DOTA 2

Dota 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game in which two teams of five players compete to
collectively destroy a large structure defended by the opposing team known as the "Ancient", whilst defending their own.
[1][2]
 As in Defense of the Ancients, the game is controlled using standard real-time strategy controls, and is presented on
a single map in a three-dimensional isometric perspective.[1][3] Ten players each control one of the game's 121 playable
characters, known as "heroes", with each having their own design, strengths, and weaknesses.[1][2][4] Heroes are divided
into two primary roles, known as the core and support.[5][6]
Cores, which are also called carries, begin each match as weak and vulnerable, but are able to become more powerful
later in the game, thus becoming able to "carry" their team to victory.[5][7] Supports generally lack abilities that deal heavy
damage, instead having ones with more functionality and utility that provide assistance for their cores, such as providing
healing and other buffs.[5][6][8] Players select their hero during a pre-game drafting phase, where they can also discuss
potential strategies and hero matchups with their teammates.[2][5][6] Heroes are removed from the drafting pool and
become unavailable for all other players once one is selected, and can not be changed once the drafting phase is over.
All heroes have a basic attack in addition to powerful abilities, which are the primary method of fighting. Each hero has
at least four of them, all of which are unique.[3][8] Heroes begin each game with an experience level of one, only having
access to one of their abilities, but are able to level up and become more powerful during the course of the game, up to
a maximum level of 30.[2][5] Whenever a hero gains an experience level, the player is able to unlock another of their
abilities or improve one already learned.[2][5] The most powerful ability for each hero is known as their "ultimate", which
requires them to have an experience level of six in order to use.[6]
In order to prevent abilities from being used without consequence, a magic system is featured in the game. Activating
an ability costs a hero some of their "mana points", which slowly regenerates over time.[3][9] Using an ability will also
cause it to enter a cooldown period, in which the ability can not be used again until a timer resets. All heroes have
three attributes: strength, intelligence, and agility, which affect health points, mana points, and attack speed,
respectively.[5] Each hero has one primary attribute out of the three, which adds to their non-ability basic damage output
when increased, among other minor buffs.[5][10] Heroes also have an ability augmentation system known as the "Talent
Tree", which allow players more choices on how to develop their hero.[5][6] If a hero runs out of health points and dies,
they are removed from active play until a timer counts down to zero, where they are then respawned in their base with
only some gold lost.[11]
The two teams—known as the Radiant and Dire—occupy fortified bases in opposite corners of the map, which is
divided in half by a crossable river and connected by three paths, which are referred to as "lanes".[1][2] The lanes are
guarded by defensive towers that attack any opposing unit who gets within its line of sight.[2] A small group of
weak computer-controlled creatures called "creeps" travel predefined paths along the lanes and attempt to attack any
opposing heroes, creeps, and buildings in their way.[2][6][11] Creeps periodically spawn throughout the game in groups from
two buildings, called the "barracks", that exist in each lane and are located within the team's bases.[2][6][12] The map is also
permanently covered for both teams in fog of war, which prevents a team from seeing the opposing team's heroes and
creeps if they are not directly in sight of themselves or an allied unit. The map also features a day-night cycle, with some
hero abilities and other game mechanics being altered depending on the time of the cycle.[5] Also present on the map
are "neutral creeps" that are hostile to both teams, and reside in marked locations on the map known as "camps".
