Guarding Athena, back in play.
The launcher installs the ga_custom addon, keeps it up to date, and connects you to the shared server at ga2.oats.moe. Play solo, or open a lobby for friends.
Get started
About five minutes, most of it the addon download.
Install the launcher
Run the installer. It installs for your Windows account only, without an admin prompt.
Install the addon
Open Addon and press Install. The launcher downloads ga_custom, about 1.2 GB, and checks its signature.
Play
Press Play solo, or go to Lobbies to join a friend's game or host your own.
What the launcher does
Everything you used to do by hand with scripts, in one window.
Solo or with friends
Starts Dota 2 straight into Guarding Athena. Lobbies lists open games on your server, and hosting one takes a click.
Always the latest version
The launcher and the addon update themselves. Every update is signed, and anything that doesn't verify is refused.
Checked and repaired
Validates the installed files and patches, repairs them in place, or uninstalls the addon cleanly when you're done.
Run your own backend
A built-in server for offline play or your own group, with a dashboard for players, activities and the store.
Requirements
- SystemWindows 10 or 11, 64-bit
- GameDota 2, installed through Steam
- DiskAbout 3 GB free
- Launcher—
- Addon—
Latest changes
- Loading…
FAQ
Windows says "Windows protected your PC"
The installer isn't signed with a paid code-signing certificate, so SmartScreen doesn't recognise it yet. Click More info, then Run anyway. Updates after that are verified by the launcher itself.
Does it change my Dota 2 install?
It adds one folder, dota_addons/ga_custom. Nothing else in Dota is touched, and Addon → Uninstall
removes it again.
Where is my progress saved?
On ga2.oats.moe, tied to your Steam account, so reinstalling the addon or the launcher doesn't lose it. If you switch to the built-in server in Settings → Backend to play offline, that progress is saved on your PC instead.
The game hangs on "Loading"
The game can't reach its backend. Check the address in Settings → Backend (Test checks it), or switch to the built-in server to play offline.
How do I uninstall?
Remove the addon in Addon → Uninstall, then uninstall "Guarding Athena" from Windows Settings → Apps.