DOTA 2 Has An All-Time High Prize Pool…And It’s Still Growing

We're just a few weeks away from the yearly DOTA 2 tournament that Valve hosts in Seattle, Washington, the International. And, with that, the publisher has been working diligently to get the prize pool to new heights, so that users could tune in and see players competing for millions of dollars. Well, needless to say, they won't be disappointed.

Valve has reported that, as of this moment, the prize pool for the tournament now stands at a staggering $20.78 million. And the funny thing is, it's still not done, as there are still a few days left for the number to get above $21 million and beyond, with players buying in-game goods for DOTA 2 to boost it even further.

That easily beats the record set last year, which was around $20 million, and it shows that Valve means serious business when it comes to raising funds for tournament payout – and that should make this year's The International a bigger tournament than ever before.

It's funny, because the tournament started out with such humble beginnings just a few years back. In 2011, six years ago, Valve managed to raise a paltry $1 million (well, paltry by $20 million standards), and then, in 2012, it started using in-game perks for DOTA 2 to fund the prize pool, and that's when things really began to move, going into the upper million count. And now, here we are, with the Tournament pool reaching massive digits.

The International is set to take place from August 7th through the 12th at Seattle's Key Arena, and it is expected to be streamed online for those that can't make the event. In the meantime, those interested in contributing – and getting a little something for their money – can purchase Battle Passes within the game, which rewards them with a number of goodies, including exclusive items, customization tools and more. 25 percent of proceeds from each Battle Pass fund the tournament pool, so, yeah, don't be surprised if it continues to grow to new heights.

We wish the DOTA 2 players competing in The International the best of luck. It should be a pretty wild tournament for those that get into the game.

DOTA 2 is available now for PC.