IceFrog - DotA's Mystery Developer

So who is Ice Frog? This question is perhaps one of the most frequently asked questions on gaming forums. IceFrog - having never disclosed his real name publicly is well known for his anonymity and the games he has designed. There have been numerous rumors and lots of gossip on gaming forums about who IceFrog really is, but there has never been any substantial proof.

Well, for the record - what we know about the man behind the legend is that IceFrog is a game developer, known for being the current and the longest serving developer of the iconic mod to Warcraft III - Defense of the Ancients (DotA). At present, he is working as the lead designer on the stand alone sequel to Defense of the Ancients - Dota 2. That's all we can say about IceFrog for the time being, unless he chooses to reveal his identity. Let's get to know a bit more about this elusive man.

Ice Frog: The History

Ice Frog's tryst with Defense of the Ancients began way back in 2005, when Steve 'Guinsoo' Feak passed on the reins of the most popular variant of Defense of the Ancients - DotA Allstars to Ice Frog. Since then IceFrog has added a number of features to Defense of the Ancients, including heroes as well as gameplay fixes.

At present he is currently employed with Valve Corporation, which he joined in 2009. He is heading the team involved in developing Dota 2. Apparently, Erik Johnson, Valve's project manager had invited IceFrog to give him a tour of Valve's facilities, where he was hired on the spot. IceFrog was the first to break the silence over him joining Valve and developing Dota 2 on his blog.

Here's what he said in his blog -

"I have some really awesome news I'd like to share with you guys. I am now leading a team at Valve! I finally have all the resources needed to do some very exciting stuff that you guys will love. I look forward to revealing more specific details when the time is right.

My goal and top priority in the future is to solve the surrounding issues that affect the DotA experience in order to allow it to reach new heights. Addressing these issues will enable us to further enjoy aspects of DotA such as the gameplay, mechanics, and in-game feel that currently work well and ought to be maintained. As I've said many times in the past and especially after today's developments, I am very excited about DotA's future!" (Source - IceFrog's Blog)

IceFrog on His Anonymity and Dota 2

Here are some excerpts from various Q&A sessions with IceFrog, where he answers questions on who he is and the development of Dota 2. The source of these Q&As is http://www.playdota.com.

Q: Is IceFrog a person or a clan? Is DotA really just a one-man-code-all game? How did you come up with the name IceFrog?

A: I actually thought this was a joke the first time someone asked me, but I've been asked many times since, so I guess not. I'm just a person, 25 years old. While I am the only person that edits the map, I don't really consider it a one-man job. I have many beta testers that help out with testing and feedback. I'll save the story about how I picked the name IceFrog for another day though.

Q: Is there reconnect support for DotA 2?

A: This was actually one of the very first things we added early on, before the game was stable, in order to help with testing. You'll also be able to have a friend of similar skill level substitute for you in case you have to leave. Players that want to improve their reputation in the game and community will also be able to help out by joining ongoing games that are missing players.

Q: Will there be anything like the AI maps in DotA or a "training mode" with difficulty levels?

A: Yes there will be bot support if you just want to play by yourself, or you can create a party of friends and fill the rest of the slots with bots. There are a variety of different settings you can use in order to configure the bots, ranging from selectable difficulty levels to specific behaviors that you want to practice against. For example, if you want to practice your lane control, you could configure the bots to be stronger at denying, last hitting, and harassing. We'll also have some specially crafted challenge scenarios, similar to things like Pudge Wars, which I'll elaborate on in the future.

Q: Are you going to work on DotA after DotA 2 is released?

A: I plan to keep DotA updated for as long as the community wants. That being said though, I think that DotA 2 represents the long term future for the game.

Q: Are you going to do anything to make it easier for new players to get into the game and feel welcome?

A: Some of what makes it hard, in current DotA, stems from the lack of services around the game that can help foster a better relationship between players and that it's hard for players to be matched up with equally skilled allies and opponents. Things like tutorials, matchmaking, AI bots, identity, coaching, and community contribution will go a long way to making it easier for new players to fit in.

Looking for the latest details on DotA 2's development? Check out: DotA 2 State of the Union.

For those interested in more details relating to IceFrog and his contributions to the original DotA we recommend this video series by Machinima: