 = Dota 2 = 
 
 Dota 2 is a free @-@ to @-@ play multiplayer online battle arena ( MOBA ) video game developed and published by Valve Corporation . The game is the stand @-@ alone sequel to Defense of the Ancients ( DotA ) , a mod for the 2002 video game Warcraft III : Reign of Chaos and its expansion pack , The Frozen Throne . Dota 2 was released for Microsoft Windows , OS X , and Linux in July 2013 , following a Windows @-@ only public beta testing phase that began in 2011 . Dota 2 is one of the most actively played games on Steam , with peaks of over a million concurrent players , and was praised by critics for its gameplay , production quality , and <unk> to its predecessor , despite being criticized for its steep learning curve . 
 Dota 2 is played in matches between two five @-@ player teams , each of which occupies a base in a corner of the playing field . Each player controls one of 111 playable characters , called " heroes " , that feature unique abilities and styles of play . During a match , the player collects gold , items , and experience points for their hero , while fighting heroes of the opposite team . A team wins by being the first to destroy the other side 's " Ancient " building , located within the opposing base . 
 Development of Dota 2 began in 2009 when IceFrog , lead designer of the original Defense of the Ancients mod , was hired by Valve for the same role . Dota 2 initially used the original Source game engine until it was ported over to Source 2 in September 2015 , making it the first game to use it . The game also allows for the community to create custom game modes , maps , and cosmetics for the heroes , which are then uploaded to the Steam Workshop . The popularity of Dota 2 has led to official merchandise being produced for it , including apparel , accessories , toys , and promotional tie @-@ ins to other games and media . 
 Dota 2 has a widespread and active eSports scene , with teams from across the world playing in various leagues and tournaments . Premium Dota 2 tournaments often have prize pools totaling millions of dollars , the highest of any eSport . The largest of them is known as The International , which is hosted by Valve and takes place annually at the <unk> in Seattle . Starting in 2015 , Valve also began sponsoring smaller , but seasonally held tournaments known as the Majors , the first of which was held in Frankfurt , Germany . Dedicated media coverage of professional tournaments are broadcast live on the internet , and sometimes on television networks , with peak viewership numbers in the millions . 
 
 = = Gameplay = = 
 
 Dota 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena ( MOBA ) video game set in a three @-@ dimensional ( 3D ) graphical environment , presented from a high @-@ angle perspective . Two five @-@ player teams , referred to as the Radiant and Dire , compete in matches on a single asymmetrical playing field . Each player commands one of the 111 characters , called " heroes " , which each feature unique abilities , design , and styles of play . At the start of a match , each hero has an experience level of one . During the game , they level up and become more powerful by accumulating experience points through combat . Whenever a hero gains a level , the player is able to unlock a new ability for them , improve one already learned , or increase their base attributes . Each hero 's method of combat is influenced by its primary attribute : strength , intelligence , agility , which also affects the hero 's health points ( HP ) , <unk> points ( MP ) , and attack speed , respectively . If a hero runs out of health points and dies , a <unk> begins to count down until they are able to respawn and get back into the game . A hero also loses a portion of their <unk> gold each time they die . 
 The Radiant and Dire occupy bases in opposite corners of the playing field , divided by a <unk> river . Within each base is a critical building called the " Ancient " , along with a fountain that <unk> and <unk> that side 's heroes . A match ends when one side breaches the enemy team 's base and destroys the Ancient within . The two bases are connected by three paths , referred to as " lanes " , which are guarded by defensive towers and computer @-@ controlled creatures called " creeps " . These creatures periodically spawn in groups and travel along the lanes to attack any enemy heroes , creeps , and buildings in sight . <unk> spawn from two buildings , called the " barracks " , that exist in each lane and are located in the base . Destroying all six of the enemy team 's barracks allows for stronger creeps for the attacking side to spawn with significantly enhanced health and damage , known as " mega creeps " . Also present are " neutral creeps " that are hostile to both Radiant and Dire side , 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 . <unk> creeps do not attack unless provoked , and will respawn if killed . The most powerful neutral <unk> is named " <unk> " , who is a unique boss that may be killed by either side to obtain an item that allows a one @-@ time resurrection by the hero that holds it . <unk> will respawn between 8 – 11 minutes after being killed , and becomes progressively harder to kill as the match continues over time . 
 Gold is primarily obtained by killing enemy heroes , destroying enemy structures , and killing creeps , the latter act being called " farming " . Only the hero that lands the killing blow on a <unk> obtains gold from it , an act called " last hitting " , but all nearby allies receive gold when an enemy hero dies . Players are also able to " deny " allied units and structures by destroying them , which then prevents their opponents from getting full experience . Gold is then spent on items that provide unique active and passive abilities , in addition to attribute <unk> to their wearer , depending on the item . The player also receives a small , continuous stream of gold over the course of a match . 
 Dota 2 often features seasonal events that present players with themed game modes , which do not follow the game 's standard rules , including the Halloween @-@ themed <unk> event , the Christmas @-@ themed <unk> event , and the New Bloom Festival , which celebrated the coming of spring . In October 2015 , a Halloween @-@ themed " capture point " game mode was released , titled " Colosseum " . The move to the Source 2 engine in 2015 also saw the addition of community @-@ created custom game modes , with the more popular ones having dedicated server hosting by Valve . In March 2016 , Valve introduced the " Custom Game Pass " option to custom game modes , which allows content creators to add exclusive features , content , and other changes to their game mode , for a fee . 
 
