Roshan (commonly called "Rosh") is a huge neutral creep on the Dota 2 map, considered the most dangerous creature in the game before heroes acquire a full set of items. He lives in a special lair ("Roshan's pit") located in one part of the map, and killing him alone in the early minutes of a match is nearly impossible — it requires a coordinated team with good damage and healing.
Why Roshan Is Killed
The main reason is the "Aegis of the Immortal" item, which drops after his death. The hero who picks up the Aegis will automatically resurrect at the same spot with part of their health and mana upon their next death. This gives a huge advantage in prolonged fights: the team can take bigger risks knowing that one of the players is "immortal" for a while.
Besides the Aegis, killing Roshan grants a large amount of gold and experience, split among those who land the final blows, as well as a random bonus item from a special list (for example, a stat boost or a useful consumable). After his first death, Roshan respawns in his pit after a certain amount of time, becoming even stronger — his health and damage increase with each respawn.
How This Is Used in Gameplay and Tournaments
Controlling Roshan is one of the key macro tasks in Dota 2. Teams track his respawn timer, set up vision (map visibility) near his lair, and plan the timing of their approach so that the opponent cannot interfere or, conversely, cannot "steal" the kill for themselves. This is why some of the most intense team fights of a match often break out around Roshan: one side tries to go for the kill, while the other either tries to fend off the attempt or waits for the opponent to spend their resources before taking the Aegis for themselves.
On the professional scene, the decision of "whether to go for Roshan right now or wait" often becomes the turning point of a series — a successful or failed timing can cost a team the entire game.
The monster's name itself is a reference to the developers of the original Warcraft III mod that Dota grew out of, and over time "Roshan" has become a common term for any similarly powerful neutral boss in other games of the MOBA genre.