Camps are located in the area between the lanes known as the "jungle", which both sides of the map have.[6][13]
Neutral creeps do not attack unless provoked, and respawn over time if killed. The most powerful neutral creep is
named "Roshan", who is a unique boss that may be defeated by either team to obtain special items, such as one that
allows a one-time resurrection if the hero that holds it is killed.[2][6][14] Roshan will respawn around ten minutes after being
killed, and becomes progressively harder to kill as the match progresses over time.[14] Runes, which are special items
that spawn in set positions on the map every few minutes, offer heroes temporary, but powerful power-ups when
collected, such as double damage and invisibility.[5][6]
In addition to having abilities becoming stronger during the game, players are able to buy items from set locations on
the map called shops that provide their own special abilities.[2][6][14][15] Items are not limited to specific heroes, and can be
bought by anyone. In order to obtain an item, players must be able to afford it with gold at shops located on the map,
which is primarily obtained by killing enemy heroes, destroying enemy structures, and killing creeps, with the latter being
an act called "farming".[2][5][11] Only the hero that lands the killing blow on a creep obtains gold from it, an act called "last
hitting", but all allies receive a share of gold when an enemy hero dies close to them.[3][11] Players are also able to "deny"
allied units and structures by last hitting them, which then prevents their opponents from getting full experience from
them.[11][14] Gold can not be shared between teammates, with each player having their own independent stash. Players
also receive a continuous, but small stream of gold over the course of a match.[5][16]
Multiple game types in the game exist, which mainly alter the way hero selection is handled; examples include "All
Pick", which offer no restrictions on hero selection, "All Random", which randomly assigns a hero for each player,
"Captain's Mode", where a single player on each team selects heroes for their entire team and is primarily used for
professional play, and "Turbo", an expedited version of All Pick featuring increased gold and experience gain, weaker
towers, and faster respawn times.[17][18][19] Matches usually last around 30 minutes to an hour, although they can last
forever as long as both Ancients remain standing.[6][20] In Captain's Mode games, an additional "GG" forfeit feature is
available to end games early.[21] Dota 2 also occasionally features limited-time events that present players with
alternative game modes that do not follow the game's standard rules.[22] Some of these included the Halloween-themed
Diretide event,[23] the Christmas-themed Frostivus event,[24] and the New Bloom Festival, which celebrated the coming
of spring.[25] Other special game modes have also been created by Valve, including a ten-versus-ten mode,
[26]
 a Halloween-themed capture point mode "Colosseum",[27] a combat arena mode "Overthrow",[28] "Siltbreaker", a story-
driven cooperative campaign mode,[29] and "The Underhollow", a battle royale mode.[30]
The move to the Source 2 engine in 2015 also added the "Arcade" feature, which allows for community-created game
modes, with the more popular ones having dedicated server hosting by Valve.[31][32] One popular example, known as Dota
Auto Chess, had over seven million in-game subscribers by April 2019.[33][34][35] Owing to its popularity, Valve met with the
mod's developers, the Chinese-based Drodo Studio, to discuss directly collaborating on a standalone version. However,
the two companies were unable to come to an agreement, with them both stating that it was in their best interest to
develop their own separate games.[36] Valve's version, Dota Underlords, was released in February 2020 and continued to
use the Dota setting,[37] while Drodo's game, Auto Chess, was developed without using any Dota 2 assets.[38][39]
The Dota series began in 2003 with Defense of the Ancients (DotA)—a mod for Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft III:
Reign of Chaos—created by the pseudonymous designer "Eul".[40] An expansion pack for Warcraft III, The Frozen
Throne, was released later that year; a series of Defense of the Ancients clone mods for the new game competed for
popularity. DotA: Allstars by Steve Feak was the most successful,[41] and Feak, with his friend Steve Mescon, created the
official Defense of the Ancients community website and the holding company DotA-Allstars, LLC.[42] When Feak retired
from DotA: Allstars in 2005, a friend, under the pseudonym IceFrog, became its lead designer.[43] By the late
2000s, Defense of the Ancients became one of the most popular mods worldwide, as well as a prominent esports game.
[44]
 IceFrog and Mescon later had a falling out in May 2009, which prompted the former to establish a new community
website at playdota.com.[45] Valve's interest in the Dota intellectual property began when several veteran employees,
including Team Fortress 2 designer Robin Walker and executive Erik Johnson, became fans of the mod and wanted to
build a modern sequel.[46] The company corresponded with IceFrog by email about his long-term plans for the project,
[47]
 and he was subsequently hired to direct a sequel.[48] IceFrog first announced his new position through his blog in
October 2009,[49] with Dota 2 being officially announced a year later.[50]
Valve adopted the word "Dota", derived from the original mod's acronym, as the name for its newly acquired franchise.
