If you’re a serial Dota 2 queuer, meaning you queue up for another match right after finishing one, then your streak may come to an unexpected end when Dota 2‘s servers go down.
As a competitive Dota 2 player, I naturally want to squeeze in as many matches as possible before calling it a day. My plans may not mean much once errors like “connected to the Dota 2 game coordinator logging in” start showing up, indicating that Dota 2‘s servers are offline.
If you’re a dedicated player like me, you might feel lost when Dota 2 servers are down. However, you can find comfort in the fact it shouldn’t take longer than an hour for Valve to fix Dota 2‘s servers.
Why is Dota 2 down?
Dota 2‘s servers usually go down when Valve pushes out a new update onto the live servers or when the developer takes down the game’s matchmaking services for quick maintenance.
Dota 2 uses Valve’s dedicated servers, and the game can suffer server problems due to Steam-related issues or any external problems. If any of Valve’s services go down, Dota 2 is likely to do the same, and players can receive the infamous “Dota 2 Game Coordinator is down” error in the process. Connectivity issues on your end may also cause these problems.
As a rule of thumb, I always check out Dota 2‘s server status whenever I can’t seem to play. If the servers are down, it means you will need to wait for Valve to fix the servers.
How to check Dota 2’s server status
The best way to check Dota 2‘s server status is via community hubs like Reddit and other community-reliant detectors. When Dota 2‘s servers are down, players flock to these platforms to report problems that they’re seeing.
If you see an increasing number of reports, it’ll be an indication of Dota 2‘s servers being down.
How to check the server status of all Steam services
Dota 2 can go down alongside Steam, so it’s also a decent idea to check Steam services’ server status. Steamstat.us is an excellent tool that monitors everything in Steam’s database.
Once you’re on the main page, there are two sections you’ll want to keep your eyes on: the Dota 2 Game Coordinator (API) and Steam Community. When the first one is down, you won’t be able to queue up for a match.
Whenever Steam Community goes down, almost all Steam services will be affected, and you may not even be able to chat with your friends, let alone play Dota 2.
If the Dota 2 Game Coordinator and Steam Community are up and running, you should check the server you generally play in. Check the servers in your region by the city names. If a few cities in your region are currently down or under maintenance, you can queue for a game by selecting a different region. Your ping will be considerably higher than what it was in your usual region, but it should be better than not playing Dota 2 at all.
If the servers are down, you’ll just need to wait for them to come back up since nothing will help bypass the issue. All Steam services generally go down every Tuesday from 3pm to 5pm CT for maintenance. The downtime usually lasts around 10 minutes, and the majority of the servers come back online with the community features.
What to do if Dota 2 servers are “up” but you can’t play
If the servers are up, but you’re still unable to queue up for a Dota 2 match or log into the game, there may be a connection issue on your end. Before proceeding with any troubleshooting methods, you should check whether there are any pending updates for Dota 2 and Steam.
While you’re at it, try verifying the integrity of your files to ensure they are in top shape. Though it rarely happens, a corrupt game file can also cause connectivity issues.
1) Restart your router and computer
After making sure your copy of Dota 2 is up to date, you can try restarting your router and computer. Resetting your router will allow you to re-establish the connection between your end and Valve’s servers, potentially fixing any hiccups that may have occurred over time.
Restarting your computer simultaneously is a quick way to resolve any software-related bugs and is easy to do while waiting for your router to come back online.
2) Troubleshoot your DNS configuration
In cases where restarting your router and computer wasn’t enough to fix your connectivity issues, changing your DNS will be your next step to fix your Dota 2 connection errors. Just like game servers, DNS servers can also go down and cause your internet connection to suffer. By default, you’ll be using your ISP’s standard DNS servers, and switching to a more commercially available one can help you troubleshoot your previous DNS configuration.
If you aren’t familiar with changing your DNS settings, you can refer to this video on Windows and this guide to do it on a Mac.
3) Try out a cabled connection or a mobile hotspot
At this point, trying out a different connection type can also help you troubleshoot the current connection method. If you play on Wi-Fi, try connecting your computer to your router via an Ethernet cable, or tether your mobile data plan by turning on your phone’s mobile hotspot feature. While the first method will let you see whether there’s something wrong with your Wi-Fi, the second one will help you troubleshoot the entirety of your home connection.
If using an Ethernet cable works, you can continue playing with a cable until your Wi-Fi fixes itself. But if you were only able to log into Dota 2 with your mobile connection, you may need to give a call to your ISP to see if they can spot anything wrong with your home connection.
4) Contact your ISP
As a last measure, you can try contacting your ISP and Valve to let them know about your situation. ISP operators have additional tools they can use on their end to check the current status of your network. Issues detected by ISP operators can be fixed with a single reset on their end, or they can instruct you with additional troubleshooting methods.
If any of the fixes above don’t work out, your last option will be to submit a support ticket to Valve. When it comes to contacting Valve, you’ll need to be as thorough as possible with all the troubleshooting methods you’ve tried so far. The last thing you want is a support agent replying to you with something you’ve tried before, and Valve likes taking its time when it comes to responding to support tickets.
