Winning this video game tournament would make you a millionaire

Dota 2 broke eSports records last year when its annual International Championships raised a whopping $10.9 million prize pool. Considering how the game has only grown in popularity in the months since then, it’s not surprising that Dota 2 has broken that same record yet again with this year’s International. The current price pool is already close to $12 million, but that number is expected to continue past Valve’s own $15 million goal. 

Last year’s The International Dota 2 Championships raised a record-breaking $10.9 million prize pool, the most ever for a single eSports event. Valve set a goal of $15 million for this year’s pool and based on current projections, that goal may very well be attainable. As of writing, the total prize pool sits at $11,571,366 meaning it has already eclipsed last year’s record with well over a month remaining in the fundraising period. Valve chipped in $1.6 million to get the ball rolling but all other funds have come from purchases of in-game items. A quarter of the proceeds of each sale goes directly to the tournament prize pool. The full breakdown of each stretch goal and its reward can be found on the Dota 2 website. The International Dota 2 Championships made plenty of noise last year as portions of it aired live on ESPN. To see The Worldwide Leader in Sports set aside valuable airtime for a gaming competition speaks volumes to the rising popularity of eSports.