Defense of the Ancients (DotA)Main article: Defense of the AncientsThe

installment which established the Dota intellectual property was the

Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos custom mod Defense of the Ancients
(DotA). Independently developed and released by the pseudonymous
designer Eul in 2003, it was inspired by Aeon of Strife, a multiplayer
StarCraft map.[8] Before every DotA match, up to ten players are
organized into two teams called the Scourge and the Sentinel - inspired
by the factions from Warcraft lore - with the former in the northeast
corner and the latter in the southwest corner of a nearly-symmetrical
map. Using one of several game modes, the players each choose a
single powerful unit called a "hero", who they are granted control of
throughout the match. Heroes maintain special tactical advantages, in
the way of their statistics, attack, and damage types, as well as abilities
that can be learned and enhanced through leveling up from combat.
Team coordination and roster composition are considered crucial for a
successful match.[9] The currency of the game is gold, which may be
used for purchasing items that may enhance a hero's statistics and
provide special abilities. Gold is awarded to players for destroying
enemies and in increments on a rolling basis, while also being deducted
for the death of one's hero.[10] Heroes battle alongside weaker
computer-controlled infantry units periodically dispatched in waves, who
traverse three paths called "lanes", which connect the Scourge and
Sentinel bases.[11][12] Each lane is lined with defensive towers, which
are not only more powerful the closer they are to their respective bases,
but invulnerable until their predecessors are destroyed. At the center of
each base is a central structure called an "Ancient", which is either the
World Tree for the Sentinel or the Frozen Throne for the Scourge. To win
a match, the enemy's Ancient must be destroyed.[12]Dota 2Main article:
Dota 2Valve'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.[13] The company corresponded with
IceFrog by email about his long-term plans for the project,[14] and he
was subsequently hired to direct a sequel.[15] IceFrog first announced
his new position through his blog in October 2009,[16] with Dota 2 being
officially announced a year later.[17] Shortly after, Valve filed a
trademark claim to the Dota name.[18] At Gamescom 2011, company
president Gabe Newell explained that the trademark was needed to
develop a sequel with the already-identifiable brand.[19] 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.[20] 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.[21] 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.[22]