Most people don’t load into a Dota 2 match thinking about ancient gods, cosmic splits, or a demon’s self-therapy journey. They’re too busy worrying about their MMR tanking because someone random-locked Techies or thinking about Sportbet.one to place a bet on a favorite player. But behind the chaos of each 5v5 brawl, there’s a surprisingly rich and often overlooked backstory to the game.

Valve didn’t cram lore down our throats. Instead, they scattered it across hero bios, voice lines, comics, and even the long-forgotten Artifact card game. It’s subtle. Sometimes weird. And occasionally, it makes you see your favorite hero in a whole new light.

Here are some storylines that don’t get enough love.

The fall of the Ancients: Lore hidden in plain sight

At the core of every Dota 2 match are two glowing rocks: Radiant and Dire. Turns out, they weren’t always enemies. Long ago, they were a single cosmic entity called the Primordial Mind. Something shattered it, and the Radiant and Dire were born out of the fallout — each half trying to destroy the other so it can become whole again.

Valve heavily hinted at it in the Artifact card game’s lore, where characters are split into factions based on their allegiance to either side of the war.

Terrorblade: The demon who fights himself

Terrorblade isn’t just a moody demon with cool shades. His story is about self-hatred. He’s trapped in Foulfell, a mirror dimension where you’re forced to see distorted reflections of your darkest thoughts. Instead of running from it, he decided to conquer it—and now he wears his sins like armor.

This lore hit harder when his Fractal Horns of Inner Abysm Arcana dropped. The comic showed how he literally sees the other Dota heroes as parts of himself, or parts he wants to destroy.

Invoker and Selemene: Daddy issues and a fallen goddess

If you watched DOTA: Dragon’s Blood, you already know Invoker had a daughter, Filomena, and her death changed everything. She fell terminally ill, and Invoker, desperate, begged Selemene, the moon goddess, to save her. But Selemene only heals those who worship her, and Filomena refused. So Selemene let her die.

Invoker never forgave her. He saw it not just as cruelty, but as proof that the gods care more about power than people. His obsession with control and knowledge? It started the moment divine mercy turned into divine politics. And Mirana, Selemene’s loyal warrior, finds herself torn between blind faith and the ugly truth behind her goddess’s glowing facade.

This storyline hit hard in Book 2 and Book 3 of the Netflix series, giving Invoker emotional depth that the game barely scratched.

Mars vs Zeus: Family drama on a divine scale

Mars is literally the god of war, and Zeus’ son. But he’s not content sitting on Mount Olympus, throwing lightning bolts. Mars believes gods should get off their thrones and fix the mortal world by force. Zeus? Not so much. He’s content being arrogant, lazy, and occasionally helpful if it makes him look good.

That’s why, in-game, you’ll hear Mars mutter “Your reign ends, old man” if he kills Zeus. And why their interactions always feel like a family Thanksgiving dinner, one thunderbolt away from disaster.

The shopkeepers know too much

The cheerful old guys selling you Daedalus and Tangoes are probably not human. The Dota 2 shopkeepers are hinted to be cosmic entities — neutral observers of the Radiant vs Dire conflict. They sell weapons of world-ending power like it’s just another Tuesday.

Listen closely to their lines: “You don’t want to know where that came from…” or “Even I don’t know what this does…” The voice acting might sound lighthearted, but the subtext is very suspicious.

There’s also the fact that Roshan, the ancient beast in the pit, drops items linked to these shopkeepers, suggesting they’re part of a much bigger cycle of war and rebirth.

Final thoughts: KDA isn’t everything

Sure, Dota 2 is mostly about ganks and wards, but when you dig into the backstories, there’s a whole world hidden behind the action. One full of betrayal, tragedy, ego, and celestial-level sibling rivalries.

Next time you load in or bet on Dota 2 matches, maybe take a second to listen to what your hero’s saying. They might just be fighting something much bigger than the enemy team.