The Ringmaster teaser trailer released at TI 12

In the Dota 2 universe, the appearance of new heroes is uncommon, and their revelation is always a major occasion. Dota 2’s next hero, The Ringmaster, made a splash at TI 12, thrilling fans with speculation about what special skills he would have.

Valve announced a fresh new Dota 2 hero called Ringmaster at The International 12, who seeks to catch other heroes and force them to work in a circus.

The trailer for the hero was unveiled soon before the grand final of TI12, as has become somewhat of a tradition. We didn’t get much information on the hero’s powers or role, as is customary, but we did get a fascinating glimpse into their lore, which is a touch different of the ordinary.

However, we may deduce from the disclosure that Ringmaster’s powers will let him to imitate, capture, or manipulate creeps and heroes. When Ringmaster eventually enters the War of the Ancients, this will undoubtedly make for some extremely thrilling gaming.

Valve did not specify when Ringmaster will be released next year, but based on the release timeframe for the game’s most recent hero, Muerta, we should expect it to be at least a few months.

The Ringmaster does not make an appearance. Instead, he’s playing the long game with Axe, guiding the strong hero with a mechanical Kobold Foremani towards a carnival-style contraption.

The machine transforms into a personal strength tester for Axe, complete with numerous creative renderings of Mogul Khan, duping the strong hero into testing his power — and falling into a horrific trap in the process, being seized by mechanical arms spawned from within the device.

We only get our first look of Ringmaster in the final card, which depicts a gaunt figure with mechanical components.

Initial impressions describe the hero as a trickster, with the ability to summon gadgets capable of trapping heroes, presumably in the manner of trappers like Techies.

While there is no confirmation of any of his powers, we believe Ringmaster will be a support hero focused on capturing heroes and maybe forcing them to perform things against their will. As demonstrated in the video, it appears to be a very safe guess that one ability will be some type of circus apparatus that will grasp an adversary and imprison them for a while.

Players are anxious to see how his traps function, whether they act independently or as simple combat skills. While The Ringmaster’s identity seems interesting, we’ll have to wait till he eventually enters the Dota 2 universe to discover the full scope of his talents.