Dota Underlords
Dota Underlords may be turn-based, but a dropped connection mid-draft still loses you the round. PingAim routes the game through your most stable path — so your shop actions land even when your home connection spikes.
Does PingAim Help in Dota Underlords?
More about VAChow it works · what it blocks · known conflicts
VAC (Valve Anti-Cheat) is Valve's proprietary anti-cheat system, operating in user mode rather than at kernel level. It scans for known cheat signatures in process memory and blocks known cheat modules from injecting into the game process. VAC bans are account-wide and permanent for the specific game. Because Dota Underlords has been effectively abandoned since 2021 with no active competitive scene, active cheat development has also largely ceased. VAC does not block WinDivert, WFP drivers, or network optimization tools by design.
VPN and network optimizers
Valve has no policy against VPNs or network optimization tools for Dota Underlords. WTFast officially lists Dota Underlords as a supported game. Since the game is free-to-play and has an essentially inactive competitive scene, there is no active enforcement against network tools.
- Anti-cheatVAC
- ProtocolUDP
- ConnectionDedicated
- HostingValve Corporation (own infrast…
- EngineSource 2
- NATModerate
- LauncherSteam
- SDRSteam Datagram Relay
- Install size3 GB
Why ping matters in Dota Underlords
Latency sensitivity LowPing has only a minor effect on gameplay.
Dota Underlords is an auto battler — a turn-based strategy game where combat is fully automated and players interact only during preparation phases to purchase units, arrange them on a grid, and build synergy compositions. There are no real-time aiming, movement, or reaction-time mechanics. A player with 200ms ping and a player with 20ms ping have identical combat outcomes because all fight resolution is server-computed. High ping primarily affects the responsiveness of the shop UI — at 200ms+, purchases and placements feel sluggish, but this is a comfort issue rather than a competitive one. Even for the small competitive scene, latency sensitivity is categorically lower than for action games.
About Dota Underlordsbackground, studio, esports scene
Dota Underlords is a free-to-play auto battler developed and published by Valve Corporation, built on the Source 2 engine — notably the first Source 2 title to release on mobile platforms. The game launched in early access on June 20, 2019, in response to the popularity of auto chess mods for Dota 2, before reaching full release on February 25, 2020. Up to eight players compete in a shared lobby: during preparation phases, each player drafts heroes from a rotating shop, assigns them to an 8×8 grid, and builds synergies between unit types and alliance bonuses. Combat phases then execute automatically, with no direct input from players. Matches typically last 25–40 minutes.
Dota Underlords uses Valve's dedicated server infrastructure with Steam Datagram Relay (SDR) routing traffic through Valve's global relay network — the same backbone that serves Dota 2 and CS2. The game uses UDP-based networking through Valve's SteamNetworkingSockets library, and cross-platform play is supported across all five platforms simultaneously. Anti-cheat is handled by VAC (Valve Anti-Cheat), Valve's own system, which runs in user mode unlike kernel-level solutions such as EAC or Vanguard. The game is free-to-play with cosmetic monetization through a battle pass system.
Development of Dota Underlords was effectively halted in February 2021, when the last major content patch was released. On December 8, 2021, Valve pushed a final update that extended Season 1's end date to 2031 — widely interpreted as Valve's quiet signal that the game would receive no further development. The game remains online, servers are still running, and matchmaking still functions, but no new content has been added since early 2021. Concurrent Steam players have declined from an all-time peak of 202,254 in June 2019 to approximately 780 average concurrent in early 2026, making it a niche but still-playable title for its small remaining community.
- Studio
- Valve Corporation
- Released
- 2020
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
- Engine
- Source 2
Explore the Dota Underlords Guide
PingAim detects Dota Underlords automatically
No manual config. PingAim identifies Dota Underlords by process name and routes it through your fastest connection using a kernel-level WFP driver.
When does PingAim help — and when doesn't it?
PingAim helps when...
- Primary connection is unstable or congested — Underlords is sensitive to packet loss causing UI timeouts even if it tolerates high ping well
- Phone 5G available as a second path — automatic routing keeps shop interactions responsive
- Playing from a region with poor Valve SDR relay routing (common in some Eastern European or South Asian countries)
- Home network congested by household streaming affecting the SDR relay path
Won't help when...
- Only one network connection with no phone to tether — no second path available
- Already getting sub-100ms stable ping — latency does not affect Underlords match outcomes
- Server-side issues due to Valve's aging, unmaintained infrastructure — no client fix
- Matchmaking taking long to find a game — population issue, not a network issue
Related Games
Other games sharing technical traits with Dota Underlords — anti-cheat, hosting, engine, or genre.
Recent Updates
Community & Official Resources
Where players talk and where the publisher posts updates.