When did Dota 2 come out?

What was the first DotA?

DotA, short for Defense of the Ancients, was a custom map for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. A fan called Eul made it in 2003.

Other fans built their own versions of the map. The most played one became DotA Allstars. Steve Feak led it for a while, and when he stopped in 2005, a designer called IceFrog took over.

How did Valve make Dota 2?

Valve hired IceFrog in 2009 to make DotA a game of its own, and Dota 2 was announced one year later.

Players could try Dota 2 for the first time at Gamescom in Cologne in August 2011, where Valve also held the first International. The open beta started in September 2011. In April 2012 Valve said that the game would be free to play, with all heroes free. The full release came on July 9, 2013 for Windows, and on July 18, 2013 for macOS and Linux.

What are the big moments in Dota 2 history?

From a fan map to one of the biggest esports: the key dates.

1. 2003Eul makes DotA, a custom map for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.
2. 2005IceFrog becomes the lead designer of DotA Allstars.
3. 2009Valve hires IceFrog to make a standalone game.
4. Aug 2011The first International at Gamescom in Cologne: 16 teams, $1,600,000, won by Natus Vincere.
5. Sep 2011The open beta of Dota 2 starts.
6. 2013The Compendium: from now on, a part of what fans spend in the game goes into the TI prize pool.
7. Jul 9, 2013Dota 2 comes out on Steam.
8. Sep 2015Dota 2 Reborn moves the game to Source 2. It is the first game on Valve's new engine.
9. Mar 2016The all-time player peak: 1,291,328 people play at the same time.
10. Dec 2016Patch 7.00, "The New Journey": after more than ten years of version 6, a new map, talent trees and the first hero that did not come from DotA.
11. 2019OG win The International for the second year in a row, the first team ever to do that.
12. 2021The record prize pool: $40,018,195 at The International in Bucharest.
13. Dec 15, 2025Largo comes out, the newest of today's 127 heroes.
14. 2026Team Spirit win The International in Shanghai. Team Spirit are the only team with 3 TI titles.

Who makes Dota 2 today?

Valve, the company behind Steam, makes and runs Dota 2. Valve releases the patches, adds new heroes and organizes The International, the world championship of the game.

The newest patch is 7.41f from September 15, 2026. So far in 2026, an average of 521,412 people play at the same time. Is the game still growing? Read Is Dota 2 dying?