Grab the popcorn. Tomorrow marks the beginning of the main event for the Dota 2 International tournament. It is the biggest tournament in Dota 2 history, offering close to $18 million split among the top eight teams. The International has completed the group stage and finalized the sixteen teams that have a chance to compete for a grand prize of six and a half million dollars.
That is correct. The winning Dota 2 team at the International will bring home a cool $6.5 million. The huge prize pool was bolstered by the Dota 2 community in the form of the International Compendium, a new way to collect items, make bets, and in general further invest players into the game. Each Compendium sold put 25% of its purchase prize into the prize pool, and offered rewards to those who purchased it in the form of new items, skins, weather effects, and other exclusive cosmetic upgrades.
The International will stream live on Twitch, YouTube, Steam Broadcasting, the in-client Dota 2 stream, and even some on WatchESPN. Valve has also rolled out their own streaming channel, which is still in beta form, on the International’s website. It provides a level of control for the viewer that makes watching Dota 2 matches much more interesting, as you can view any information you want on your own, such as graphs about the match or player inventories. Essentially, there are a lot of ways to watch The International; Valve does not want you to miss it.
The main event begins Monday, August 3, at 10:00 AM Pacific time. The first match features LGD Gaming of China taking on Russia’s team Empire. Throughout the day, different matches will come online and they will all be available to watch on these different streaming services. Even if Dota 2 is not your cup of tea, its always fun to watch the highest-level players duke it out on the biggest stage in the world with huge stakes on the line. Prepare for clutch plays, tactical errors, huge upsets, and seriously hype moments. The streams will continue all week, culminating in the semi-finals and grand finals on Saturday, August 8.
Watching the International this week? Who do you think is taking the Aegis home this year? Let us know!
