What makes a mousepad 'good' for a certain game is always a difficult question (what you like mostly comes down to preferences, though there are certainly objective aspects to judge mousepads on) but for games such as DOTA 2 where precision isn't as important as it is in shooter games that's even more difficult to answer.

Shortly put: using a gaming mousepad has a ton of advantages over using nothing at all (even though we did spot some pros who didn't use a mousepad at all; that's something that we never see in shooters) and using one can make your aim a lot more consistent as well as make you more comfortable.

DOTA 2 is a game where the average overall sensitivity is higher than it is for shooters, so you can get away with using a smaller pad than what the shooter pros are using, but nevertheless we do see that DOTA 2 pros largely opt for shooter-sized pads regardless. Having more mouse space than what you need is always better than not having enough space, and if you decide that you want to also start playing shooters you already have a decently sized pad.

One of the consequences of precise aim mattering less in DOTA 2 means that we get to see a rather wide variety of mousepads in this list; in some shooter games you get a lot of products with extremely similar characteristics, but that's not really the case here.

Mainstream cloth mousepads used to all feel very similar. They had a sort of medium-fast glide and a surface that was meant to be as smooth as possible, but luckily we see a lot of companies that try to put out something different these days. The Gigantus V2 is one such product.

The Gigantus V2 gives you a rather controlling glide without becoming murky or rough like dedicated control pads. Once you 'activate' your glide there's little resistance or roughness but there is definitely a pleasing amount of stopping power and static friction to allow you to perform micro movements without any problems.

'Woven for speed, crafted for control,' is what Razer says on their website about this pad, and that seems to ring true for the Gigantus V2.

The SteelSeries QcK is definitely a 'reference pad'. It's friendly on your wallet, it's available in most parts of the world, it doesn't require a whole lot of maintenance, and it offers a glide that's somewhere in the middle between speed and control that many people seem to really like.

There's not much to say about the QcK here: it does what it has to do and it's just a reliable pad. It can also be bought with many different prints and designs so you're very likely to find one that matches your aesthetic preferences.

This is a great pad to get if you're just starting out with gaming and you're not sure where you stand on the whole 'control versus speed' debate.

SteelSeries' regular line of QcK pads is extremely well known, and the Heavy is one of the more interesting pads in that line if you ask us. With its thickness of 6 millimeters it differentiates itself from the usual bunch of 3-4 millimeter pads, even though it has a fairly standard 'medium-high speed' glide.

You might think that the thickness doesn't matter very much but it can definitely make a big difference. If you're using a mouse with smaller feet, for example, those will dig into the surface a bit more, creating a slightly more controlling feeling. It's also possible to influence the stopping power of a spongy pad like this by applying pressure to the mouse, which can be handy if you're coming to a stop after a glide. Last, but not least, a thicker pad can be better at disguising inconsistencies in your playing surface.

These thicker pads are not for everyone but there are definitely some aspects that can make them worth it to consider.

If you're a high sensitivity gamer and you're using a compatible Logitech mouse then the G Powerplay pad might be a dream come true for you. If your wireless mouse has a Powerplay module (this is exclusive to Logitech mice) then your mouse will charge itself while you're playing so long as the pad is plugged in, meaning that your mouse will literally never run out of battery. That's an amazing prospect for people who are using a wireless mouse.

The Powerplay pad can be bought with either a cloth or hard top. The hard top is the fastest but even the cloth pad is a lot faster than most regular cloth mousepads. That combined with the relatively small size means that this mousepad isn't exactly ideal for people with a low overall sensitivity (or for people who also like to dabble in shooters) but if you're primarily a DOTA 2 player and you use a high sens this might be a dream come true for you because it offers ultimate wireless freedom.

We don't often see a hard pad in these lists, but that's because we have historically mostly analyzed shooter games and those games require a certain degree of precision for which hard pads aren't exactly known. For games like DOTA 2, the Logitech G440 might just be a perfect option though.

If you're playing at a high overall sensitivity you're not going to be making large swipes all the time, and a speedy pad like the G440 that allows you to make little wrist movements with ease can be a dream come true for high sensitivity gamers or for people who just plainly prefer speed. These pads are a bit harder on your mouse feet, but if you are after a speedy glide then the G440 should be right up your alley.