Best Pudge Players in Dota 2

With a pick rate of 27% (at the time of writing) and dubbed the most popular Dota 2 hero, Pudge is too iconic for his own good, but who is the best Pudge player?

More often than not, players don’t pick Pudge because it’s the current meta. Instead, many play Pudge for the sake of playing Pudge. The urge to pull off skill shots via Meat Hook in the hopes of landing them is the adrenaline rush many Pudge players seek, making it very popular. It’s just fun to play Pudge. But if you’re trying to improve, you might want to seek out the best-of-the-best. The pudge players who blind hook, never whiff, and stack their flesh heaps high.

Here’s the best Pudge players in Dota 2 right now:

The Best Dota 2 Pudge Players

While the majority of players love Pudge, only a certain few are truly good at it. This includes understanding the advantages of Pudge, such as its strong base damage, durability and gank potential.

After all, camping in the trees for minutes just to land the perfect Hook is not the right way to play Dota 2. In fact, it’s actually game-losing in most matches because you contribute nothing to the lane’s dynamics, which ultimately affect your carry’s growth. Here’s four players who definitely aren’t tree campers:

4. Dendi

An automatic member of the Pudge players’ hall of fame is the legendary Danil “Dendi” Ishutin. But his score so low may come as a conflicting opinion, but is due to the Dendi not performing to his usual standard in recent years, despite being active.

Nevertheless, Dendi is still renowned for shaping Pudge’s popularity during his prime, notably from the International 2011-2013 (TI1-3). Especially, TI3 where his iconic Fountain Hook was executed and immortalized as a miracle in Dota 2 history.

Of course, Dendi is well-versed with his signature hero, such that he still ticks all the checkboxes for understanding how to make Pudge viable.

3. Zai

Next on the list is Ludwig “zai” Wahlberg, who is currently retired from pro Dota 2 but serves as general manager for Tundra Esports.

During his position-4 support days, zai is a fearsome player at his role. The role’s responsibilities often juggle between keeping the offlane pressured while supporting the mid lane during rune checks.

As such, Pudge was one of zai’s most reliable hero to do just that. Perhaps what makes zai such a good Pudge player is his aggressive playstyle, that asserts dominance and pressure against his opponents. Hence, zai’s Pudge is not one to be messed with, even if it’s not a mid Pudge.

2. Miracle-

Living up to his name with his Pudge play, we have Amer “Miracle–” Al-Barkawi, who plays mid Pudge very well.

There aren’t too many mid players in the recent meta, who specializes in Pudge, let alone mid Pudge. Yet, Miracle- is one of those mid players, who’s more skill-oriented than performance-oriented. This means, Miracle- doesn’t stray away from mid heroes that typically require landing skill shots to play, unlike heroes that just automatically do well in the mid lane. Instead, he was seemingly able to make Pudge work in mid, no matter what.

1. Quinn – The Best Pudge Player in 2024?

Hailing from Gaimin Gladiators, the recent Riyadh Masters 2024 champion, Quinn “Quinn” Callahan is among the best Dota 2 Pudge players in 2024.

His status as mid player for one of the strongest teams, which won three consecutive Majors last year and reached TI12 Grand Finals, is a testament to his prowess in mid. While Pudge is not his signature hero, given his versatile hero pool, Quinn can deliver phenomenal Pudge action when given the opportunity.

Honorable Mentions

Given Pudge’s popularity even in pubs, several Immortal players have committed their time to play Pudge as their signature hero.

For instance, according to DotaBUFF’s rankings for Pudge players, Another Slice of H.A.M., Flush Deception, and WJ are in the top 10 leaderboard for best Pudge Players in Dota 2. If you want to be the next best Dota 2 Pudge player, you might want to consider checking out their builds and gameplay to understand the art of hooking.