'Blizzard DOTA' Announced [PHOTOS & VIDEO]

Rounding out the week of Blizzcon news, Blizzard Entertainment announced a new game: Blizzard DOTA.

DOTA stands for Defense of the Ancients, originally appearing as a fan-made custom scenario on Warcraft III: Reigns of Chaos. Though Warcraft III was a real-time strategy game, DOTA was a player-made mod which let players control powerful hero units.

Two teams of players would ally with AI-controlled creeps with the goal of destroying the other team's base, or Ancient. But those Ancients were also protected by towers that automatically attacked players, so coordination between players was essential. Players gained experience to level up their heroes and collected gold to buy equipment to further augment their stats.

The game was known for its steep learning curve stemming from the incredible amount of choices available. Players could choose from more than 100 heroes, each with their own tactical advantages. The game also featured a vast number of items. Gold management and item selection were essential components to victory.

Though the game was difficult, it's still hugely popular. It's even featured in many gaming tournaments including the World Cyber Games in Asia and BlizzCon itself.

The new officially supported game will be offered as a custom game type in StarCraft II, Blizzard's most recent RTS. It will feature characters from across Blizzard games including the Witch Doctor from Diablo III, Nova from StarCraft, Thrall and Arthas from the Warcraft universe.

Blizzard is simplifying the heroes and items. Blizzard is reducing these numbers to ensure that they stay distinct. Heroes will be split into four different categories: damage-soaking tanks; DPSers (Damage per Second) who dispense brutal hits but can't take them; support heroes who can heal and control crowds; and siege heroes which have long range attacks great for taking out enemy towers.

As usual, Blizzard has not said when the content will be released other than soonish.