DOTA 2 is indisputably one of the world’s most popular games, garnering millions of players thanks to it’s free-to-play approach and emphasis on skill over all else. Many would say that the game represents the future of eSports, holding more potential than either Starcraft II or League of Legends—although that’s a claim that enthusiasts and observers alike would dispute, and often do.
With the game’s meteoric rise in popularity, Valve has set up a live webpage on the official DOTA 2 website to chart player activity worldwide at any given moment—just as you can see in the picture above.
The popularity of the game is measured by heat, and shows—at least at the present time—heavy activity throughout Europe, Russia, Australia, and Asia, with major hot spots in Brazil, Argentina and South Africa and throughout the East and West coast of North America. The chart is undoubtedly to change as North Americans wake up, and will see the whole Western Hemisphere lit up in red in a few hours time (which may be by the time you read this).
Needless to say, it’s interesting to see that the game remains heavily played at all times, and we wouldn’t be too surprised if more parts of the world light up as time goes by.