 = = Development = = 
 
 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 <unk> designer " <unk> " . An expansion pack for Warcraft III , entitled The Frozen Throne , was released later that year ; and a series of Defense of the Ancients clone <unk> for the new game competed for popularity . DotA : Allstars by Steve Feak was the most successful , and Feak , with his friend Steve Mescon , created the official Defense of the Ancients community website and the holding company DotA @-@ Allstars , LLC . When Feak retired from DotA : Allstars in 2005 , a friend , under the pseudonym " IceFrog " , became its lead designer . The popularity of Defense of the Ancients increased significantly : it became one of the most popular <unk> in the world , and , by 2008 , a prominent eSports title . IceFrog and Mescon later had a falling out in May 2009 , which prompted the former to establish a new community website at <unk> 
 Valve 's interest in the Defense of the Ancients property began when several veteran employees , including Team Fortress designer Robin Walker , became fans of the mod and attempted to play it competitively . The company corresponded with IceFrog by email about his long @-@ term plans for the project , which culminated with his being hired to direct a sequel . IceFrog first announced his new position through his blog in October 2009 , and Dota 2 was unveiled by Game Informer on October 13 , 2010 . The resultant surge of traffic crashed Game Informer 's servers . 
 Valve adopted the word " Dota " , derived from the original mod 's acronym , as the name for its newly acquired franchise . Producer Erik Johnson argued that the word referred to a concept , and was not an acronym . Shortly after the announcement of Dota 2 , Valve filed a trademark claim to the Dota name . At Gamescom 2011 , company head <unk> Newell explained that the trademark was needed to develop a sequel with the already @-@ identifiable brand . Holding the Dota name to be a community asset , Feak and Mescon filed an opposing trademark for " <unk> " on behalf of DotA @-@ Allstars , LLC ( then a subsidiary of Riot Games ) in August 2010 . Rob <unk> , the executive vice president of Blizzard Entertainment , 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 . The dispute was settled in May 2012 : Valve retained commercial <unk> rights to the " Dota " brand , but non @-@ commercial use of the name by third @-@ parties was allowed . 
 An early goal of the Dota 2 team was the adaptation of DotA 's aesthetic style for the Source engine . The Radiant and Dire factions replaced the Sentinel and <unk> from the mod , respectively . The appearances of each side 's heroes were adjusted to be more <unk> , with less traits specific to either faction . Character names , abilities , items and map design from Defense of the Ancients were largely retained , with some changes due to copyright issues . 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 . Valve contracted major contributors from the Defense of the Ancients community , including <unk> and artist Kendrick Lim , to assist with the sequel . Additional contributions from sources outside of Valve were also sought regularly for Dota 2 , as to continue Defense of the Ancients 's tradition of community @-@ sourced development . One of the composers of Warcraft III : Reign of Chaos , Jason Hayes , was hired to collaborate with Tim <unk> in the creation of the soundtrack . Valve had Half @-@ Life series writer Marc <unk> , science fiction author Ted <unk> , and Steam support employee Kris Katz write new dialog and background lore for the heroes . In addition to that , Valve also had all of the heroes ' voice acting completely redone . Notable voice actors for the English version include Nolan North , Dave <unk> , Jon St. John , Ellen <unk> , Fred Tatasciore , <unk> <unk> , <unk> Taylor , and John Patrick <unk> , among various others . 