Johnson argued that the word referred to a concept, and was not an acronym.[48] Shortly after the announcement of Dota
2, Valve filed a trademark claim to the Dota name.[51] At Gamescom 2011, company president Gabe Newell explained
that the trademark was needed to develop a sequel with the already-identifiable brand.[52] Holding the Dota name to be a
community asset, Feak and Mescon filed an opposing trademark for Dota on behalf of DotA-Allstars, LLC (then a
subsidiary of Riot Games) in August 2010.[42] Rob Pardo, the executive vice president of Blizzard Entertainment at the
time, similarly stated that the Dota name belonged to the mod's community. Blizzard acquired DotA-Allstars, LLC from
Riot Games and filed an opposition against Valve in November 2011, citing Blizzard's ownership of both the Warcraft III
World Editor and DotA-Allstars, LLC as proper claims to the franchise name.[53] The dispute was settled in May 2012,
with Valve retaining commercial rights to the Dota trademark, while allowing non-commercial use of the name by third-
parties.[54] In 2017, Valve's ownership of franchise was again challenged, after a 2004 internet forum post from Eul was
brought to light by a Chinese company known as uCool, who had released a mobile game in 2014 that used characters
from the Dota universe.[55] uCool, who was previously involved in a lawsuit with Blizzard in 2015 for similar reasons,
[56]
 along with another Chinese company, Lilith Games, argued that the forum post invalidated any ownership claims of
the intellectual property, stating that the Dota property was an open-source, collective work that could not be
copyrighted by anyone in particular.[55][57] Judge Charles R. Breyer denied uCool's motion for summary dismissal, with
Blizzard filing motions to dismiss all claims against uCool and Lilith with prejudice.[55][58][59]
An early goal of the Dota 2 team was the adaptation of Defense of the Ancients' aesthetic style for the Source engine.
[50]
 The Radiant and Dire factions replaced the Sentinel and Scourge from the mod, respectively. Character names,
abilities, items and map design from the mod were largely retained, with some changes due to trademarks owned by
Blizzard. In the first Q&A session regarding Dota 2, IceFrog explained that the game would build upon the mod without
making significant changes to its core.[48] Valve contracted major contributors from the Defense of the
Ancients community, including Eul and artist Kendrick Lim, to assist with the sequel.[60] Additional contributions from
sources outside of Valve were also sought regularly for Dota 2, as to continue Defense of the Ancients' tradition of
community-sourced development.[61] One of the composers of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, Jason Hayes, was hired to
collaborate with Tim Larkin to write the original score for the game, which was conducted by Timothy Williams and
performed and recorded by the Northwest Sinfonia at Bastyr University.[62][63] Valve had Half-Life series writer Marc
Laidlaw, science fiction author Ted Kosmatka, and Steam support employee Kris Katz write new dialog and background
lore for the heroes.[64][65] Notable voice actors for heroes include Nolan North, Dave Fennoy, Jon St. John, Ellen
McLain, Fred Tatasciore, Merle Dandridge, Jen Taylor, and John Patrick Lowrie, among others.[66]
The Source engine itself was updated with new features to accommodate Dota 2, such as high-end cloth modeling and
improved global lighting.[50] The game features Steam integration, which provides its social component and cloud
storage for personal settings. In November 2013, Valve introduced a coaching system that allows experienced players
to tutor newer players with in-game tools.[67] As with previous Valve multiplayer games, players are able to spectate live
matches of Dota 2 played by others,[67] and local area network (LAN) multiplayer support allows for local competitions.[68]
[69]
 Some of these events may be spectated via the purchase of tickets from the "Dota Store", which give players in-game
access to matches. Ticket fees are apportioned in part to tournament organizers.[70] The game also features an in-
game fantasy sports system, which is modeled after traditional fantasy sports and feature professional Dota 2 players
and teams.[71] Players are also able to spectate games in virtual reality (VR) with up to 15 others, which was added in an
update in July 2016.[72] The update also added a hero showcase mode, which allows players to see all of the heroes and
their cosmetics full-size in virtual reality.[73]
