Dota 2
Dota 2 International 12's prize pool is historically low - this is how players and fans rated last year's prize pool. You can read comments and opinions about it on Reddit.
We have an article about past prize pools: Why is The International 12 Prize Pool So Low - What's Happening?
But what will happen this year? The Blix Team has learned about the announced initial prize pool of $1,600,000 and is ready to determine whether this amount can be increased.
There will also be an International Cosplay Competition:
Highlights
- Details about the International 13 prize pool
Prize Pools of Past Years
The International 2024 Dota 2 tournament is just under a month away, and eSports fans worldwide eagerly await it and speculate about the prize pool it will offer.
The biggest annual event on the Dota 2 competitive scene is the International tournaments, known for their huge prize pools. For the first ten years of its history, the International's prize pool grew exponentially yearly.
Here's how it has grown over the years:
- The International 1: $1.6 million
- The International 2: $1.6 million
- The International 3: $2.8 million
- The International 4: $10.9 million
- The International 5: $18.4 million
- The International 6: $20.7 million
- The International 7: $24.7 million
- The International 8: $25.5 million
- The International 9: $34.3 million
- The International 10: $40 million
- The International 11: $19 million
- The International 12: $3 million
You might be interested in The International 13 Dota 2 Short Film Contest Details or The International 2024: Eastern Europe and South America Closed Qualifier Overview.
Where Does International 13's Prize Pool Come From?
For those who don't know, most of The International's prize money comes from crowdfunding. In the past, Valve has released a Battle Pass that players can buy. Valve took 75% of Battle Pass sales, and 25% went directly to the prize pool.
Since last year, Valve has shifted its focus away from Battle Passes filled with exclusive skins, choosing to prioritize gameplay updates and improvements.
With the success of general gameplay updates like Crownfall 2024 and Patch 7.36, it's clear that the Dota 2 development team doesn't need to give away cosmetic items solely for combat pass content for players to enjoy the game.
We wrote about this patch here: What's New in Dota 2 Global Patch 7.36? Most Interesting Facets List. You might also be interested in Dota 2 Patch 7.37 Main Updates.
While there will be no Battle Pass this year, the TI13 prize pool will come from crowdfunding and Compendium 2024 sales.
Judging by the lines of code found in the game's files, players in the new Compendium will be expected to have autographs, voicemails, photos, and stickers. In addition, there will probably be TI13-related activities again, as there were last year: Oracle Predictions, Bingo, and Fantasy League. Successful completion will reward players with experience to complete Compendium 2024, unlocking rewards.
How Much is the International 13 Prize Pool?
Valve has officially announced the starting prize pool for The International 2024, which is $1,600,000, the same as last year.
With a likely similar 2024 Compendium, the TI13 prize pool will be about the same as last year, about 3 million dollars.
However, despite the very modest prize predictions, many players are terribly looking forward to the Dota 2 main event. And others suggest that this will be the last TI.
The developer will have to come up with something to earn and add to the prize pool. The situation may change drastically when the Compendium is expanded, and other rewards are added.
At past events, players have shown they are willing to donate a lot if exciting rewards exist. Even in a month and a half, they collected 10-15 million dollars - yes, without a full-fledged Battle Pass and event, it is impossible, but even one quality chest, as it seems, can increase the current prize money by two or three times.
What's the Point of Changing a Past Model?
Last year, players were very unhappy with the Compendium, so the TI12 prize pool dropped dramatically. At the International 2023, the prize pool reached record lows within 12 hours. The Dota 2 community added just $500,000 to the original amount.
This is a record low compared to last year's Battle Pass, which did not surpass its predecessor (40 million). 2022 grossed over $4.7 million in the same 12 hours. So why continue an already failed experiment?
One key factor Valve openly shared was that most players don't buy the Battle Pass every year, so not everyone gets to enjoy Dota 2's most significant updates.
The community is shrinking rapidly despite the gameplay becoming more diverse. Hence, the company concluded: What's the point of raising such a vast amount of money for just one event if the popularity and appeal of eSports to new generations are failing?
TI10 had a prize pool of $40 million, which could be used to fund prize pools for other events that could be organized regionally and help support the local professional scene. More major tournaments would help the community grow instead of shrinking.
Summary
The International 2024 will occur from September 4 to 15 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The tournament will feature 16 teams, including Team Spirit, BetBoom Team, and Cloud9.
