Defense of the Ancients
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Summary
Defense of the Ancients (DotA) is a multiplayer online battle arena modification for the video game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and its expansion, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. It is based on the "Aeon of Strife" map from StarCraft. The main goal is for each team to destroy the enemy's Ancient, a heavily protected structure located at opposite ends of the map. Players control powerful units called heroes, supported by teammates and AI-controlled allies. Similar to role-playing games, players can level up their heroes and use in-game currency to purchase gear throughout the match. The map was created using the "World Editor" from Reign of Chaos and was further refined with the release of The Frozen Throne. Over time, many versions of the original idea have emerged, with DotA Allstars being the most well-known. This version eventually became simply DotA with the release of version 6.68. The map has been maintained by various developers over the years, with the most recent and well-known being the anonymous creator "IceFrog," who has worked on the game since 2005. Since its debut, DotA has become a staple at numerous international competitions, including Blizzard Entertainment's BlizzCon, the Asian World Cyber Games, and the Cyberathlete Amateur and CyberEvolution leagues. In a 2008 article from the video game industry site Gamasutra, the writer noted that DotA was likely "the most popular and most-discussed free, non-supported game mod in the world." DotA is widely considered the primary influence behind the rise of the multiplayer online battle arena genre. Valve Corporation acquired the intellectual property rights to DotA and used them to create a standalone sequel, Dota 2, which launched in 2013.
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Alternative titles
- DotA— Acronym