DOTA 2 New Hero Revealed: Kez the Bird Samurai

The exciting finale of The International 13 saw Team Liquid face off against Gaimin Gladiators in a bid to become the next new DOTA 2 World Champions. But that wasn't the only thing of interest! Before the Grand Final began, Valve unveiled the brand new DOTA 2 hero, Kez the Bird Samurai, who will (hopefully) debut in just a few weeks.

Unlike Ringmaster, which took almost a year to be released, Kez should hopefully become available in the same year he was announced, with many fans anticipating he'll launch just a few weeks after TI13 has ended as the 126th addition to the DOTA 2 roster. If you're interested in Kez's exact release date, role, and abilities, keep reading!

DOTA 2 Kez the Bird Samurai: Release Date

Recently, Valve and the DOTA 2 team have been slacking on hero releases, with one roughly per year. However, this new DOTA 2 hero puts a new spin on things. Since the official announcement video (embedded below), Kez the Bird Samurai has been heavily linked to the ongoing Crownfall Saga in DOTA 2.

The plot of Crownfall talks about an order of Kazurai, flightless birds training secretly to oppose Queen Imperia. This order has two leaders, Kraw and Kestrel, the latter of which could be Kez's full name.

The end of Kez's announcement trailer ended with the words "Crownfall Act IV," implying this is either when he'll properly be revealed or debut on the MOBA. Recent datamining has suggested that Crownfall Act IV will be released on September 24, meaning Kez could arrive sooner rather than later. Either way, he should go live some time before the end of 2024.

The Ringmaster, a new Support hero, launched a few weeks ago at the end of August after being revealed in TI12 last year. He's already become a firm favorite for players, deemed the most fun hero on Defense of the Ancients in years. Regardless, hopefully, this double hero release in 2024 will mean more new heroes are on the horizon.

DOTA 2 Kez the Bird Samurai: Abilities & Role

Since Kez has not been fully revealed, it would be hard to predict his potential abilities. We can assume he'll have excellent mobility despite being flightless, and he'll be a core carry since he's a samurai. This means he'll have to farm creeps and eventually overpower the enemy.

The Ringmaster was a Support character, so it's plausible that Valve has made a new hero that fulfills an entirely different role to keep the meta as balanced as possible.

If we've made a mistake about Kez or new information comes to light about the new DOTA 2 hero, we'll update this article accordingly, so watch this space! If you're interested in getting involved in the DOTA 2 action, create a Rivalry account today for our competitive live odds, Quick Combos, and various DOTA betting markets.