The minimal gameplays mechanics developed over time, became more complex, and was dependent on the character, also known as Champion, that you select.
Riot Games, the creator of LoL, opted originally for a simplistic, visually appealing design with minimal gameplay mechanics for beginners. If both titles share similar traits, this is to be expected as both LoL and Dota 2 are of the same MOBA genre and both spawned from the same original Warcraft 3 mod: Dota (Defence of the Ancients). After this, the gameplay differences and the core mechanics are very much independent from each other. League of Legends (LoL) and Dota 2 on their fundamental level are very similar: you choose your character and your role before entering the match.