 The Source engine itself was updated with new features to accommodate Dota 2 , such as high @-@ end cloth modeling and improved global lighting . The game features Steam integration , which provides its social component and Cloud storage for personal settings . In November 2013 , Valve introduced a coaching system , which allows experienced players to tutor newer players with special in @-@ game tools . As with previous Valve multiplayer titles , players are able to <unk> live matches of Dota 2 played by others , and local area network ( <unk> ) multiplayer support allows for local competitions . Some of these events may be <unk> via the purchase of tickets from the " Dota Store " , which give players in @-@ game access to both live and completed matches . Ticket fees are <unk> in part to tournament organizers . In an upcoming update , Dota 2 will support <unk> a game in virtual reality ( <unk> ) , powered by <unk> . 
 Dota 2 includes a <unk> system , which is measured by a numerical value known as " <unk> rating " ( MMR ) . MMR is updated based on if a player 's team won or lost , which will then increase or decrease , respectively . The game 's servers , known as the " Game <unk> " , 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 . Ranked game modes with a separately tracked MMR also exist , which differ from unranked games by making MMR publicly visible , encouraging players who want to play in a more competitive environment , among other changes . The game also includes a report system , which allows for players to discourage and punish player behavior that intentionally provides a negative experience . Other features include an improved replay system from Defense of the Ancients , in which a completed game can be downloaded in @-@ client and viewed at a later time , and the " hero builds " feature , which provide integrated guides created by the community that highlight to the player on what items should be bought on their hero , and which abilities to level up . 
 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 . That June , the Dota 2 team confirmed that the full roster of heroes and items would remain available without charge . Instead , revenue is generated through the Dota Store , which offers for @-@ purchase exclusively cosmetic virtual goods , including custom clothing and weapons for their heroes , along with music packs by notable artists such as electronic music artist <unk> , Taiwanese songwriter <unk> Lin , and video game composers Chance Thomas , Jeremy <unk> , and Lennie Moore . 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 . Included as optional downloadable content ( DLC ) , the Dota 2 Workshop Tools are a set of Source 2 software development kit ( <unk> ) tools that allow content creators to create new cosmetics for the heroes themselves , as well as custom game modes and maps . <unk> rated cosmetics , through the Steam Workshop , are available in the in @-@ game store if they are accepted by Valve . This model was fashioned after that of Valve 's Team Fortress 2 , which had earned Workshop designers of cosmetic items of that game over $ 3 @.@ 5 million by June 2011 . In January 2014 , Newell revealed that the average Steam Workshop contributor for Dota 2 and Team <unk> 2 made approximately $ 15 @,@ 000 from their creations the previous year . In 2015 , sales of Dota 2 cosmetics had earned Valve over $ 238 million in revenue , according to the digital game market research group <unk> . 
 Valve documented the lives and stories of three professional players at the first International , Singaporean Benedict " <unk> " Lim , Ukrainian <unk> " <unk> " <unk> , and American Clinton " Fear " Loomis . In August 2012 , GameTrailers announced that Valve was developing this material into a documentary film . Throughout June 2013 , Valve conducted private screenings of the film with small groups outside the company . When an invitation was leaked by Kotaku , Valve 's vice president of marketing , Doug Lombardi , confirmed that the documentary was in development and revealed its name as Free to Play . The documentary was released on March 19 , 2014 , and was distributed for free through outlets including Steam , iTunes , and YouTube . 
 
