Gabe Newell's Daily Dota 2 Habit at 60+

Gabe Newell's Unwavering Love for Dota 2

Few people have shown as much dedication to Valve’s games as the company’s employees. Even semi-retired founder Gabe Newell, who is now in his 60s, continues to play Dota 2, the studio’s popular MOBA, "every day." This daily habit has been ongoing since at least 2011, when he described himself as being "obsessed" with the game.

In an interview with PC Gamer, Newell discussed his long-standing fascination with Dota 2 and its place in the broader MOBA genre. His insights remain relevant today, especially as he continues to attend The International, the biggest annual Dota tournament. At The International 2025, Newell mentioned that despite encountering some negative comments in chat, he still plays the game every day.

"About once a week people say, hey noob, uninstall the game and [censor blip]," Newell added. "But that's really about their enthusiasm, and the energy that they bring, and that's why, after all these years, I still play Dota every day."

Even over a decade ago, Newell was still considered a "noob" in the game. In 2011, he mentioned that he had played Dota 2 for around 800 hours. He noted that the game was one of the few that Valve developers continued to play even after work. "Every day after we're done working on the game, everyone goes home and plays it till two or three in the morning," he said.

"So yeah, I love playing the game. I'm not even on the same plane as the guys who are playing here, so it's certainly exciting to see them play. After 800 hours I'm still pretty much a noob player when it comes to playing DotA games!"

Newell has made similar remarks in various International appearances. In his 2024 welcome speech, he reflected on the first Dota 2 champions and how the game has evolved over time. "The crowds may have grown bigger, the players and teams may have changed, but one thing hasn't: the joy we all take in watching the best players in the world play Dota 2," he said.

Newell, in his early days, recognized the unique appeal of MOBAs as PvP sandboxes. He pointed out that the constant creation and destruction of plans in the game make it particularly engaging. "You're constantly creating and destroying plans in your head. You have a lot of expectations, but whether or not you're going to stay on that pathway is changing every five seconds."

Dota 2, in many ways, can be seen as Valve’s RPG. "You go through this complete RPG arc in 40 minutes," Newell said, highlighting the progression and territorial battles that occur in each match. He also touched on the addictive nature of the game, describing the almost Pavlovian response of players to re-queueing after a game.

"The first thing you want to do after you've had a great game is play another game, and the first thing you want to do after you've had a bad game of Dota 2 is play another game," he explained. This behavior highlights the "stickiness" of PvP games, where once hooked, players are eager to find out what the next match holds.

"I think there are a lot of lessons for game designers in it that are very complementary to the lessons from other genres," Newell continued. "If you play a lot of MMOs, there's stuff you can learn that's in Dota 2. If you play first-person shooters, there's a lot of stuff you can learn, so it's a nice arrow in the quiver for game designers."

MOBAs have influenced game design significantly over the past decade. Their popularity has not waned, with League of Legends spawning several successful spinoffs. Many other genres have also incorporated elements of MOBAs. One example is Valve’s Deadlock, a MOBA-shooter hybrid that has been in development for years. Newell was right—there is a lot to learn from Dota 2, even for those who play shooters.

Another example is Shape of Dreams, a PvE MOBA built using a roguelike framework. The Korean developers of the game cited the dominance of MOBAs in Korean esports culture as a major inspiration. Neowiz, the publisher of Lies of P, was a natural fit for the project.

Newell has always been more of a player than a designer. He often downplays his own skills, even in the early days of Half-Life. "I used to think I was pretty hot stuff when I was just playing against other people at Microsoft, but nowadays I just get crushed," he said in 1998. "We may have to do a strategy game just so I can regain my self esteem."

It’s hard not to admire Newell’s dedication. If he can keep up with Dota 2 into his 60s, maybe others can too. As a nod to his passion, Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima, whom Newell calls a "real visionary in our field," was given a SpaceX tour.