The International 2022 may have the smallest TI prize pool in years

Valve has been slowly divesting from Dota 2 esports in many ways over recent years, but it could be ready to cash out entirely. The International 2022 Battle Pass is guaranteed to result in TI11 having the smallest prize pool for the popular event in years.

The TI11 Battle Pass was something Dota 2 fans were anxiously awaiting. It’s likely an even more anxious time for Dota 2 esports pros, whose potential payout depends on fans buying the battle pass that funds The International prize pool. This has seen The International have prize pools as high as $40 million, but things are set to plummet in 2022.

Less than half of the TI11 Battle Pass’ run time will see it funding The International 2022, with Valve pocketing the difference. This is likely to see the prize pool drop significantly, and it could see the money that changes hands at The International cut in half. Given that The International makes up around 70% of the money awarded in Dota 2 esports each year, this would result in the total money dropping by about 40%.

TI11 Battle Pass won’t contribute as much to prize pool

In years past, The International Battle Pass ran through the end of the event with 25% of the sales going into the event’s prize pool. Valve decided to mix things up in 2022 by having the TI Battle Pass run well beyond the event’s conclusion. This was done to make the time after The International more exciting for new Dota 2 players.

While the logic is sound, the trouble is that Valve noted that the TI11 Battle Pass will stop contributing to the event’s prize pool after a new champion is crowned. This means that the battle pass will effectively run for only 59 days in terms of prizing for The International. For the sake of comparison, the TI10 Battle Pass ran for 139 days while the TI8 and 9 Battle Passes both ran for 110 days.

That alone is likely to see the TI11 prize pool be considerably smaller than last year’s. Unfortunately, there are other factors that are likely going to have pro players pinching pennies to go alongside this.

One of the biggest drivers of money when it comes to the TI Battle Pass are battle level bundles. These packs of Immortal Treasures and levels come at a steep discount but are only available for a limited time. They have generated large spikes in the prize pool each year since their introduction. Valve might opt to wait until after TI11 happens to guarantee it takes in 100% of the proceeds, which could result in the prize pool being more than halved.

The best-case scenario would be things panning out similar to the TI10 Battle Pass. At the day-59 mark in of the 2020 battle pass, it garnered $29 million according to Dota 2 Prize Pool Tracker. That would still result in a significant sum for players, but Valve has set up a precipitous drop in The International prize pool and the earning power of Dota 2 pros.