Right now, Dota 2 is played by the equivalent of the population of New York. That's 8.5 million people, with another six New York's sitting on a copy of the game. So, if you are into gaming, you ought to have a look.

The trailer is awesome and does a fine job at displaying the strategic and involving nature of Dota 2. However, whether its strength, agility, or cunning you're looking for, choosing from over 100 heroes will not be easy. This list will lend you a hand, as we will examine the 5 most popular heroes and identify their strengths and weaknesses.

Data gathered from here.

5. Invoker With a total of 156 million recorded matches, Invoker is the 5th most picked Dota 2 hero. This is quite surprising as Invoker, without a doubt, is the most difficult hero to master, or even just play! However, the ones who have mastered this complex hero (with a total of 14 abilities instead of the usual 4-5), is capable of pulling off some amazing combos, often enough to wipe out multiple enemies in seconds!

4. Juggernaut Juggernaut has a total of 157 million recorded matches, so it's not that far ahead of Invoker. Juggernaut has 3 active spells and 1 passive spell. Since two of the active spells are fairly straight forward, he is a relatively easy hero to master. However, make no mistake - he's still a very rewarding hero to play. It's quite simple - no matter how far in the game you are, if you happen to find a single enemy away from any creeps, it's an almost certain kill, thanks to Juggernauts powerful ultimate! Advertisement

3. Phantom Assassin Phantom Assassin has a total of 175 million recorded matches. This is hero is as popular among newbies, as between groups of hardcore pros. That's because Phantom Assassin has only two active spells. And the passives are extremely powerful. These passive skills make Phantom Assassin hard to hit with physical attacks, not to mention, they charge up her critical damage numbers to over 1000! A professional player can take Phantom Assassin to the next level, using her strength to quickly farm to a higher level and then proceed to destroy anyone in her way fairly early in the game!

2. Sniper Sniper has 211m matches recorded, and that is not a surprise! I'm certain that Sniper has been the first hero for most of Dota 2 players! This is especially likely, since you are taught how to play this simple hero in the tutorial. Sadly this hero is mostly popular only between new players. The sniper is what people call a "Glass Cannon": Hits like a tank, breaks like a porcelain tea cup! And because good players will most likely figure out a way to approach the Sniper at close range (SB charge, invisibility, sneaking from the back), Sniper is not a popular choice in high rank games. Advertisement