 = = Release = = 
 
 After being tested extensively by Valve , Dota 2 was first unveiled to the public at the inaugural International event , the game 's premier eSport tournament , at Gamescom in 2011 . To coincide with the event , Valve began sending out closed beta invitations ; the first few invites were sent out shortly after Gamescom . During the event , Newell speculated that Dota 2 would likely ship in 2012 , despite original plans for a full release in late 2011 . In September 2011 , Valve scrapped its previous development and release plans , which would have kept the game in its closed beta phase for over a year . The new plans , which IceFrog revealed via an online announcement , were to begin beta testing as soon as possible and to implement the remaining heroes afterward . Simultaneously , Valve announced that the non @-@ <unk> agreement for the beta was being lifted , allowing <unk> to discuss the game and their experiences publicly . After nearly two years of beta testing , Dota 2 was officially released on Steam for Microsoft Windows on July 9 , 2013 , and later for OS X and Linux on July 18 , 2013 . Two months following the game 's release , Newell claimed that updates to Dota 2 generated up to three percent of global internet traffic . In December 2013 , the final restrictions against unlimited global access to Dota 2 were lifted after the game 's infrastructure and servers were substantially bolstered . In March 2016 , a large update fixed many long @-@ standing bugs and issues with the game , while also adding many community requested features . 
 In order to abide by the standards set by the economic legislation of specific countries , Valve opted to contract with nationally @-@ based developers for publishing . In October 2012 , the leading Beijing @-@ based video game publisher , Perfect World , announced the acquisition of the exclusive rights of Dota 2 in China . The Chinese version also has a region @-@ specific " Low Violence " mode , which censors and changes most depictions of blood , <unk> , and skulls in order for the game to follow censorship policies of the country . In November 2012 , a similar publishing deal was made with the Tokyo @-@ based company Nexon to distribute and market the game in South Korea and Japan . In November 2015 , Nexon announced they would no longer be operating servers for Dota 2 , allowing Valve to take over direct distribution and marketing of the game those regions . 
 <unk> @-@ ins to other video games and media have also been added to Dota 2 since release , including custom Half @-@ Life 2 , <unk> , <unk> , <unk> , The Stanley Parable , Rick and <unk> , and <unk> 4 announcer packs , which replace the game 's default announcer with themed ones based on those series . To coincide with the Windows release of Final Fantasy Type @-@ 0 HD in August 2015 , a bundle containing a custom loading screen , a <unk> ward , and a <unk> <unk> was added the same month . In April 2016 , Valve announced a cross @-@ promotional workshop contest for Sega 's Total War : <unk> . 
 
 = = = Transition to Source 2 = = = 
 
 In June 2015 , Valve announced that the entirety of Dota 2 would be ported over to the Source 2 game engine in an update called Dota 2 Reborn . The beta was released to the public in June 2015 . On September 9 , 2015 , Reborn was officially released out of beta , which 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 , making Dota 2 the first game to use it . 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 the release of Reborn . However , after various updates and patches , over a million concurrent players were playing again in January 2016 , with that being the largest amount of users since March 2015 . The move to Source 2 also allowed the use of the <unk> graphics <unk> , which was released as an opt @-@ in feature in May 2016 , becoming one of the first games to offer it . 
 
 = = Professional competition = = 
 
 To ensure that enough Defense of the Ancients players would take up Dota 2 and to showcase the game 's capabilities , Valve sponsored sixteen accomplished Defense of the Ancients teams to compete at The International , a Dota 2 specific eSports tournament , for a $ 1 million prize in 2011 . The International became an annual championship tournament in 2012 , with the venue changing to Seattle , Washington . In its third year , The International allowed <unk> to add to its prize pool through an interactive , in @-@ game item called a " compendium " . <unk> , which are optional and must be purchased separately , allow players who buy them to directly raise prize money for The International by spending money on unique compendium cosmetics and other in @-@ game items , with 25 % of all the revenue made going directly to the prize pool . Sales from the 2013 compendium helped raise over $ 2 @.@ 8 million , making The International 2013 reclaim its previous title as having the largest prize pool in eSports history from the League of Legends Season 2 World Championship . Since then , each annual tournament of The International has broken the previous one 's prize pool record , with the fourth iteration of the tournament raising over $ 10 @.@ 9 million , exceeding the prizes pools of the Super Bowl , Masters Tournament , and Tour de France . At The International 2015 , the prize pool exceeded $ 18 @.@ 4 million , earning the champion team , Evil <unk> , over $ 6 million . 
 Following the inaugural event of The International , several other eSport events began to transition from Defense of the Ancients to Dota 2 , including the Electronic Sports World Cup . <unk> would also support Dota 2 in 2011 , following a year without support for the original , on account of the other multiplayer online battle arena titles , Heroes of <unk> and League of Legends . By the end of its first year in its beta phase , Dota 2 was one of the highest @-@ paying eSport titles of 2011 , second only to StarCraft II . In 2012 , Dota 2 began as an official title for the World <unk> Games annual event at World <unk> Games 2012 . The Electronic Sports League ( <unk> ) began a seasonal tournament for Dota 2 called the <unk> <unk> One in 2013 , which was the largest independent tournament for Dota 2 by the beginning of 2013 . Beginning in September 2013 , the Association for Chinese eSports began a league , called the <unk> ACE Dota 2 League , which had the largest third @-@ party prize pool in Dota 2 eSports history at the time . At Electronic Entertainment Expo 2013 , Nexon announced the investment of two billion South Korean won , ( approximately $ 1 @.@ 7 million ) , into amateur and professional leagues in South Korea for 2013 , to coincide with the launch of their distribution agreement in the fall of that year . <unk> after the interactive compendium for The International , Valve introduced a compendium third @-@ party tournament organizers could sell , beginning with the <unk> <unk> <unk> in February 2014 . In February 2015 , the Valve @-@ sponsored Dota 2 Asia Championships was held in Shanghai with a prize pool of over $ 3 million , raised through compendium sales . 
 In total , professional Dota 2 tournaments had earned teams and players nearly $ 65 million dollars in prize money by June 2016 , which was more than twice the amount of League of Legends tournaments , making it the highest earning eSport game at the time . 
 
