DotA allows up to ten players in a five-versus-five format. The scenario is highly team-oriented it is difficult for one player to carry the team to victory alone. In DotA, players on each side can choose one of more than a hundred heroes, each with different abilities and tactical advantages. Įach player controls one hero, a powerful unit with unique abilities. In the center of each base is the 'Ancient', the building that must be destroyed to win the game. Each base is defended by towers and waves of units which guard the main paths leading to their base. Players on the 'Sentinel' team are based at the southwest corner of the map, and those on the 'Scourge' team are based in the northeast.

American video game developer Valve acquired the intellectual property rights to DotA in 2009 to develop a franchise, beginning with Dota 2 in 2013.ĭefense of the Ancients pits two teams of players against each other. DotA is largely attributed as being the most significant inspiration for the MOBA genre.

Critical reception to DotA was positive, with it being called one of the most popular mods of any game.

The mod has been maintained by several authors during development, with the pseudonymous designer known as IceFrog maintaining the game since the mid-2000s.ĭotA became a feature at several worldwide tournaments, including Blizzard Entertainment's BlizzCon and the Asian World Cyber Games. There have been many variations of the original concept, the most popular being DotA Allstars, eventually simplified to DotA. The scenario was developed with the World Editor of Reign of Chaos, and was updated upon the release of its expansion, The Frozen Throne. As in role-playing games, players level up their heroes and use gold to buy equipment during the game.ĭotA has its roots in the ' Aeon of Strife' custom map for StarCraft. Players use powerful units known as heroes, and are assisted by allied teammates and AI-controlled fighters. The objective of the game is for each team to destroy their opponents' Ancient, a heavily guarded structure at the opposing corner of the map. Defense of the Ancients ( DotA) is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) mod for the video game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (2002) and its expansion, The Frozen Throne.

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