The International prize pool hits new 24-hour high with Battle Pass

Within just 24 hours of its release, sales of the latest Dota 2 Battle Pass have skyrocketed.

The long-awaited Battle Pass season has come in Dota 2 and players did not waste time getting their hands on the exclusive rewards contained within. The hype around the Battle Pass release stirred on top of the ongoing MDL Paris Disneyland Major.

As expected, the Dota 2 community converged to boost the huge esports prize pool for the biggest annual event in the game’s professional scene. The International breaks the highest esports prize pool record for a single tournament every year thanks to its loyal fans.

The base prize pool for The International 2019 started at $1.6 million. After just 24 hours, it soared its way to more than $7.4 million.

Last year, The International 2018 Battle Pass closed its opening day at $5.6 million, putting this year’s rate nearly $2 million ahead after just one day.

Despite a huge change being made to the reward recycling system that could make it more difficult for players to earn levels without spending more money, players still aimed for the legendary rewards available at the higher levels of the Battle Pass. These notable items include Tiny’s Prestige item Majesty of the Colossus, the Young Invoker Hero Persona, Earthshaker’s Arcana Planetfall, and Axe’s Bare Knuckle set.

The standard battle pass costs $9.99. Level 50 and Level 100 Battle Passes are also available for $29.35 and $44.99, respectively. Players can save as much as 15% on their purchase if they buy the highest possible Battle Pass starting point. Additional levels are available on Steam in sets worth as much as $9.99 per purchase.

25% from each Battle Pass and all Battle Pass levels sale contribute to the tournament prize pool.  Currently, The International boasts an $8.3 million prize pool and counting.