2021:
Gameplay is faster and the playerbase has matured to be higher skilled.
From a hero depth/pool perspective, it has reduced compared to last year, but it is still fairly good, although some heroes have been relegated to fringe picks.

Talents have largely been balanced to make both options equally viable and depends on the game flow.
The later talents are now more impactful while the earlier ones focus more on small bonuses to complement a hero's other abilities or to shore up a weakness.

Aghanim's Shard create an additional layer of depth for gameplay and serve to increase the stakes around subsequent Roshan kills. However, some heroes have better Shard upgrades and balance should be worked on more here.



2020:
From a gameplay perspective, the game has actually improved and had much more depth.

1. Neutral items shine and have their place in the dynamics of the game, adding much excitement to the mid and lategame stages.
2. Bounty runes have been finetuned to finally give the game a lot more relevance to support heroes. It incentivised the 2-1-2 lane setup and there is more emphasis on all stages of the game, opening up the hero pool of offlane, which has traditionally been limited to a handful of heroes.
3. New heroes: Snapfire and Void Spirit, have been great and add much more interesting gameplay dynamics.
4. Seasonal gameplay modes were extremely well-done. Aghanim's Labyrinth was by far the most interesting and fun roguelite ARPG that had an easy pickup curve and a high skill ceiling with multiple ways of playing.

Overall, it's been a great year for Dota 2 gameplay-wise, but its annual marketing event: The International, did not happen and the playerbase took a hit.
I am confident it will rebound once the pandemic ends and The International comes back!

2019:
Did not play much for this year due to work. However, the 7.23 update has me tits excited! LOL!

2017-2018:
Did not play much for this year due to work.

2016:
After 5 years of Dota 2, all the heroes are finally released and the next newest hero, Monkey King is coming out in December this year.
Dota 2 has become a spectator sport in the footsteps of traditional sports such as Basketball and Football, in the sense that they are all team-oriented games and require strategy to win.

Through the recent gameplay patches of 6.87 and 6.88, there have been many new changes that focuses more on the strategic aspects of the game, namely Scans and cheaper more defensive items.
New items such as Echo Sabre and Hurricane Pike also serve to make competitive games more exciting as teams that have fallen behind in the early game now have a chance to comeback with the cheaper mid-tier but very cost-efficient items giving them an opportunity to fight back.

"Everything can work"

As a whole, Dota 2 has become a game very much focused on positioning and the right draft composition of heroes for the game match at hand.
No particular strategy has dominated the tournament scene this year, be it push, defensive splitpush, or teamfight, and it is this remarkable balance that allows many teams with varied style tendencies to showcase their way of playing without feeling disadvantaged. Be it EG's methodical lane dominance and calm style, MVP Phoenix's all-in teamfight style, EHOME's strategic drafting style, or TI6 Winners - Wings' anything goes style.

Valve has also shown interest in further expanding the game through its released custom games feature for Dota 2 and Virtual Reality support for spectating.

Overall, its been a good year for Dota 2, the game is more fun than ever with any strategy being workable, all heroes being viable in competitive tournaments and more expanded options for spectating, viewing games and analysing replays and statistics that aficionados would love.

2015:
Over the course of a year, Dota 2 has slowly introduced its Source 2 game client, which allows for easier integration of custom games similar to the original system of Warcraft 3's Battle.net. The International 2015 tournament is also a huge success and has a record $18.4 million, of which $16.8 million were contributed by community spending. Valve has also revealed its future plans for the game in the form of quarterly Majors tournaments that is meant to further develop its competitive scene and community interest.
It is also clear that Dota 2 will be taking a seasonal games events approach towards stimulating community support, with obvious targets being December Holidays, Chinese New Year and Halloween.
With regards to porting over Dota 1's legacy, there are only 2 heroes left: Arc Warden and Pitlord; and they are likely to be introduced with the aforementioned games events.
At this point, the longevity of Dota 2 is very much secured in the foreseeable future due to Valve's Steam Client storefront, massive player base and successful implementation of cosmetic item sales that do not affect gameplay.

Icefrog, you did the right thing by choosing to work with Valve for Dota 2's future back in 2010. I hope that you continue to work on your legacy and enjoy the feelings of joy, happiness, rage, sadness and comradery that you have brought to millions of people worldwide.

2014:
Dota 2 just keeps improving over time. At the rate this game is progressing, it is likely that it will still be around 5-10 years later. The community keeps expanding and the content updates are constant and full of exciting new features. Seasonal events bring about new quests and co-op gameplay that make good use of the core game's heroes' abilities. The cosmetic items economy is healthy and ever booming with more and more workshop artists contributing. As a competitive game oriented towards esports, Dota 2's professional scene has certainly expanded exponentially and The International's prizepool over the years can be seen as an indicator. It has grown exponentially from $1.6 million in 2012, to $2.9 million in 2013 and is projected to hit $10 million in 2014.
Dota 2 has also recently implemented Ranked Matchmaking, which allows players the opportunity to play games for an ELO-style rating. While it has exploits and flaws at its debut, the subsequent updates over time have vastly improved the experience. It is a welcome new feature and it enables players interested in a more competitive experience to play to their best abilities, knowing that their teammates and opponents will likely put in the same amount of effort.

2013:
Valve Inc. has proven that they will continue to support Dota 2 in all aspects and maintain a healthy esports scene. The game caters to all spectrums of players, be it casual, competitive or spectator.
Matchmaking system still has its design flaws and the game still lacks a way to convey to competitive players their skill level and standings/ratings.

2012:
Dota 2 requires huge player investment, but provides magnificent and immeasurable rewards for commitment.
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/08/21/dota-2-pt1/
Now free to play! All heroes are free and available. Items are available for purchase for each individual hero, they do not affect the game balance at all as they are purely cosmetic, and the colors and items fit Dota 2's medieval setting.

2011:
This is a game for the competitive PC gamers. DOTA 2, the sequel to DotA features better character animations, mechanics, graphics and interface design. The ease of matchmaking, connecting with your friends and playing a cooperative team game all culminate together to make DOTA 2 a complete game experience. No two games are the same and despite this game still being in beta, it is already a great experience akin to other AAA PC games out there.
This game is a definite buy for me. What will it be for you?