Dota 2
Dota 2
iceiceice takes break from Fnatic, Forev in at ESL One Thailand
Steven Rondina
Fnatic’s top star is set to take a break, but the team has brought in a more than capable substitute. Daryl Koh “iceiceice” Pei Xiang is going to be taking a short break from professional Dota 2 competition. In his place, Lee “Forev” Sang-don will be standing in for the team. The news was revealed by Fnatic on Twitter: We have been invited to the @ESLDota2 #ESLOne Thailand ????????However, we …
Dota 2
Virtus.pro gears up for Omega League with new coach ArtStyle
Steven Rondina
With business about to pick up in the Dota 2 pro scene, Virtus.pro is making some moves to try and be in peak form. The organization has announced the addition of a new coach in Ivan “Artstyle” Antonov. The news was revealed across Virtus.pro’s social channels. THIS IS NOT A DRILLARTSTYLE IS BACK ???? https://t.co/hUXTgGT57M pic.twitter.com/njnCGRTwbn — Virtus.pro (@virtuspro) August 9, 2020 Artstyle is a veteran of the Dota 2 …
Dota 2
Rumors say Eurus out of Vici, fy and Somnus leaving PSG.LGD
Steven Rondina
The Chinese Dota 2 scene may be undergoing an enormous shakeup. Over on Chinese social media platform Weibo, there is a great deal of chatter hinting at a major player shuffle that is impacting PSG.LGD, Vici Gaming, and more. This comes from VP Esports, who found a number of interesting posts. In particular, PSG.LGD is set to lose its two longest-standing players in Lu “Somnus” Yao and Xu “fy” Linsen. …
Dota 2
Bot TI3 is returning in 2020 thanks to Beyond the Summit
Steven Rondina
The International 10 isn’t happening in 2020, but artificial intelligence doesn’t have to worry about that. Bot TI is set to return for the third year in a row, with Beyond the Summit announcing the event on YouTube. Bot TI is an interesting concept that has grown in popularity every year. Instead of featuring actual players in competition, Beyond The Summit looks to determine the best hero in Dota 2 …
Dota 2
Ex-T1, Vici Gaming player Black suddenly banned from Twitch
Olivia Richman
“Huh.. I just got banned.” That was all Dota 2 pro Dominik “Black^” Reitmeier could think to say on his stream when he realized he got banned from Twitch. Then the gears started turning. “What the fuck? For what?” Black^ questioned. Black^ is a pro Dota 2 player who most recently played for LGD International. Known as the “World Traveler,” the seasoned veteran has also played for teams from North …
Dota 2
4 Zoomers vs. Quincy Crew Great American Rivalry betting analysis
Steven Rondina
North American Dota 2 is looking better than it has in a long while. There are a number of different teams that could be competitive at the international level. Two of those are Quincy Crew and 4 Zoomers. These two teams have both looked solid in recent months and are set to add another chapter to what is becoming a bitter rivalry. They will next face off in one of …
Dota 2
Thunder Predator picked every Spirit hero in a pro Dota 2 game
Steven Rondina
When Thunder Predator and Vira-Lata Caramelo faced off in the Great American Rivalry, Thunder Predator decided to make things interesting with their draft. As one of the final matches of the group stage, Thunder Predator had already secured a spot in the upper bracket while Vira-Lata Caramelo was mathematically guaranteed an elimination. Because of that, Thunder Predator decided to have a bit of fun in one of the games by …
Dota 2
Thunder Predator vs CR4ZY Great American Rivalry betting analysis
Steven Rondina
The playoffs to the Great American Rivalry are finally here, with the action being kicked off by a showdown between CR4ZY and Thunder Predator. The top seed from the group stage is taking on the fourth seed in the upper bracket. Both have made strong impressions in this online league era of Dota 2, but neither has gotten that big tournament victory that will stamp them as one of the …
Fall Call to Arms hints at Diretide, seasonal battle passes
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
Valve has issued a call to arms for Dota 2 cosmetic creators, but not for The International 10 Battle Pass. No, this call to arms is tied to a yet-to-be-named event this fall. This has fans going wild speculating what Valve could be preparing for. The announcement was made in a post on Dota 2’s Steam Community page. Fall 2020 Call to Arms — https://t.co/aCxuAvVXi7 #Dota2 pic.twitter.com/ytcYBRRJf9 — Wykrhm Reddy …
Learn how to build carry Snapfire the right way
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
Snapfire is one of the most enjoyable heroes to play in all of Dota 2. Her unique set of spells and beefy attributes allow her to play as both a bruising frontliner and as a ranged nuker, shifting between those two roles multiple times in each fight. That fun set of spells has made her a favorite of many. The trouble is that when a hero that is meant to …
Where will SumaiL end up after leaving the OG roster?
