Dota 2 Minimap Guide

Like virtually any other strategy game since the very inception of the genre, Dota 2 makes heavy use of the minimap and its associated features. This powerful tool adds another level of complexity to the game, requiring players to process events that happen outside of their surrounding area, and is crucial for team coordination.

In our guide to the Dota 2 minimap, we’ll explain how to use this HUD (Head-up display) element to boost your situational awareness and take your game to the next level. We’ll also talk about more obscure minimap features and how to use them at different stages of the game.

Key Elements of the Minimap

Before you learn how to use the minimap in Dota 2 to defeat your enemies, you must be able to read it. Dota’s minimap doesn’t simply display the terrain layout but also includes the real-time locations of your teammates, buildings, creeps, enemy heroes, couriers, and wards. Here’s a full list of the icons you can expect to see in every game:

Icon	Description
	Heroes & Unique Units
	Each hero (as well as arcana and persona cosmetics) has a unique minimap icon. For example, here’s Abadon’s icon.
	Units like Arc Warden’s clone or Brewmaster’s spirits also have unique icons.
	Shops & Couriers
	Main Shop. These buildings are located on your and your enemy’s fountains.
	Secret Shop. These are located near the Hard lanes.
	Walking courier. Depending on your side, it will look like an ordinary (Radiant) or evil (Dire) donkey. Note that only your own courier’s icon will be displayed on your minimap.
	Flying Courier. This icon functions similarly to the previous one.
	Wards
	Observer Ward. Your wards’ icons are green, while those belonging to the enemy team are red. You won’t be able to see your opponents’ wards on the minimap until you discover them with your sentries.
	Sentry Ward. This icon functions similarly to the previous one.
	Runes & Shrines of Wisdom
	Bounty Runes. These handy buffs appear at specific locations every 3 minutes (plus at the River when a match begins). This icon will disappear when you or your teammate claims the rune or discovers that your enemies have already stolen it.
	Water Runes. These runes appear at two locations on the River at the second and fourth minutes of the match.
	Power Runes. Seven power runes randomly appear at one of two possible locations on the River starting from the sixth minute of the game. They won’t be displayed on the minimap until you see them. Each rune has its own unique icon and color.
	Shrine of Wisdom. These buildings act like Wisdom Runes and become available after the seventh minute of the match. Each Shrine is located near a Hard lane.
	Creeps & Camps
ㅤ ㅤ	Neutral Creep Camps. The spawn locations of jungle creeps. Additional stripes under the triangle indicate a more dangerous camp.
	Ancient Camps. The spots with the most dangerous neutral creeps.
	Roshan. This icon helps you identify the pit where he’s hiding at the moment.
	Buildings
	Watchers. Located all over the map, these buildings act like observer wards once your team captures them.
	Lotus pools. There are two Lotus pools, each located near an Easy lane. There, you can get a Healing Lotus every 3 minutes.
	Twin Gates. These buildings allow you to teleport between the upper-left and bottom-right corners of the map.
	Tormentors. Although they’re considered neutral creeps, they act more like buildings. They can be found near the Twin Gates. Destroying them grants a single Aghanim’s Shard to your team.
	Ancients. As with couriers and wards, your ancient’s icon will be painted green, while the one you have to destroy will be highlighted in red. They’re located near the Fountains.
	Towers. Protective structures are found on each lane.
	Barracks. If you destroy the enemy barracks, you’ll get Super Creeps on the lane they were protecting. Destroying all the enemy barracks gets you Mega Creeps.
	Communication
	Attack. Used to highlight a building or area you plan to attack.
	Defend. Just as with the Attack ping, you can use your minimap to inform your teammates about the area that needs protection.

Additionally, Dota 2 features unique icons used only during special events such as Aghanim's Labyrinth or Diretide.

How to Control and Maximize Your Vision

Now that you know how to read the minimap in Dota 2, it’s time to understand how it works. First things first, it provides real-time information only about the objects and enemies that are within your team’s field of vision (bright areas). The fog of war covers everything else. While the terrain and buildings are still visible through FoW, enemy heroes and creeps remain hidden until they enter your team's vision.

Expanding vision is an integral part of Dota’s gameplay, and is usually done by using Observer Wards and capturing Watchers. Both can provide your team with extra vision, allowing you to make better strategic decisions.

However, your opponents are playing the same game and will try to recapture your Watchers and destroy your Observer Wards using Sentries. Moreover, they can use Smoke of Deceit to avoid detection altogether. After using this cheap artifact, they’ll become invisible until they either get close to you or your allies or take an action that breaks their stealth (like attacking).

Ally creeps also provide vision. For example, if you notice a big group of enemies pushing a lane, it surely means they’re going to concentrate their attack there.

Minimap Settings

There’s a lot of options for Dota 2 minimap customization. Start by navigating to the “Game” tab and selecting “Minimap”:

If you wonder how to move the minimap in Dota 2, simply click the “Right” or “Left” in the Map Position menu:

You can also use Dota 2 minimap settings to edit the background graphic (it’s usually better to opt for Simple) and hero icons:

Besides the Dota 2 minimap position, a player can also experiment with changing the size of the map and hero icons, as well as the misclick protection time. We strongly recommend using the extra-large option to get better strategic info. You should also set the “Minimap Misclick Protection Time” to the maximum value to prevent accidental pings.

Alternatively, you use Dota 2 minimap commands:

Also, you can change your Dota 2 minimap cover by applying custom skins. To do this, enter the Armory, open the Interface tab, and select HUDS. You can then choose a custom cover you like or purchase one from the Steam Community Market.

How to Detect Enemy Movements on the Minimap

Finally, we arrive at the most important part of our guide. Here’s how to boost your map awareness and play like a pro:

1. Never forget about wards. Even if you're not a support, placing Observer Wards still dramatically improves map control for your team.
2. Check the map. Cultivate a habit of looking at the minimap every few seconds to monitor your enemies’ positions.
3. Communication is the key. Always share the changes you’ve spotted on the minimap with your team (runes spawns, enemies absent, etc.). By working as a team, you can predict your opponents’ moves and execute complex strategies.

Minimap Tips from Professional Players

Brian “BSJ” Canavan is one of the undeniable masters of map awareness. His game sense is razor-sharp, constantly processing minimap data and correlating it with enemy behavior to anticipate their actions. Here is a brilliant map-analysis moment from his stream.

As you can see, professional players can use the minimap to guess the enemy plans. For example, if you haven’t seen a specific hero from your opponent's team for a while, it may be a sign that they’re going to gank you or your teammates. Professional players also rely on the minimap to track lane equilibrium (the point where the creeps from the opposing sides meet).

Conclusion

By following the tips outlined in this Dota 2 minimap guide, you can start improving your gameplay and developing pro-level map awareness. Perhaps it is you who’ll someday rival the players like BSJ. Practice often, and soon, you’ll be able to analyze your enemies’ plans like a real pro.