Is Ringmaster finally coming out in Dota 2?

Ivan Frigato Published June 28, 2024

After months of teasing, is Valve actually going to release the highly anticipated Dota 2 Ringmaster hero?

Ringmaster first appeared in a teaser video at The International 2023 with a planned release of 2024. However, multiple chances for a release have come and gone, driving fans wild trying to figure out when the actual drop date will be. Many speculated that the Ringmaster would debut alongside Crownfall, though two of four acts have already come out.

Could the Dota 2 Ringmaster be out in the next few weeks? Signs point to potentially yes.

When will Ringmaster finally enter Dota 2?

Ringmaster could come alongside the third or fourth act in the Dota 2 Crownfall event, the former of which is set to begin in the coming weeks. 

Valve originally scheduled Crownfall: The Frosts of Icewrack to go live sometime in late June, as data miners discovered. Act 1 and 2 released in mid-April and late May, respectively, and the entire event is supposed to be over by early August. Release dates tend to fall on Thursdays, so the Ringmaster could appear on July 4th. The fan community may be clamoring for more now, but that doesn’t mean it’ll come as soon as they’d like.

Crownfall act 3 – date prediction
byu/Stimul_Al inDotA2

Others anticipate an Act 4 Ringmaster release to avoid any major news overlaps with the Riyadh Masters Dota 2 tournament also beginning next week. Dota 2, then, wouldn’t be featuring Ringmaster until later in July.

This is the longest Dota 2 players have had to wait between hero releases, with Valve dropping Muerta in March of 2023.

Potential features for the Ringmaster include mind-control

Many players speculate that the Ringmaster could have powers similar to Puppet Master, including mind control.

Within the teaser trailer, Ringmaster seems to have some level of control over enemy units. Additionally, viewers can hear the character Mars in the background saying “Get out of my head!” Many are comparing his abilities to that of the Puppet Master, a hero in the Heroes of Newerth. John de Lancie, a known actor in the Dota universe, voices the eerie Ringmaster.

Fans will have to wait for an official release announcement for the Dota 2 Ringmaster hero to discover more. Happy waiting!