There are two ways to unlock all heroes in Dota 2. The standard route is to play 25 matches against real people (bot games do not count), after which the 20-hero limit on a new account is lifted. The quick route is to open the console during hero selection and enter dota_new_player 0 or dota_new_player_pool_matches_played 40, which opens the full roster. Turbo mode speeds up the standard route because its matches are much shorter.
Below is a step-by-step guide: how to enable the console, which commands to enter and where they work, and why Valve introduced the limit in the first place.
Getting Access to All Dota 2 Heroes
If you want the full roster right away and do not want to grind through 25 matches first, there is a way around the restriction that lets you try any hero from the start.
Keep in mind the difference between the two routes. The console method takes a couple of minutes to set up, but it has to be repeated in every pick phase, so it suits players who want to try specific heroes now. The 25-match route is slower, but once you reach it the restriction is gone for good.
Why the Restriction Exists
In the early years of Dota 2 there was no hero restriction at all: every player, veteran or newcomer, had access to the whole pool.
That changed in 2017, when Valve decided to make the game easier to get into. Dota 2 heroes can be roughly split into easy, medium and hard ones, depending on how difficult their abilities are to learn and how specific their playstyle is.
Valve concluded that giving newcomers the entire roster at once makes the choice overwhelming and slows down learning the game, which pushes some players to quit. For Valve, Dota 2 is also a business: more active players means more item sales. The community had complained as well that new players who did not understand their heroes were ruining matches for experienced ones.
The result was a starting pool of 20 heroes for new accounts, with the rest unlocking as you play more matches.
Bypassing the Restriction (Part 1)
If you would rather not wait, the console will help you unlock all heroes in Dota 2. Before entering any commands, make sure the console is enabled. Here is how:
Open the Steam client.
Go to the Library tab at the top of the window.
Find Dota 2 in your list of games and right-click it.
Select Properties in the menu that appears.
In the window that opens, find Launch Options and type -console in the field.
The console is now enabled. By default it opens with the ` key, but you can change that. You are one step closer to unlocking all heroes in Dota 2.
Bypassing the Restriction (Part 2)
Sometimes the default console key does not work, and you need to rebind it. This takes a minute.
Launch Dota 2 from your Steam library and open the settings using the gear icon in the top left corner of the screen.
The settings open on the Controls tab, which is the one you need. At the bottom of the window, click Advanced Settings.
A new window opens where you can bind keys to different actions, such as unit control or ally selection. On the right side, under Interface, you will see the Console line. Click it and assign any key you find convenient.
Bypassing the Restriction (Part 3)
Now for the final step, where you actually unlock all heroes in Dota 2:
Open the Steam client.
Launch the game from your Library.
Queue for a match and accept it.
Before the game starts, you go through hero selection (the pick phase). Open the console during this phase.
Enter the command dota_new_player 0. The full hero pool is now available, so pick whoever suits your playstyle. To bring the restriction back, enter dota_new_player 1 during the pick phase.
An alternative command with the same effect is dota_new_player false. It tells the game that you are an experienced player, so there is no need to limit your hero choice.
Additional Command
There is one more command that unlocks all heroes in Dota 2. It is longer and less convenient, but it usually works when the other options fail.
It is also entered in the console during the pick phase and looks like this: dota_new_player_pool_matches_played 40.
It makes the game treat you as if you had already played 40 matches, which marks you as an experienced player, even if in reality you have played two or three games or none at all.
One important detail: say you had played 8 matches before entering the command. During that match the game counts you as having played 40, but once it ends, it goes into your stats as match number 9. You will need to enter the command again before every new match until you reach 25 matches.
Also note that the commands do nothing in the main menu or anywhere else: they only work during the pick phase. If you restart the game, the command resets and has to be entered again.
Unlocking Heroes Faster with Turbo Mode
If you do not want to deal with the console every match, Turbo mode is the quickest legitimate way to unlock all heroes in Dota 2.
The advantage is match length: a regular game takes 40 to 60 minutes, while a Turbo game usually lasts around 20. If 25 regular matches take roughly 20 to 25 hours, the same number of Turbo matches takes a fraction of that time.
You can also speed things up as a group: gather friends who have not unlocked all heroes yet and queue Turbo together. Deliberately throwing matches or standing still is a bad idea, because that behavior lowers your behavior score and can lead to matchmaking restrictions.
FAQ
How many matches do you need to unlock all heroes?
25 matches against real players. Bot games do not count toward that number.
Where does dota_new_player 0 work?
Only during the pick phase. In the main menu the command does nothing, and after a game restart you have to enter it again.
Do Turbo matches count?
Yes, Turbo counts as a regular match with real players, which makes it the fastest legitimate way to lift the limit.
