
Io
Io is everywhere, and in all things. Denounced by enemies as the great unmaker, worshiped by scholars as the twinkling of a divine eye, this strange Wisp of life-force occupies all planes at once, the merest fraction of its being crossing into physical existence at any one moment. Like the great twin riders Dark and Light, and yet another ancient traveler whose true history is lost to the ages, Io the Wisp is a Fundamental of the universe, a force older than time, a wanderer from realms far beyond mortal understanding. Io is nothing less than the sum of all attractive and repulsive forces within the material field, a sentient manifestation of the charge that bind existence together. It is only in the controlled warping of these electrical waylines that Io's presence can be experienced on the physical plane. A benevolent, cooperative force, Io bonds its strange magnetism to others so tha…
Hero lore
Io is everywhere, and in all things. Denounced by enemies as the great unmaker, worshiped by scholars as the twinkling of a divine eye, this strange Wisp of life-force occupies all planes at once, the merest fraction of its being crossing into physical existence at any one moment. Like the great twin riders Dark and Light, and yet another ancient traveler whose true history is lost to the ages, Io the Wisp is a Fundamental of the universe, a force older than time, a wanderer from realms far beyond mortal understanding. Io is nothing less than the sum of all attractive and repulsive forces within the material field, a sentient manifestation of the charge that bind existence together. It is only in the controlled warping of these electrical waylines that Io's presence can be experienced on the physical plane. A benevolent, cooperative force, Io bonds its strange magnetism to others so tha…
Compact stat and ability fields shown here were checked against patch 7.41e where this model represents the changed field. Talents and full mechanics remain in the official notes.
Io abilities
Tethers Io to an allied unit, granting bonus movement speed to both. When Io restores health or mana, the tethered unit gains a portion of that amount. The tether breaks when the allied unit moves too far away, or Io cancels the tether. Tether slows enemies t…
Summon five particle spirits that dance in a circle around Io. If a particle collides with an enemy hero, it explodes, damaging all enemy units in an area around it. Creeps take minor damage from touching a particle spirit, but do not cause them to explode. W…
Io gains attack speed, spell amplification, and health regeneration based on max health. If Io is Tethered to an ally, that unit also gains any bonuses granted by Overcharge.
Sends the spirits closer to you. Can be toggled on and off.
Instant Cast, HiddenSends the spirits farther away from you. Can be toggled on and off.
Instant Cast, HiddenTeleports Io and a tethered ally to any location. After the spell expires, Io and the tethered ally will return to their original location. Double-click to teleport to your team's base fountain.
Break the link to the tethered unit.
Popular items by game phase
OpenDota professional-match aggregate as of Jul 21, 2026, 9:50 PM UTC. Popularity rows are independent phase totals, not a coherent build, sequence, or win-rate advice.
Starting
6 items- 1
Iron Branch93 selections · 16.5% - 2
Tango91 selections · 16.1% - 3
Ring of Regen59 selections · 10.5% - 4
Blood Grenade54 selections · 9.6% - 5
Observer and Sentry Wards46 selections · 8.2% - 6
Headdress44 selections · 7.8%
Early
6 items- 1
Soul Ring39 selections · 33.9% - 2
Chainmail32 selections · 27.8% - 3
Bracer8 selections · 7% - 4
Null Talisman7 selections · 6.1% - 5
Ogre Axe6 selections · 5.2% - 6
Bottle6 selections · 5.2%
Mid
6 items- 1
Mekansm66 selections · 23.9% - 2
Holy Locket54 selections · 19.6% - 3
Ogre Axe21 selections · 7.6% - 4
Point Booster15 selections · 5.4% - 5
Aghanim's Scepter14 selections · 5.1% - 6
Blade of Alacrity13 selections · 4.7%
Late
6 items- 1
Reaver14 selections · 12% - 2
Heart of Tarrasque14 selections · 12% - 3
Glimmer Cape13 selections · 11.1% - 4
Black King Bar12 selections · 10.3% - 5
Vladmir's Offering9 selections · 7.7% - 6
Holy Locket9 selections · 7.7%
More heroes to explore
All heroes →Io — frequently asked
What are Io's abilities in Dota 2?
Io's abilities are Tether, Spirits, Overcharge, Spirits In, Spirits Out, Relocate, Break Tether. It is a Universal ranged hero played as Support, Escape, Nuker.
What is Io's primary attribute?
Io is a Universal hero, starting with 19 strength (+3/lvl), 14 agility (+1.6/lvl) and 21 intelligence (+1.7/lvl), and a base move speed of 320.
What do the popular Io item phases mean?
The saved OpenDota aggregate is dated 2026-07-22. The phase lists summarize professional-match item popularity; they are not one coherent build, a recommended sequence, or win-rate advice.







