In the early 2010s, Blizzard Entertainment released patch 1.26a for Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne . It quickly became the definitive version for custom map players, particularly the DotA Allstars community led by the developer IceFrog. Why Version 1.26a?

Since the original global Battle.net servers for classic Warcraft III have migrated to the Reforged infrastructure, the community relies on alternative clients to host and join multiplayer games.

Classic 1.26a has an 8MB map limit; modern DotA maps exceed this size.

Originally created by a modder named Eul, the map was later expanded by Guinsoo (who went on to help create League of Legends), and ultimately perfected by the anonymous developer IceFrog. IceFrog balanced the game meticulously, turning a chaotic custom mod into a legitimate esport.

Historically, "cracked" versions or DRM-free backups of this patch replaced or modified game.dll to bypass CD-key checks, allowing players to connect to private local area networks (LAN) or custom PvPGN servers without authenticating through Blizzard's legacy Battle.net servers. Setting Up Custom Maps (DotA Allstars)