We’ve all been there. You forgot to accept a match, had an unexpected internet cutout mid-game, or got reported one too many times for typing slightly too aggressive feedback to your midlaner who fed first blood three times in five minutes. Suddenly you’re stuck in low priority, and you have no idea how to make the most of the matches you can’t skip. If you’re wondering how to play low priority Dota 2 without wasting hours or getting more frustrated than you already are, this guide is built for players just like you. I’ve sat through my fair share of low priority sentences over 8 years of playing Dota, and I’ve picked up enough tricks to make those matches feel less like a punishment and more like a chance to mess around and build skills I wouldn’t practice in regular ranked games.
How to Play Low Priority Dota 2: First Steps Before You Queue
Too many players jump straight into low priority queues without doing 2 minutes of prep that can cut their total sentence time in half. Low priority matches use single draft picking, have no ranked rewards, and often pair you with players who are either intentionally trolling or just as tilted as you are. Going in blind is a surefire way to spend twice as long stuck there as you need to. Start with these simple prep steps every time before you queue:
- Double check your remaining low priority win requirement in your profile penalty tab to avoid misjudging how much time you need to set aside
- Disable cross-team and ally chat in your settings to avoid unnecessary tilt from toxic players who are just there to mess with people
- Pick a small pool of 3-5 heroes you can win with even with no team support or coordination
- Make sure your internet connection is stable before you queue – another abandon will add 2-5 more required wins to your sentence
Confirm how many matches you need to win to get out first, because that will change how you approach your play session. If you only need 2 wins, you can knock that out in an hour if you play smart. If you need 5, you might want to split your sessions up to avoid burnout. Pick a role you’re comfortable carrying with too – this is not the time to practice a new support hero that relies entirely on your carry being competent. Mute all text and voice chat before the match even starts, I can’t stress this enough. I used to leave chat on my first few low priority runs, and I’d get tilted enough by a teammate’s toxic comments to throw the match on purpose, extending my sentence for no good reason.
Hero Picks That Win Low Priority Matches Consistently
Low priority Dota 2 matches rarely follow standard draft rules, so you don’t need to worry about perfect team comps or counter picking every enemy hero. Most of your teammates will pick whatever random hero they feel like playing that day, and the enemy team will do the same. Your only goal when picking is to choose a hero that can win games alone, even if all three of your other lanes are losing.
Avoid squishy, team-dependent heroes at all costs. Heroes like Invoker, Chen, or Enchantress might be fun in regular coordinated matches, but they’re useless in low priority if you have no teammates to follow up on your plays. Purchase early sustain and farming items first even if you’re used to building pure damage right away. A magic stick, ring of health, or quick boots will let you stay in lane longer, farm more gold, and survive ganks when your support is off farming the jungle at level 1.
My go-to low priority pool is Wraith King, Phantom Assassin, Zeus, and Sniper. Wraith King is especially forgiving, with built-in lifesteal, a stun, and reincarnation that lets you survive even if you get caught out alone. Last time I was stuck in low priority, I spammed Wraith King for all 4 of my required wins, and only lost one match where my teammate intentionally fed couriers the whole game. It’s not a flashy pick, but it works 80% of the time if you know how to farm and pick your fights well.
In-Game Strategies to Cut Down Your Low Priority Sentence Fast
The biggest mistake players make in low priority is treating it like a regular Dota match. You don’t get extra MMR for winning, you don’t get fancy item drops, and you don’t get any bragging rights for playing well. The only thing that matters is getting your required wins as fast as possible, so you can go back to playing with your usual player pool. Most low priority Dota 2 lobbies have at least one player who isn’t trying to win, so you need to adjust your playstyle to account for that.
Don’t waste time arguing or trying to coordinate with your team. If your offlane wants to dive the tier 2 tower at level 3 with no backup, let them. Arguing with them will only tilt you, and they’re not going to listen to you anyway. Focus on your own farm and your own objectives instead of trying to fix their bad plays. Prioritize objectives over kills too. So many low priority players spend 20 minutes chasing kills across the map instead of taking towers or Roshan. If you can take a t2 tower or rack while the entire enemy team is chasing your teammate across the map, do it. That’s how you win matches fast.
Don’t be afraid to play selfishly. In regular matches you might give a kill to your carry or pass a healing salve to your support, but in low priority, you are the carry 9 times out of 10. Take the kills, take the farm, take the runes, don’t feel bad about it. If the game is clearly lost, don’t drag it out for 40 minutes trying to make a comeback. Call GG, queue up again, and you’ll be in a new match in 2 minutes. I used to waste half an hour trying to carry lost games, and I finally realized I could win two full matches in the time I spent fighting a losing battle.
How to Avoid Getting Sent Back to Low Priority After You’re Out
There’s no worse feeling than grinding through 5 low priority wins, getting back to regular queues, and ending up right back in penalty matches 3 days later. The last thing you want is to end up back in low priority Dota 2 after you just grinded your way out, so these simple habits will help you stay out of penalty lobbies for good.
Set a 10-second rule before typing anything in chat. If what you’re going to say isn’t positive or directly helpful for your team, don’t send it. 70% of low priority penalties come from chat abuse reports, not actual gameplay mistakes or abandons. Even if your midlaner is feeding intentionally, typing toxic comments at them will only get you reported, not make them play better. Always accept matches even if you’re not 100% ready. You can dodge in the pick phase if you really need to step away, but repeated match declines count as a penalty and can lead to low priority if you do it too often.
If you’re feeling tilted after a few bad matches, take a 10 minute break before you queue again. You’re far more likely to type toxic comments, make careless plays, or even abandon a match if you’re already frustrated. I keep a bottle of water and a snack next to my desk when I’m playing, and I step away for 5 minutes every two matches to stretch. That small habit has cut my report rate by 80% over the last two years.
At the end of the day, low priority isn’t meant to be fun, but it doesn’t have to be a total waste of your time. Whether you’re there for a minor mistake or a string of bad luck, learning how to play low priority Dota 2 well can cut your sentence in half and even help you build new skills you can bring back to your regular ranked and unranked matches. The biggest takeaway is to stop treating low priority like regular Dota – adjust your expectations, play selfishly, and don’t engage with the toxicity that’s common in those lobbies. Before you know it, you’ll be back to playing with your usual player pool, and you might even have a new go-to carry hero in your pocket for when you need to win fast.