It's been 10 years since the announcement of Dota 2.
On October 12, 2010, Valve revealed the development of its ground-breaking MOBA. The announcement ended speculation within the community that the famed game developer will soon offer a standalone version of the popular Warcraft 3 custom map Defense of the Ancients.
10 years ago on this day, Dota 2 was publicly announced by Valve with the first promo images and information being released. A good and long decade.
— Wykrhm Reddy (@wykrhm) October 13, 2020
Ping if you were there on that day. #Dota2 pic.twitter.com/uebv9HAOtU
Valve worked with DotA developer "Icefrog" and helped players make a smooth transition from DotA to Dota 2. Others who had helmed DotA's development had gone on to make the incredibly popular rival MOBA League of Legends, and Valve saw opportunity do something similar.
The early version of Dota 2 made painstaking effort to remain true to the Warcraft 3 original, but improvements to the game were evident especially in terms of the game's visuals. The original version of DotA included a long list of heroes to choose from and it took Valve years to fully catch up. Once that was out of the way, Valve added new heroes, buildings, items, and game mechanics that have made Dota 2 a much different experience from the original.
Now, Dota 2 fans celebrate the 10th year of their favorite game.
The International's postponement limits any celebrations
Every year, Dota 2 fans never fail to break the record of the highest esports prize pool. The International 10 Battle Pass generated more than $40 million for the event's prize pool. This is an amazing tally, but the event's postponement leaves this anniversary somewhat hollow as The International 2011 was the game's true coming out party.
The tournament could have been a great way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Dota 2. The Dota 2 community has proven to be one of the most loyal gaming communities and The International's prize pool proves it every year. Even players who are too busy with work and family buy The International Battle Pass to support the esports scene despite Valve's deepening indifference towards the game's future.
Unfortunately, that means it's somewhat fitting that Valve has done nothing to officially commemorate this anniversary.
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