Dota 2 tournament of each year. Hosted by Dota 2 developer, Valve, the prize pool this year has reached an astounding, record-shattering $17.6 million USD.
The International is the largest annualThe International 5 takes place at Seattle, WA’s Key Arena once again in 2015, but before we get there, here’s everything you need to know about the storied history of how Valve’s eSports debut became an industry juggernaut.
Prize Pool: $1.6 million USD
Dota 2 wasn't even out yet when the first International swept through Cologne, Germany in 2011. Valve invited 16 of the top performing Dota teams to compete in the event. The purpose was basically a big publicity stunt for the launch of the Dota 2 beta, and it worked. With a whopping $1.6 million USD on the line, the debut of a beloved rebooted franchise, and an impressive live venue, the first International was the start of something special.
In the finals of The International 2011, Ukrainian team Natus Vincere, or Na'Vi, faced Chinese powerhouse EHOME. Na'Vi were considered the underdogs, but were able to overcome their focused and determined competitors in a thrilling best of five series. Valve later retold the events of the first International in their fantastic feature-length documentary Free To Play.
Prize Pool: $1.6 million USD
The tournament found its home in Seattle, WA during the second annual International. The invite process slightly changed for TI2, and Valve invited 14 teams based on their performance in various Dota 2 tournaments throughout the year, while the final two spots were decided via qualifier tournaments. The finals once again came down to Na'Vi against yet another Chinese juggernaut, Invictus Gaming (IG). It was during game two of the finals where one of the most famous plays in competitive Dota 2 history went down. Known today simply as "The Play," IG tried to sneak up on Na'Vi, who completely turned the fight around and wiped out IG in one shocking swoop.
Video by Chris Myll Yet even with the skill and coordination to pull off this legendary feat, the Ukranians ultimately couldn't pull through, and IG took the coveted $1 million USD top prize after a terrific series. Following the event, Valve released a short documentary about The International 2012.
Prize Pool: $2.8 million USD
Valve wanted to do something special for The International 2013, and thus the Compendium was born. The Compendium was introduced as an interactive program for TI3 that cost $10 and was purchasable within the game. The kicker was that for every book purchased, $2.50 went directly to the TI3 prize pool. The idea was novel at the time, and along with allowing competitive Dota 2 fans to contribute to the prize pool, the book came with some in-game goodies and ways to keep track of your favorite players during the event.
Valve even added some stretch goals like a new HUD, in-game taunt animations, and a special Immortal cosmetic item to entice the community to contribute. It was an amazing success, and the prize pool grew from a base of $1.6 million to $2.8 million with Compendium purchases.
Watch the last game of grand finals of The International 2013
The Chinese teams who always placed well in previous International events failed to secure a spot in the top three of the tournament, leaving the grand prize wide open for the two European rivals, Alliance and Na'Vi. Competitive Dota 2 fans dreams came true when the grand finals came down to an incredibly clutch play in the last match of the best of five series, allowing Alliance to secure a legendary victory and earn the Aegis of Champions trophy.
The International 2013 drew a massive audience, both online and in person at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. At its peak, over one million concurrent viewers were tuned in to watch The International 2013 for free straight from the in-game Dota 2 client and various streaming platforms.
Prize Pool: $10.5 million USD
For last year’s International, the actual tournament had almost been overshadowed by the tremendous success of the new and improved Compendium. Once again fans could purchase the interactive program for $10, with $2.50 going directly towards the prize pool, but major additions to the Compendium in 2014 made it a sort of game itself. The Compendium leveled up, allowing players to earn more in-game rewards as it went higher. Completing challenges, playing Dota 2, or outright purchasing Compendium Points contributed to your level -- as well as the prize pool.
It was a stroke of brilliance. With no level cap, some fans spent thousands of dollars leveling up their Compendium, and Valve added fuel to the fire with new stretch goals. The passion of the Dota 2 community resulted in a prize pool over $10 million USD, the largest in competitive gaming history.
The International 4 itself was seen by many as disappointing compared to the spectacular tension of previous tournaments. It had its fair share of stellar matches, of course -- Evil Geniuses and Vici Gaming were fantastic against each other -- but it seemed clear early during TI4 that Newbee was the team to beat.
Newbee, an unstoppable wrecking ball, came out of nowhere. Their limited success and relative inexperience against Western teams meant they weren’t much to worry about. Their unexpected technique against Chinese, American, and European teams was to group up in a five-man “death ball” and overwhelm their opponents -- and it worked nearly without fail. Newbee secured its spot in the Grand Finals, and only lost its first Grand Finals match against Vici, responding with a fierce three game win streak to take TI4’s championship.
Prize Pool: $17.6 million USD
Thanks to a new and improved Compendium, which promised numerous new Immortal Treasures, a music pack, a fancy new HUD, taunts, couriers, weather effects, a Bristleback announcer pack, a map reskin, a longform Axe comic, Enigma’s first cosmetic item, and more, The International 5’s prize pool eclipsed that of the previous year’s in just over a month.
TI5’s prize pool soared significantly and consistently, as did a refreshing enthusiasm in the Dota 2 scene. Following the Dota 2 Asia Championships, it became clear that 2015 was going to be a phenomenal year for Dota 2. Team shakeups after The International 4 led to formations of new teams, new blood, and surprising replacements, giving fans a lot of exciting teams to root for.
It will be interesting to see if The Summit 3 winners Team Secret -- a team of all-stars who left their prominent teams to form a super group in 2014 -- can outperform Evil Geniuses, whose newest player Sumail was just 15 years old when he helped them win DAC earlier this year. Additionally, with major shifts in the Dota 2 meta meant to discourage Newbee’s deathball strategies, it will be interesting to see if the dominant TI4 winner can sustain itself at TI5, as well as what many Chinese teams -- whose rosters are very different than last year -- can pull off in 2015.
For more on Dota 2, including coverage of The International 5, stay tuned to IGN.
This article was originally written by former IGN Editor Leah Jackson and has been updated by Mitch Dyer. You can read the original on IGN. Leah now covers League of Legends for lolesports.com. Follow her on Twitter. Mitch co-hosts IGN Overclocked and Unlocked on IGN. You can also follow him on Twitter.