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The competitive Dota 2 scene is about to return to the “international” spotlight as Valve has confirmed the return of the largest Dota 2 tournament in the world, The International.
The 10th installment of The International will take place in Stockholm, Sweden with a prize pool of over $40 million at stake. The event will begin with the Group stage on August 5-8, which will decide the teams that will compete in the Main Event August 10-15. The announcement does not confirm if a live audience will be in attendance, instead referencing a future announcement coming in June.
“As we continue to plan the event around the shifting landscape presented by the ongoing global pandemic, our focus remains on finding ways to hold a high quality tournament in the safest way possible,” the official announcement reads. “This means we’re waiting to release additional details on attendance options as we gather more information on developments heading into summer. We expect to be able to share more with the community during the month of June.”
The 2020 event was originally scheduled for Stockholm before the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation, and until now there was no word on whether the event would return in 2021. If a live audience is allowed it will be the first major esports event to host a live crowd since the 2020 League of Legends World Championships hosted 6,500 fans in Shanghai’s SAIC Motor Pudong Arena.
The International brings 18 teams from across the world together in Dota 2 competition. 2019’s The International IX gave out a total prize pool eclipsing $34 million thanks to donations from Dota 2 fans, making it at the time the largest single event prize pool in competitive gaming history. The event saw the Red Bull-sponsored OG retain its 2018 championship, defeating Team Liquid three matches to one in the Grand Finals and taking home $15.6 million. Team Liquid took home nearly $4.5 million for second place, with PSG.LGD taking the $3 million third prize and Team Secret finishing fourth and earning $2 million.