 = = = Majors = = = 
 
 Starting in 2015 , Valve began sponsoring smaller , but seasonally held tournaments with a fixed $ 3 million prize pool , known as the Dota Major Championships . The format for the tournaments are based on the series of the same name that Valve also sponsors for their first @-@ person shooter game , Counter @-@ Strike : Global Offensive . The first of which , hosted and produced by <unk> , was the Frankfurt Major held from November 13 – 21 , 2015 , at the <unk> Frankfurt in Frankfurt , Germany , and was won by OG . The next Major was hosted and produced by Perfect World , and was held at the Mercedes @-@ Benz Arena in Shanghai from March 2 – 6 , 2016 , and was won by Team Secret . The third and final Major of the 2015 – 2016 season was hosted and produced by <unk> , and was held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila from June 7 – 12 , 2016 . The tournament was won by OG , becoming the first team to repeat as champions of a Dota 2 Major . 
 After the introduction of the Majors , The International championship was then considered to be the cumulative " Summer Major " , with the 2016 iteration being the first one under the new format . The International 2016 also broke the record for the highest prize pool in eSports history , surpassing the record that The International 2015 had set the previous year . 
 
 = = = Media coverage = = = 
 
 The primary medium for professional Dota 2 coverage is through the video game live streaming platform , <unk> For most major events , tournament coverage is done by a selection of eSports organizations and personnel who provide on @-@ site commentary , analysis , and player interviews surrounding the event in progress , similar to traditional sports . Live Dota 2 games and coverage have also been broadcast on television networks around the world , such as ESPN in the United States , <unk> in Germany , TV 2 <unk> in Denmark , <unk> <unk> in China , Astro in Malaysia , and <unk> in the Philippines . 
 