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
Syed “SumaiL” Hassan finds himself in a position he’s become familiar with. After less than six months with OG, the star player is once again without a team. The fearsome mid laner was unceremoniously cut from the organization after just six months. Though OG has one of the most star-studded rosters in Dota 2 history, the team posted generally underwhelming results. The team debuted in impressive fashion by sprinting through …
Fnatic adds Raven from Geek Fam, drops 23savage in surprise move
Jared Wynne
Dota 2
Fnatic has once again shaken up the southeast Asian Dota 2 scene by signing Marc Polo Luis “Raven” Fausto. Only a couple of hours after it was announced that Raven will be leaving Geek Fam, Fnatic announced that the Filipino star will be replacing Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon in their starting lineup. “In our pursuit to build a Southeast Asian super team and continue dominating the region, I welcome for the …
Fnatic’s 23savage hits 11,000 MMR, joins Abed in 11K MMR Club
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
The 10K MMR Cclub has long been the pinnacle of success in the Dota 2 public matchmaking scene, but the “11K MMR club” may soon render it obsolete. Fnatic core player Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon has become just the second player to reach 11,000 MMR. He follows Evil Geniuses mid laner Abed “Abed” Azel L. Yusop in the illustrious grouping, hitting 11,020 MMR. He revealed the achievement on Twitter. 11,020 pic.twitter.com/0M2hQo6NRN …
Here are odds of getting the TI10 Collector’s Cache Mirana skin
Nina Forneloza
News
There are a few days left to buy The International 10 Collector’s Cache and get the ultra rare Mirana set. The question is, what are the odds of getting Mirana’s Spirit of the Sacred Grove? Unlike previous treasures, Valve has released definitive odds for the TI10 Collector’s Cache, giving a definite idea of how many they need to purchase to get the top prize. Players have approximately a 3% chance …
SumaiL kicked from OG roster as Ceb returns to action
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
OG put together one of the most star-studded Dota 2 rosters of all time, but it did not stick together for very long. The organization has announced that it is removing Syed “SumaiL” Hassan from its Dota 2 roster. Taking his spot on the team on a full-time basis is former coach Sébastien “Ceb” Debs. The news was announced on OG’s official website. OG will be competing with the following …
Valve issuing bans to TI10 Battle Pass guild cheaters
Nina Forneloza
Dota 2
Players are finding plenty of new ways to guarantee they receive free BP from their TI10 Battle Pass, and Valve isn’t especially keen on that. The return of guilds to Dota 2 became the best way way to boost one’s Battle Pass quickly, replacing the previous daily hero challenge and weekly challenge systems with guild contracts. Another option for free BP that is theoretically separate from guilds is the wagering …
The International 10 prize pool surges past $30 million
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
The International 10 Battle Pass continues raising millions of dollars for the tournament. The prize pool of TI10 has officially cleared the $30 million mark in just over 60 days. This continues the roaring pace of the prize pool’s growth, fueled by the incredible popularity of Dota 2’s battle pass. This happens just a bit beyond the halfway point of the TI10 Battle Pass’ life span, positioning TI10 to blow …
Immortal Treasure 2 arrives for The International 10 Battle Pass
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
The Immortal Treasure 2 has finally arrived in The International 10 Battle Pass. The long-awaited case has landed in Dota 2, bringing with it a new set of fancy skins for Dota 2 fans with high-level battle passes. The Immortal Treasure II includes common skins for Sven, Magnus, Slardar, Troll Warlord, Witch Doctor, and Silencer. The rare skin is a new one for Jakiro, which alters the hero’s wings. This …
Valve co-founder Gabe Newell is stranded in New Zealand
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
Valve has been doing some big things in recent months, launching The International 10 Battle Pass and shipping a number of large updates to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. But company co-founder Gabe Newell hasn’t been around for any of it. His absence isn’t actually by choice. The famous face of Valve has been stuck in New Zealand since March. After shipping Half-Life: Alyx, Newell and others took what was meant to …
