This striking Shadow Shaman artwork styles the Dota 2 hero in Peruvian culture. But will this design remain an artwork or could it possibly be an upcoming set?
The 2023 Dota 2 Lima Major is fully embracing the Chicha theme with Peruvian art splashed in every corner of the event. The main artwork that can be seen in Dota 2’s menu has been gaining a lot of attention. It is a fascinating and vibrant design of Shadow Shaman that portrays Peruvian elements. The community has speculated that this could be an incoming in-game cosmetic - whether an Arcana, Immortal, or a normal set. But this is merely a speculation.
The explosive artwork is illustrated by Danilo Laynes under the direction of Gijex, who is the Head of Art in 4D Esports. They both worked to create the embodiment of Peruvian culture into a Shadow Shaman set and the immaculate detail received high praise from the community.
In a tweet by Gijex, he stated that the artwork is only a "sneak peek of everything (they) were working on these months." It could hint towards many things. But a lot of people are starting to anticipate the Shadow Shaman set to be released in Dota 2.
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A closer look at the Shadow Shaman custom set
There’s a lot to unpack in the Shadow Shaman set with the details going above and beyond. The artwork is Chicha-style which is this very vibrant type of art that uses fluorescent colors and rounded letterforms. This artstyle came from the 1980s and is heavily associated with the streets of Lima, Peru.
According to Spanish caster, Chompix, the Shadow Shaman is holding a Torito de Pucara, a small ceramic bull. This goes back to the pre-Colombian era centuries ago when the indigenous worshipped the bull. This is an amulet that symbolizes fertility and prosperity.
Shaman also wears a mask that resembles Diablada. It is an Andean folk dance that has performers wearing colorful costumes and masks that represent demons, angels, and other supernatural beings.
A comment on Reddit also explained their interpretation of the set. They highlighted that the Shadow Shaman set has him holding many symbols of Chavin, which is an extinct civilization in the pre-Columbian era. A few of them include a "Cabeza Clava" which represents the Puma who is the messenger of the human world. Another one is a "Condor" image which represents the messenger of the heavens.
The set is incredibly unique in the way it blends a ton of Peruvian symbols and culture into a set. But will this very striking design remain as an artwork or will we see it arrive as a Dota 2 cosmetic? Only time will tell.
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