As in role-playing games, players level up their heroes and use gold to buy equipment during the game.ĭotA has its roots in the ' Aeon of Strife' custom map for StarCraft. Players use powerful units known as heroes, and are assisted by allied teammates and AI-controlled fighters. The objective of the game is for each team to destroy their opponents' Ancient, a heavily guarded structure at the opposing corner of the map. Defense of the Ancients ( DotA) is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) mod for the video game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (2002) and its expansion, The Frozen Throne.