The addition of Neutral Items to Dota 2 via the 7.23 patch marked one of the most significant changes in the MOBA’s history. Not only did it completely revolutionize the way how the game is played, but it also made the late game a lot more chaotic and entertaining at the same time.
Initially, the developers introduced 62 neutral items divided into 5 tiers that dropped at various points in the game, with the final tier of items only dropping once 70 minutes had progressed within a game. However, throughout the patches introduced to Dota 2, Neutral Items have also undergone significant changes, with several new items being introduced and others being removed
The devs have repeatedly made changes to the Neutral Items in attempts to improve the overall balance of the game and reduce the randomness that players used to face when picking Neutral Items in Dota 2.
Currently, Neutral Items remain one of the most important aspects of Dota 2’s core gameplay, capable of deciding the outcome of even the most tense games when used properly by the players.
What are Neutral Items in Dota 2?
The Dota 2 7.23 update, which was shipped to the game in November 2019, introduced several important changes to the game, with the addition of Neutral Items being the most prominent among them.
The update enabled Neutral Creeps in Dota to drop exclusive items that couldn’t be purchased from the shopkeeper or sold to gain gold. Neutral Items progressively enhance as the game advances, with higher-tier items dropping in the late game compared to lower-tier items dropping earlier.
Initially, the Neutral Item drop mechanics had an increased amount of randomness associated with them that the developers have managed to minimize over the years. However, the fundamentals of Neutral Items remain unchanged.
How Have Neutral Items Changed Since Their Release?
The changes to the Neutral Items have significantly impacted the overall gameplay of Dota 2 since their introduction to the game.
For starters, patch 7.24 introduced a dedicated Neutral Item slot to the players’ inventories that restricted players to having only one Neutral Item equipped at any given time.
Several restrictions were also placed on how and when Neutral Items would drop. For instance, Neutral Items no longer drop if there is an enemy of the killing player within 600 radius of the killed neutral unit.
Another important but recent change to Dota 2 is the introduction of Neutral Tokens via patch 7.33. Neutral Creeps can no longer drop Neutral Items but drop these tokens instead, which can be claimed by the players and then be converted into a Neutral Item. Upon collecting a token, players are presented with a selection of five Neutral Items to choose from. These tokens and the items acquired through them cannot be shared among teammates.
Other than the aforementioned changes, throughout updates, adjustments to the drop rates and timings of Neutral Items have been made to foster balance in the game, allowing teams that have fallen behind to catch up.
Dota 2 Neutral Item Drop Rates & Timings
At the time of writing, Neutral Tokens only start to drop once 7 minutes have passed in the game. Tier 1 Tokens have a 14% chance to drop from killing neutrals, while all the other tiers only have a 10% chance to drop. Ancient Camps have doubled Neutral Token drop rates.
Do note that the Neutral Item drop chances are calculated by pseudo-random distribution, and rolled individually for each team and each tier. Higher-tiered tokens are rolled first.
The specific timings of Neutral Token drops are listed below in the following table:
Dota 2 Neutral Items List: All Neutral Items That You Can Get
As of patch 7.34, there are a total of 63 active Neutral Items in Dota 2 across five tiers. There are several inactive Neutral Items as well, which used to exist in the game but have been taken out of the rotation in the current update
Without further ado, let’s take a list of the current active Neutral Items in Dota 2:
Tier 1
- Arcane Ring
- Broom Handle
- Duelist Gloves
- Faded Broach
- Fairy’s Trinket
- Lance of Pursuit
- Occult Bracelet
- Pig Pole
- Royal Jelly
- Safety Bubble
- Seeds of Serenity
- Spark of Courage
- Trusty Shovel
Tier 2
- Bullwhip
- Dragon Scale
- Eye of the Vizier
- Gossamer Cape
- Grove Bow
- Light Collector
- Orb of Destruction
- Philosopher’s Stone
- Pupil’s Gift
- Specialist’s Array
- Vambrace
- Vampire Fangs
- Whisper of the Dread
Tier 3
- Ceremonial Robe
- Cloak of Flames
- Craggy Coat
- Dandelion Amulet
- Defiant Shell
- Doubloon
- Elven Tunic
- Enchanted Quiver
- Nemesis Curse
- Ogre Seal Totem
- Paladin Sword
- Psychic Headband
- Vindicator’s Axe
Tier 4
- Ancient Guardian
- Ascetic’s Cap
- Aviana’s Feather
- Havoc Hammer
- Martyr’s Plate
- Mind Breaker
- Ninja Gear
- Rattlecage
- Stormcrafter
- Telescope
- Timeless Relic
- Trickster Cloak
Tier 5
- Apex
- Arcanist’s Armor
- Book of Shadows
- Book of the Dead
- Force Boots
- Giant’s Ring
- Magic Lamp
- Mirror Shield
- Pirate Hat
- Seer Stone
- Stygian Desolator
- Unwavering Condition
Dota 2 Inactive Neutral Items List
Here’s a list of all the Neutral Items that used to be a part of the drop pool, but were removed or taken out of the rotation:
- Ballista
- Blast Rig
- Brigand’s Blade
- Chipped Vest
- Clumsy Net
- Dagger of Ristul
- Elixir
- Essence Ring
- Ex Machina
- Fae Grenade
- Fallen Sky
- Flicker
- Fusion Rune
- Greater Faerie Fire
- Helm of the Undying
- Illusionist’s Cape
- Imp Claw
- Iron Talon
- Ironwood Tree
- Keen Optic
- Mango Tree
- Minotaur Horn
- Nether Shawl
- Ocean Heart
- Penta-Edged Sword
- Phoenix Ash
- Poor Man’s Shield
- Possessed Mask
- Prince’s Knife
- Quickening Charm
- Quicksilver Amulet
- Repair Kit
- Ring of Aquila
- Spell Prism
- Spider Legs
- The Leveller
- Third Eye
- Titan Sliver
- Tome of Aghanim
- Trident
- Tumbler’s Toy
- Witchbane
- Witless Shako
- Woodland Striders
Do note that the list of active and inactive Neutral Items in Dota 2 is subject to change as the devs continue to ship out new updates to the game. Items from the active drop pool can be taken out of the rotation, while items from the inactive drop pool might be re-added to the game. On top of that, Valve can also choose to introduce new Neutral Items to further spice up the competitive gameplay of Dota 2 and add to the ever-expanding list of Neutral Items in the game.
