How to Surrender in Dota 2

Despite the game’s highly competitive nature, sometimes Dota 2 teams find themselves in situations where continuing the game no longer makes sense. Can you surrender in Dota 2 in this case to save time and nerves? The short answer is yes; people can just surrender and end the game right away. However, the process involves some nuances and restrictions.

In today’s guide, we’ll walk you through how to surrender in Dota 2, highlight scenarios where surrendering is a reasonable option, and cover important nuances surrounding this topic.

When Should You Give Up in Dota?

Before diving into the mechanics of the Dota 2 surrender command, let’s first explore when surrendering is justified. Obviously, that would be cases when it’s not worth continuing the struggle and prolonging the game any further. Surprisingly, these scenarios happen in Dota pretty frequently.

For instance, sometimes a player faces technical issues, and there’s no way to deal with them quickly. Yes, the game has pauses that allow you to stop the game while fixing minor problems, but they are not infinite, so in dire cases, the time won’t be enough. Therefore, if one of the players is gone, the game is pretty much done, especially if we talk about somewhat strategic matches where all players are a part of a general strategy.

Another case when it’s logical to just give up and start another match is when your team opts for heroes that are supposed to end the game before the 30-minute mark, and they just don’t scale for the late fights. For example, if your strategy revolves around early-game heroes like Chen, you’re unlikely to prevail against late-game monsters like a fully equipped Terrorblade or Medusa. In such cases, when it’s clear that the plan failed, surrendering might be the best choice to cut losses and start fresh.

How to Surrender in Dota 2?

Now, let’s discuss how to initiate the actual Dota 2 surrender option. There are a few methods, depending on the context of your match:

Using the Chat Command

Is there a way to surrender in Dota 2? Yes, the most straightforward option is the game’s built-in feature by Valve’s developer team. To surrender, one of the players just has to type “GG” or “GGWP” in All Chat. The command triggers a short countdown, and once it's over, the game ends. Keep in mind that command is only available in a private lobby, and you can’t do it in public matchmaking. However, there’s one exception — full 5-man parties may call “GG” (every player) in regular matches to surrender and get a loss. The command becomes available only after the 30-minute mark into the game, though.

Going AFK (Not Recommended)

For all the rest matchmaking grinders out there, the only way to surrender is to just stop playing. Leaving the match is forbidden and will get you punished, so if you see that the game feels unwinnable, players may stop actively playing (go AFK). However, this behavior is heavily discouraged, especially in ranked matches. Besides, note that if you’re completely AFK for 5+ minutes (you’re not gaining any experience), you still get an abandon penalty, which negatively affects your account.

Can You Cancel a Surrender in Dota 2?

The “GG” callout is such a common thing that sometimes players can call out the surrender by accident. However, it’s not like the game ends once the message appears in chat. Instead, a pop-up appears, and players can take their time (they will have 10 seconds) to reconsider the decision. If the “GG” callout was unintentional, it can be canceled with a single click. Keep in mind that in serious matches, fake surrender calls are considered poor sportsmanship and may confuse the opposing team, leading to chaotic outcomes. Thus, avoid typing “GG” to all-chat unless you’re 100% sure you will actually surrender.

Are There Punishments for Surrendering in Dota 2?

As we have just mentioned, calling out “GG” and canceling the match on purpose is considered bad manners. Apart from that, there’s no punishment for surrendering in Dota 2 beyond losing the game. However, if you decide to just leave the game, there will be a punishment in the form of low-priority matchmaking where you need to win one or several times against players who, just like you, broke the rules of the game in some way. Trust us, low-priority games are a punishment you want to avoid at all costs!