Many Dota 2 players have wondered how they could lock the camera in order to follow their heroes at all times. In this guide, I will show you exactly how to accomplish this and address all your questions pertaining to this matter.
How do you lock the camera on a hero in Dota 2?
1. Use the hotkeys
- Click on the Gear icon
- Navigate to your Hotkey tab
- Go to the Unit Actions section
- Locate the Select hero key
- Edit the key and select a new key that will enable this option
- Hit this key twice and the camera will automatically focus on your hero.
Alternatively, after selecting a hotkey for your hero, go to the Options tab, and navigate to the Camera section. Enable Hold Select Hero to Follow.
To fully lock the camera, go to Camera options and disable the Edge pan option.
If you disable the Edge Pan option in Dota 2, the camera will no longer move when you move your mouse cursor beyond the screen boundaries.
However, this also means you won’t be able to navigate the map by moving your mouse anymore.
Instead, you’ll need to use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the camera.
2. Bind the Lock Camera key
You can also bind the Toggle Offset Lock Camera option as shown in the screenshot below.
Pressing the key twice is necessary if you rely on units that have multiple heroes. In this manner, you can change the hero who’s taking the command without necessarily changing the camera.
Many players don’t recommend locking the camera as this might cripple your gameplay.
Maxing your camera efficiency allows you to gather as much information about the map as possible.
Knowledge is power and having a clear vision of the map helps you to take the best game decisions.
Other players suggest the only case where locking the camera is useful is when you want to block creeps.
This need to lock the camera is prevalent for LoL players coming to Dota 2.
While playing with the camera lock is fine in LoL, it does bring some disadvantages in Dota 2. Many gamers are still struggling to break this habit.
However, this is a matter of personal preference. If you’re feeling more comfortable with the camera lock option enabled, play that way.
Just keep in mind that locking the camera on your hero can potentially limit map awareness.
Do you often lock your camera when playing Dota 2? Is this an old habit of yours that refuses to die? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
This guide was updated in June 2023.