 = = Reception and legacy = = 
 
 Dota 2 received universal acclaim , according to video game review aggregator Metacritic . PC Gamer <unk> the game in September 2012 , stating the game was " an <unk> deep and complex game that offers the <unk> sequel to the original Defense of the <unk> . <unk> like few others , but tough " , giving it a rating of 85 / 100 . Adam <unk> , the editor who authored the announcement article for Dota 2 for Game Informer in 2010 , praised Valve for maintaining the same mechanics and game balance that made Defense of the Ancients successful nearly a decade prior and <unk> Smith of Eurogamer described Dota 2 as the " supreme form of the MOBA which everyone else working in the genre is trying to capture like lightning in a bottle " . The most frequently praised aspects of the game were its depth , delivery , and overall balance . Chris <unk> of PC Gamer described the gameplay as being " deep and rewarding " . Martin <unk> of GameSpot complimented Valve for the delivery and artistic design of Dota 2 , citing the execution of the user interface design , voice acting and characterization as exceeding those of the game 's competitors . <unk> Cameron of IGN praised Dota 2 for its freely @-@ available game balance that was not affected by cosmetic items . 
 While the majority of reviewers gave Dota 2 highly positive reviews , a common criticism was that the game maintains a steep learning curve that requires exceptional commitment to overcome . While providing a moderately positive review that praised Valve 's product stability , Fredrik <unk> from the Swedish division of <unk> described his first match of Dota 2 as one of the most humiliating and inhospitable experiences of his gaming career , citing the learning curve and players ' attitudes as <unk> . Benjamin <unk> of <unk> alluded to the learning curve as a " learning cliff " , calling the newcomer 's experience to be painful , with the tutorial feature new to the Dota franchise only being partially successful . In a review for the Metro newspaper , Dota 2 was criticized for not <unk> for the flaws with the learning curve from Defense of the Ancients , as well as the sometimes hostile community , as is often the case for multiplayer online battle arena games . 
 Peter Bright of Ars Technica directed criticism at the ability for third @-@ party websites to allow gambling and betting on match results and in @-@ game items , similar to controversies that also exist with Valve 's Counter @-@ Strike : Global Offensive . Using Dota 2 as an example , Bright also stated that he thought Valve built gambling elements directly into their games , and had issues with the unregulated practice , which was often used by <unk> players and regions where gambling is illegal . In response to the controversy , Valve and Dota 2 producer , Erik Johnson , stated that they would be taking action against the third @-@ party sites , saying the practice was " not allowed by our <unk> nor our user agreements " . 
 In May 2013 , Dota 2 reached almost 330 @,@ 000 concurrent players and held the record for the game with the most concurrent users in Steam history , breaking its own record set in March the same year . <unk> with this <unk> , it was determined that the concurrent number of Dota 2 players in May 2013 outweighed the number of players for the rest of Steam 's top ten most @-@ played games combined . In February 2015 , Dota 2 became the first game in Steam 's history to have over one million concurrent players . Also in 2015 , Dota 2 was the third most watched game on <unk> , after League of Legends and Counter @-@ Strike : Global Offensive . <unk> viewership numbers of professional Dota 2 matches have reached upwards of two million . 
 
 = = = Awards and accolades = = = 
 
 Following its first public showing in 2011 , Dota 2 won IGN 's People 's Choice Award . In December 2012 , PC Gamer listed Dota 2 as a nominee for the 2012 Game of the Year award , as well as the best electronic sports title of the year . The game won 2013 eSport of the year awards from PC Gamer and <unk> . GameTrailers awarded the game the award for Best PC Game of 2013 . For IGN 's Best of 2013 award series , Dota 2 won the awards for Best PC Strategy & Tactics Game , as well as Best PC Multiplayer Game . The game 's awards for IGN 's Best of 2013 won their People 's Choice Award counterparts , as well . Similarly , Game Informer recognized Dota 2 for the categories of Best PC <unk> , Best Competitive Multiplayer and Best Strategy of 2013 . In the 2013 edition of Game Revolution 's countdown of the top twenty @-@ five PC video games of all time , Dota 2 was listed in the number four position . Dota 2 was nominated for a number of Game of the Year awards by <unk> , including the award for the best competitive game . While the staff selected StarCraft II : Heart of the <unk> , Dota 2 received the majority of the votes distributed between the nine nominees . In 2014 , Dota 2 was nominated for best multiplayer game at the 10th British Academy Games Awards , but lost to Grand Theft Auto V. In 2015 , Dota 2 was nominated for eSports Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2015 , and won the award for best MOBA at the 2015 Global Game Awards . 
 
 = = = Merchandise = = = 
 
 The popularity of Dota 2 led Valve to produce apparel , accessories , posters , and a number of other products featuring the heroes and other elements from the game . In addition , Valve secured licensing contracts with third @-@ party producers ; the first of these deals concerned a Dota 2 <unk> <unk> + <unk> , which was announced at Gamescom 2011 . In September 2012 , <unk> Workshop , the prop studio that creates the " Aegis of Champions " trophy for winners of The International , announced a product line that would include statues , weapons , and armor based on Dota 2 characters and items . In February 2013 , the National Entertainment <unk> Association announced a new toy line featuring hero @-@ themed action figures at the American International Toy Fair . After the conclusion of The International 2015 finals , Valve awarded the Collector 's Aegis of Champions , which was a 1 / 5th scale brass replica of the Aegis of Champions trophy , to those with <unk> of 1 @,@ 000 levels or more . For The International 2016 , Valve began selling a limited edition Dota 2 themed <unk> <unk> virtual reality <unk> . Valve have also created <unk> related to the game , featuring some of the heroes and detailing their background lore . 
 
 