain objects in Dota 2 seem to have allusions and codings that only players who know other games or pop culture will understand:
Black King Bar and Sange and Yasha: These items are a reference to Phantasy Star Online, a massive multiplayer RPG created in the early 2000s. In this game Sange & Yasha and Black King Bar were sought after items as they are in Dota 2.
Aghanim’s Scepter: This item derived from the memorable character Aghanim, a wizard from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. This object also seems to be inspired by Aghanim as it adds more capabilities to Dota heroes just like Aghanim’s magic gave the protagonists more power in the game.
Cosmetic Item Easter Eggs in Dota 2
A lot of people also notice easter eggs in cosmetic items, which are probably hidden few among the extensive range of cosmetic items Dota 2 is well known for.
Sven’s “Indomitable legacy” Set: This set is dedicated to the deceased author of Berserk “Kentaro Miura.” Sven, with an oversized sword and a rather cynical attitude, was thick on cameo of Guts, the protagonist of the movie Berserk.
Credit: Valve Corporation
Because of Back to the Future, jump to 2050 and Master tornados through time. As expected Juggernaut’s item “Golden Edge of the Lost Order” is the best shadow of Two-Headed Dragon in Final Fantasy 7 taking Omnislash. Both the character in Dota and the character in Final Fantasy are branding themselves as masters of multiple backslashes to kill their opponents.
Credit: Valve Corporation
Conclusion
Little references of the game that are also known as easter eggs in Dota 2 are mainly used to improve the gameplay and also demonstrate the effort and creativity of Valve towards the game. There will always be some new things that one may find interesting in the large space of Dota 2 whether a person is a reader or like movies or even is fond of other games created by Valve. Hence, when one is playing the game next time, they should try to hear out the background of the phrases or scan the map for different clues, as there are always chances of finding an egg.
