DOTA, from Blizzard’s point of view

With all the hype generated these days by MOBAs such as League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth and the upcoming DOTA 2, it comes as no surprise that Blizzard too has FINALLY taken it upon themselves to branch into a genre that took the industry by storm, from the humble beginnings of a Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne mod no less.

Blizzard DOTA will come free as a custom map add-on with the Starcraft 2 Starter Edition and is set to be one of gaming’s biggest crossovers, pitting characters from Warcraft, Starcraft AND Diablo against each other in pitched MOBA combat. While the game’s comedic lore-breaking “Red vs. Blue” narrative makes me cringe and ‘lol’ a little, I will admit to feeling somewhat excited by the prospect of having Blizzard’s, and gaming’s, biggest names featured in a single and violent, albeit nonsensical, setting.

With their version of DOTA, Blizzard hopes to introduce a new perspective to the standard MOBA rule set that many players around the world have gotten acquainted with. Based on what has been reported and showcased at BlizzCon, here’s a quick list of features the custom map hopes to deliver.

• 12 Hero Choices (3 Tanks, 3 DPS, 3 Support and 3 Siege)
• A streamlined reiteration of the traditional DOTA rule set
• Creeps provide health and mana boosts over experience points
• Option to ally with or summon non-factions creeps to aid your cause
• Solo-oriented “Kills” to be replaced with “Takedowns” that credit contributing heroes equally
• Experience points to be shared by the entire party

Call it what you will but for me, Blizzard DOTA strikes me as the Marvel vs. Capcom of the MMO genre. Only time will tell if it manages to hold a candle to the genre greats of today and the impending arrival of the juggernaut that is Valve’s DOTA 2. Regardless, for you incessant fans who’ve been deadlocked in the Warcraft vs. Starcraft vs. Diablo debate for so many a year, Blizzard DOTA now offers you the lighthearted opportunity to shove all that forum trollage up where the sun doesn’t shine and test your mettle on the battlefield.

Beta for Blizzard DOTA is rumored to kick off within the next few months. Knowing Blizzard and their release dates, this last bit of news should be taken with a pinch of salt.