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Valve TMs 'DOTA'

Half-Life creator files trademark application for abbreviated title of hit Warcraft III strategy mod, Defense of the Ancients.

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Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft III remains a staple in international gaming competitions, but the game has also seen continued life more than eight years after release thanks to the popular strategy mod Defense of the Ancients. And while the creators of that mod have since gone on to release League of Legends, it would appear as if Half-Life studio Valve will be breathing new life into the one-off title.

What form DOTA will take remains a mystery.
What form DOTA will take remains a mystery.

As spotted by Internet sleuthing site Superannuation, Valve submitted a trademark application for the phrase "DOTA" on August 6, a filing that surfaced in the US Patent and Trademark Office's online database yesterday. As is customary of filings of this ilk, Valve's application carried descriptors ranging from "computer game software" to "electronic game software."

The filing follows on from a Twitter update posted by Duke Nukem voice actor John St. John, who said last week that he had recently lent his talents to the title. "Had a great time in Seattle last week recording for DotA. The guys at Valve Software are awesome," St. John said in his post, which was captured by UK gaming news site CVG before being deleted.

DOTA is a competitive tower defense-style game in which a continuous stream of minions floods toward opposing sides' bases. Players are given control of a unique hero character with special abilities to aid the minions in their task. The hero characters are also able to acquire items and level up to gain new skills as the game progresses.

Valve had not responded to GameSpot's requests for comment on either the trademark application or Twitter update as of press time.

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