If this is your first time playing Dota 2, prepare for a harsh welcome – most likely, the first ten to fifteen games you will only lose.
However, before you start, you need to understand three important things.
1. At first, it’s okay to often die and not understand anything about the chaos of Dota 2. Immediately be prepared for the fact that without caution and combat experience you will be very difficult. Every death and every defeat is a valuable lesson that you’d better remember.
2. Spending an hour to go through the built-in tutorial in Dota 2 is fine. Although it leaves a lot of important details and mechanics out of the equation, it presents the basics of Dota 2 quite adequately. Do not be lazy and take the time to get acquainted with the introduction: it is the most accessible and user-friendly part of the game.
3. It’s fine to watch the professionals play, too. Watching the world’s top cyber players play Dota 2 will teach you a lot of tricks and mechanics. It will really accelerate your learning process: watching footage from major eSports championships with expert commentary will give you a tangible advantage over other players at your level.