As part of a plan to develop Dota 2 into a social network, Newell announced in April 2012 that the game would be free-
to-play, and that community contributions would be a cornerstone feature.[74] Instead, revenue is generated through the
"Dota Store", which offers for-purchase cosmetic virtual goods, such as custom armor and weapons for their heroes.[75] It
was also announced that the full roster of heroes would be available at launch for free.[76] Until the game's official release
in 2013, players were able to purchase an early access bundle, which included a digital copy of Dota 2 and several
cosmetic items.[77] Included as optional downloadable content (DLC), the Dota 2 Workshop Tools are a set of Source
2 software development kit (SDK) tools that allow content creators to create new hero cosmetics, as well as custom
game modes, maps, and bot scripts.[78][79][80] Highly rated cosmetics, through the Steam Workshop, are available in the in-
game store if they are accepted by Valve. This model was fashioned after Valve's Team Fortress 2, which had earned
Workshop designers of cosmetic items of that game over $3.5 million by June 2011.[76] Newell revealed that the average
Steam Workshop contributor for Dota 2 and Team Fortess 2 made approximately $15,000 from their creations in 2013.
[81]
 By 2015, sales of Dota 2 virtual goods had earned Valve over $238 million in revenue, according to the digital game
market research group SuperData.[82] In 2016, Valve introduced the "Custom Game Pass" option for creators of custom
game modes, which allows them to be funded by way of microtransactions by adding exclusive features, content, and
other changes to their game mode for players who buy it.[83]
Dota 2 includes a seasonal Elo rating-based matchmaking system, which is measured by a numerical value known as
"matchmaking rating" (MMR) that is tracked separately for core and support roles, and ranked into different tiers. MMR
is updated based on if a player won or lost, which will then increase or decrease respectively.[84] The game's servers,
known as the "Game Coordinator", [85][86] attempts to balance both teams based on each player's MMR, with each team
having roughly a 50% chance to win in any given game.[84] Ranked game modes with a separately tracked MMR are also
available, which primarily differ from unranked games by making MMR publicly visible, as well as requiring the
registration of a phone number to their accounts, which help foster a more competitive environment.[84][87] To ensure that
each player's ranking is up to date and accurate, MMR is recalibrated around every six months.[88][89] Players with the
highest possible medal rank are listed by Valve on an online leaderboard, separated into North American, European,
Southeast Asian, and Chinese regions.[90] The game also includes a report system, which allows players to punish player
behavior that intentionally provides a negative experience.[91] Players who get reported enough or leave several games
before they conclude, a practice known as "abandoning", are then placed into low priority matchmaking, which remains
on a player's account until they win a specific number of games, and only groups them with other players who also have
the same punishment.[92][93] Other features include an improved replay system from Defense of the Ancients, in which a
completed game can be downloaded in-client and viewed by anyone at a later time, and the "hero builds" feature, which
provide integrated guides created by the community that highlight to the player on how to play their hero.[94]
In June 2015, Valve announced that the entirety of Dota 2 would be ported over to their Source 2 game engine in an
update called Dota 2 Reborn.[95] Reborn was first released as an opt-in beta update that same month,[96] and officially
replaced the original client in September 2015, making it the first game to use the engine.[97] Reborn included a new user
interface framework design, ability for custom game modes created by the community, and the full replacement of the
original Source engine with Source 2.[98] Largely attributed to technical difficulties players experienced with the update,
the global player base experienced a sharp drop of approximately sixteen percent the month following its release.
[99]
 However, after various updates and patches, over a million concurrent players were playing again by the beginning of
2016, with that number being the largest in nearly a year.[100] The move to Source 2 also allowed the use of the Vulkan
graphics API, released as an optional feature in May 2016, making Dota 2 one of the first games to use it.