Dota 2 is an upcoming multiplayer online battle arena video game being developed by Valve Corporation and the stand-alone sequel to the popular Defense of the Ancients mod for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and its expansion pack, The Frozen Throne. Formally announced on October 13, 2010, via Game Informer,[2] the game is currently available for early test access purchase and is scheduled for a full release in 2012, with a free-to-play business model.[3] Dota 2 will be released via download by Valve's content delivery platform Steam, on which the game has been developed to run exclusively for both release and update delivery.[4] Dota 2 will run on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X.[2]

Dota 2 consists of session-based online multiplayer activity, with the primary objective of each match being for teams to destroy their opposing team's fortified stronghold. Each player controls a player character called a "hero", who is given the responsibility of participating in team combat, which generally takes place along a series of lanes that connect their opposing bases, lined with defensive towers. The gameplay elements are largely incorporated from Defense of the Ancients, with the game's lead designer, IceFrog, being the longest-serving and current developer of the Warcraft III mod.