Dota 2’s new hero Ringmaster, who was officially introduced at The International 2023, had actually been hinted at a few months ago. This hint was cleverly included in the New Frontiers update in April but stayed unnoticed by even the most observant players until the recent reveal.
The hint was a circus admission ticket subtly hidden beneath a coffee cup and plate in the official image from the patch. It has the same red and cream colors as Ringmaster, and looking back, it’s an obvious nod to the new hero and his eerie circus theme.
Popular Dota 2 figure SirActionSlacks spotted the clue a long time ago because it looked unusual compared to the rest. At first, he thought it was related to Sniper’s Golden Full-Bore Bonanza Immortal cape, an item released years earlier. But after the official announcement, he connected the dots and revealed the hint.
Although Ringmaster was hinted at earlier and announced at TI 2023, he won’t be available until early next year. Based on the release pattern of the latest heroes in Dota 2, Dot Esports predicts Valve will introduce Ringmaster to the game sometime between February and May 2024.
The teaser trailer didn’t give away much about his abilities and skills. Yet, Ringmaster’s name and overall feel remind some players of Puppet Master from Heroes of Newerth, a popular MOBA title among many who later switched to Dota 2. Since Puppet Master was hinted at in a 2022 data leak, some believe Ringmaster might be a reimagined version of Puppet Master with a different look.
Time will eventually reveal if this theory is true, or if he’s something entirely new. The fact that he was hinted at in the game well before his actual release might lend some weight to this idea. In the meantime, we can only speculate as to what this mischievous hero has in store for us next year.