Winstrike resets Dota 2 roster before Omega League qualifiers
Steven Rondina
Dota 2
Winstrike Team’s Dota 2 woes continue on with yet another big roster shake-up. The organization has announced the benchings of Stanislav “чикиряу” Yarosevich, Sergey “[T]SA” Timchenko, and Dmitriy “kickeed” Pilyaev. They are set to be replaced by Kamil “agressive child” Biktimirov, Maxim “re1bl” Afanasyev, and Andrey “Dukalis” Kuropatkin. The team also added Danial “yamich” Lazebny on loan from Khan. The sole remaining player from the previous Winsrike roster is Vladislav …
Few games have proven to have the resilient popularity enjoyed by Dota 2. The multiplayer online battle arena, or MOBA for short, has been among the biggest and most successful projects released by gaming giant Valve, and it continues to enjoy great popularity to this day.
That popularity has endured despite a great number of changes that have been made to both the game itself and to the communities surrounding it. The competitive title’s history reaches all the way back to another game created and published by another developer, but with Valve now leading the way, Dota 2 seems primed to last well into the future.
From Blizzard to Valve, Dota 2 continues to evolve
While know today as one of Valve’s key game properties, Dota 2 has its origins in a real-time strategy game developed and published by famed video game company Blizzard. One of the franchises that keyed Blizzard’s success and reputational growth in the games industry is WarCraft, which today is best-known for the popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft.
But prior to the success of World of Warcraft, the high-fantasy franchise was experienced through a series of RTS games. The third main title in that series, WarCraft 3, provided players not only with a great experience right out of the box, but also with the opportunity to heavily modify the game and its functions, and to play modified versions of the experience as custom games online with other players.
The most popular of these custom game modes was arguably Defense of the Ancients, or DotA for short. This custom game mode saw two teams of players face off against each other with strong individual champion characters, as opposed to building out complex home bases and developing broad armies of diverse units.
It was an entirely different way to play the game, and it proved so popular that would eventually give birth to an entirely new genre of video games: the MOBA genre.
The continuation of the original DotA became Dota 2, a project developed under the guidance of famed developer and publisher Valve. Flush with success from online marketplace Steam and its own franchises including Half-Life and Portal, Valve was more than willing to invest in this new and innovative game type.
The International sets Dota 2 apart
While there have been many other competitive games created and released since, including other popular MOBAs such as Riot Games’ League of Legends, Dota 2 has stood apart for remaining true to its roots and for massive competitive events like The International. First held in 2011 for the purpose of bringing together disparate competitive teams from all around the world with more than $1 million on the line, the esports tournament quickly grew into the biggest such event of each calendar year.
One of the main drivers behind that immense growth was the upwards trajectory of the tournament’s prize pool. Partially funded by Dota 2 players and esports fans, the prize pool for The International began increasing in 2013 and eventually ballooned to a massive total of over $40 million by the time 2021 rolled around. For the groups of players and coaches who climbed this mountain and won its top prize, it was a truly life-changing event.
For varied reasons, Valve eventually soured on running the event itself and on the idea of having so much money filtered into one specific event. Prize winnings were dropped significantly in 2022, and even further for the 2023 and 2024 events. But despite the prizes on hand no longer being quite so astronomical, The International still boasts a prize in the low millions, and it remains the biggest event on the Dota 2 competitive calendar and arguably on the greater esports calendar across all games.
