Dota increased the hero count from four to five per side, and added competitive multiplayer, so players could battle against one another. But the seeds of the modern MOBA were planted, and a Warcraft 3 modder named Kyle Sommer released Defense of the Ancients in 2002, with other modders-including Steve Feak and the pseudonymous IceFrog-continuing its development. At the time, there wasn't competitive play: players fought together against an AI enemy team along three lanes. The rise of the MOBA can be traced back to a custom map called Aeon of Strife for Blizzard's RTS Starcraft. Shooters aren't the only games that sprang from the minds of modders. Here's how Unreal Tournament mods created a wave of successful indie studios. Mods gave us everything from Killing Floor to Alien Swarm to Sanctum.
