Dota 2 side shop: Why it is among the features the community misses the most

In almost a decade of development, much of Dota 2 has changed dramatically since its early days.

Most of the major patches are remembered by the new mechanics added to Dota 2. But IceFrog does not hold back from completely removing features that are old enough to become iconic. The side shop probably tops the list of these old-school Dota 2 relics.

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Remote shops located far away from either base have long been a feature of Dota 2

Side shops are not even unique in that regard. The secret shops, located near either edge of the river, are still extant in Dota 2.

In fact, archives of the earliest patches in the old DotA reveal yet another shop. The long-forgotten ‘mid lane shop’. As anyone would guess, this was primarily handy for mid laners, mostly offering consumable items like Clarity, as well as two old utility items, ‘Wand of Silence’ and ‘Negation Staff’.

The two mid shops were, however, removed in patch 5.3 - long before the makeshift competitive scene of the first DoTA had even started to develop. The side shops, however, are a different tale altogether.

Unlike the obscure mid shop, the inventory of the side shop was much larger, so much so that entire items could be completed by purchasing components from the side shop alone. These included big mid-game items like Blade Mail and Vanguard.

Side shops also had some Dota 2 laning essentials: Brown Boots, Quelling Blade, Morbid Mask and most importantly, Teleport Scrolls.

The availability of the Blink Dagger in the side shop also led to some clutch gameplay moments back in the day. A juking player near the shop could purchase the Blink Dagger in a moment of crisis - for example, when they were about to be finished off by a Sniper’s Assassinate - to disjoint the danger with a single Blink usage, and then sell the item in time for a full refund.

Although an extremely situational move requires a good level of skill and reaction timing, the possibility of plays like this is what makes the side shop such a fond memory for the Dota 2 community.

The community's nostalgia over the side shop was stroked by the 2020 Battle Pass with a Sideshop section for recycling cosmetics. Ironically, even this ‘side shop’ was removed after an exploit regarding cosmetics cycling got popular.

The removal of side shops in patch 7.23

The side shops were removed as part of the Outlanders update, the same patch that added neutral items to the game. The lack of easy item accessibility was addressed by getting every player their own courier. The side shop was essentially replaced with a new Dota 2 mechanic, the ‘Outposts’.

Dota 2 also has a reputation of bringing back previously removed elements. Community-favorite items like the Ring of Aquila were recycled as neutral items. Now that outposts are relocated to the jungles, could the side shop be brought back in the upcoming 7.30 patch? The answer, sadly, is an uncertain ‘maybe’.