Dota 2 breaks eSports prize pool record, on pace to eclipse Valve's $15 million goal

Shawn Knight

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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.

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Still, many dismiss professional gaming as not being a true sport. While gaming may not require the same types of strenuous activities as football or basketball, it’s still serious enough that injuries can and do happen (not to mention the mental aspect).

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Earlier this year, the captain for one of the top League of Legends teams announced his retirement at the age of 22 due to a wrist injury. Just like any other sport, years of intense physical activity will take its toll on the body.

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And yet LoL is still a more popular MOBA even though Dota is where the money is at. Go figure...

Can't wait for TI5!
 
"sport" ROFL!

not this again. People living in the past aint gonna last.

I couldn't agree more... I played "real sports" all my life and in my early 20's suffered some serious knee injuries and was no longer allowed to play baseball or skateboard. I've since started to play a lot more games and found a new love for Dota 2. It's extremely competitive, requires a lot of hand eye coordination, muscle memory and tons of teamwork. It may not be for everyone, but it sure filled the gap I was missing since being told to stop doing what I love to do.
 
Yes, let's ignore the e (electronic), right before it. People cry about everything rofl
 
That recent release of collector's cache significantly increased the growth rate.
I found myself buying 10 of them hoping that I wil get that faceless rex courier. Damn it, I cant stop myself from spending money on this game!!!!
 
I've since started to play a lot more games and found a new love for Dota 2. It's extremely competitive, requires a lot of hand eye coordination, muscle memory and tons of teamwork.
So does practically every production job you could possibly work. Are we going to start classifying everything as a sport simply because it is "extremely competitive, requires a lot of hand eye coordination, muscle memory and tons of teamwork"?
 
And yet LoL is still a more popular MOBA even though Dota is where the money is at. Go figure...

Can't wait for TI5!
money wise for the main tourney they do get more, but in terms of salaries, prizes at other tournaments and sponsors LoL is way above everyone.
 
And yet LoL is still a more popular MOBA even though Dota is where the money is at. Go figure...

Can't wait for TI5!
LoL has more money for sure. Dota has bigger rewards cause people can buy compendium to increase the prize pool. And what they are trying to do is make this huge prizes to make more attention so people will think esports is the real deal. IMO it's not there yet and people are overhyped about it, but it's surely coming.

And if someone complains that this isn't sport, well, it's not even called sport, but e-sport.
 
And yet LoL is still a more popular MOBA even though Dota is where the money is at. Go figure...

Can't wait for TI5!
money wise for the main tourney they do get more, but in terms of salaries, prizes at other tournaments and sponsors LoL is way above everyone.
Those are some very interesting claims. Prizes at other tournaments are higher in lol? According to esportsearnings, Dota 2 has thus far in 2015 paid $5,126,550.09 in prize money over 55 events, while LoL is at $2,724,102.82 over 64 events.

http://esportsearnings.com/games/231-dota-2/list_events
http://esportsearnings.com/games/164-league-of-legends/list_events

That does not even include Dota's $330k Mars league and $160k MLG finals, which are both ending today.

http://dota2.prizetrac.kr/

In other words, with both game's main events of 2015 yet to be played, Dota 2 has paid more than twice that of LoL's in prizemoney in 2015, yet you're claiming that prizes in LoL tournaments other than the main events are higher?

As for salaries and sponsors, I'm really not sure what you're basing your claim on considering the only public information in that regard is the $12,500 riot pays for each LCS player per split. Just more gut-feelings of yours I suppose.
 
So does practically every production job you could possibly work. Are we going to start classifying everything as a sport simply because it is "extremely competitive, requires a lot of hand eye coordination, muscle memory and tons of teamwork"?

You sound exactly like my father and it's terrifying... There will always be naysayers and that's why we try and use the term "e-sport", but everyone gets all bent out of shape with that too.
 
Guess we can replace old boring and hated "work" with w-sport, and while we are here maybe we can also replace a lot of other old activities with "*-sport" onces
 
Guess we can replace old boring and hated "work" with w-sport, and while we are here maybe we can also replace a lot of other old activities with "*-sport" onces

You can try and replace it, if it catches on then great for you. This is how language and definitions evolve.
 
If these kinds of competitive games, albeit done on computers, cannot be considered sports, then we should not consider Chess and other mind games as "sports." Both are "just mind games", done without "physical exertion", and is with players "just sitting on their butts."

For those saying every production work, or any work for that matter, is the same, then I guess you really enjoy watching the production line if you can consider these as "entertainment.". You need to remember that aside from the showcase of skills, sports offer entertainment to the audience.

And before anybody says, "HA! Chess is not even recognized in the International Olympics!", karate, sumo, and American Football, too name a few, are not recognized either.
 
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