One type of media often inspires a version in another type of media, and that has been the case for many movies turned into video games, and video games turned into movies. While video game adaptations in film can often miss the mark, video game adaptations in TV shows have often worked better. In a surprise announcement, Valve Corporation and Netflix have partnered to create an anime based on the popular game, DOTA 2.
DOTA 2 was originally released in 2013 by Valve, and was based on the Defense of the Ancients (DotA) custom map used with Blizzard's Warcraft 3. Valve's take on the MOBA genre has been going strong for almost a decade, featuring over a hundred different heroes grouped into the three attribute categories of Strength, Agility, and Intelligence. In a genre that also sees games like League of Legends and Heroes of the Storm, DOTA 2 has managed to keep a dedicated player base through the years.
Netflix, in partnership with Valve, has announced that DOTA: Dragon's Blood will be a new anime based on the world of DOTA 2. While there isn't too much going on in the trailer, viewers learn a couple key facts. The story will be following Davion, the Dragon Knight, one of the many Strength Heroes from DOTA 2. The trailer mainly focused on him, and viewers got to see the Dragon Knight fight a dragon, naturally. The first season's eight episodes will release on March 25, 2021.
The series will see Davion crossing paths with Princess Mirana, another hero that players will recognize. The show's executive producer, Ashley Edward Miller, described the show as "an epic, emotional and adult-oriented story" about some of players' favorite characters. While it isn't guaranteed that this series will be rated TV-MA, much like the Netflix Castlevania series, it is very likely. The series will also be animated by Studio MIR, which has worked on the animation for many shows, like Nickelodeon's The Legend of Korra.
As history has shown, gaming fans love lore. DOTA 2 fans will be eagerly awaiting the release of this new Netflix series, and it will hopefully be a chance to shine some light on the history, characters, and stories present in this game world.
League of Legends fans are also hoping to see the animated series Arcane sometime this year, but until then, DOTA: Dragon's Blood might be an interesting series to check out to learn about a different MOBA. With one more month to go, DOTA 2 experts will have to wait and see if Dragon's Blood is a faithful adaptation of the game, or even just a good show.
DOTA: Dragon's Blood will premiere on Netflix on March 25, 2021.