The International (esports)

Teams play a big video game contest.

It is called The International. Many teams play against each other. They want to win a big prize.

Fans help make the prize pool larger. They do this by buying things in the game. The winners get a special shield. It is called the Aegis of Champions. This shield has the winners' names on it. It is a very big event for gamers.

The International is a huge video game contest.

It is for a game called Dota 2. Many teams play in this world championship. They play in groups of five.

The first contest was in Germany in 2011. Since then, it has moved to many places. It has been held in Seattle and Vancouver. It has also been held in Singapore and Romania.

Fans help make the prize money very big. They buy a special item in the game. This item is called a Compendium. One quarter of that money goes to the players. In 2021, the prize pool reached 40 million dollars. This was a record for any esports event.

Winners receive a special trophy. It is called the Aegis of Champions.

The Aegis is a shield made of bronze and silver. It looks like old Norse and Chinese art. The names of the winning players are carved on the back. Many teams have won this prize twice. These teams are OG, Team Spirit, and Team Liquid. Team Falcons is the most recent winner.

The International is a massive yearly world championship for the video game Dota 2.

It is the most important event for professional players in the game. Teams of five players compete against each other to show their skill. This tournament is produced by Valve, the company that made the game. Fans around the world watch the matches through live streaming sites like Twitch. People enjoy watching the intense games and hearing expert commentary. It is much more than just a game; it is a huge global celebration of skill.

Winning the tournament follows a very specific path. Most years, the tournament starts with a group stage. In this stage, teams play many matches to see how they rank. After the groups are finished, the teams enter a double-elimination bracket. This means a team is not out of the contest after just one loss. They must lose twice to be truly removed from the tournament. This format keeps the competition exciting until the very end. It allows for many surprises and great comeback stories.

The first International was held in 2011 at a big event in Cologne, Germany.

At that first contest, 16 teams were invited to play. The Ukrainian team Natus Vincere won the very first grand prize of $1 million. After that, the event moved to Seattle, where Valve is based. It stayed in Seattle for many years before traveling to other countries. In 2018, the tournament went to Vancouver, Canada. Since then, it has visited many places like Singapore and Romania.

One amazing thing about this event is the prize money.

Since 2013, fans have helped grow the prize pool through something called a Compendium. This is a special item players can buy inside the game. One quarter of all the money from these sales goes to the prize pool. This makes the prize money much larger than most other video game contests. In 2021, the prize pool reached a record $40 million. This was a huge moment for the entire world of esports.

Champions are honored with a special trophy called the Aegis of Champions.

The Aegis is a shield made of bronze and silver. It was designed by Weta Workshop to look like Norse and Chinese art. The names of every winning player are carved into the back of the shield. Several teams have achieved the great feat of winning twice. These teams are OG, Team Spirit, and Team Liquid. The most recent champion is Team Falcons, who won in 2025.

The International, often called TI, is the premier annual world championship for the video game Dota 2.

Produced by the game's developer, Valve, it serves as the ultimate goal for professional players. The tournament features highly skilled teams competing in a five-on-five format. It is much more than a simple contest; it is a massive global event that celebrates the peak of competitive gaming. Fans from across the globe watch the action through live streaming platforms like Twitch. These broadcasts include expert commentary, match analysis, and player interviews to bring the audience closer to the competition.

To reach the championship, teams must navigate a rigorous and structured competition format. Most years, the event begins with a group stage using a round-robin format. In this stage, teams play multiple matches to determine their overall ranking. Following the group stage, the tournament moves into a main event organized as a double-elimination bracket. This specific structure means a team is not eliminated after a single loss. They must lose two matches before they are officially removed from the tournament. This format allows for dramatic comeback stories and ensures the highest level of play.

Since its beginning, the tournament has used different methods to select its participants. In the first edition in 2011, all 16 teams were simply invited to compete. Later years introduced a more complex qualification process. A portion of the teams receive direct invitations based on their performance throughout the professional season. The remaining slots are filled through regional qualifier tournaments. In 2017, Valve also introduced the Dota Pro Circuit to provide more clarity and transparency. This circuit consisted of various Majors and Minors that awarded points to teams. The eight teams with the highest point totals earned direct invitations to the following year's International.

The history of The International is marked by its movement across the globe. The inaugural tournament was held in Cologne, Germany, at the Gamescom event in 2011. Following that, the event moved to Seattle, Washington, where Valve is headquartered. It remained in Seattle for many years, including at venues like Benaroya Hall and the KeyArena. In 2018, the tournament began returning to international locations, starting in Vancouver, Canada. Since then, it has visited cities such as Shanghai, Singapore, Bucharest, and Hamburg. Even when the 2020 event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament eventually returned in 2021 in Romania.

One of the most significant aspects of The International is its massive, crowdfunded prize pool.

Starting in 2013, Valve introduced the Compendium, also known as a battle pass. This is an in-game item that players purchase to receive virtual goods and bonuses. A quarter of all revenue from these Compendiums goes directly into the tournament's prize pool. This community-driven model allowed the prize money to reach unprecedented heights. In 2021, the prize pool set a record for any single esports event at $40,018,195. While prize pools began to decline by the mid-2020s, the event remains a titan in the industry.

Success at The International is immortalized by the Aegis of Champions. This trophy is a shield inspired by both Norse and Chinese designs. It is molded in bronze and silver by the prop studio Weta Workshop. The reverse side of the Aegis is permanently engraved with the names of every winning player. Achieving greatness in this tournament is rare, but some teams have reached the top twice. Teams such as OG, Team Spirit, and Team Liquid have each won two Internationals. The most recent champion to claim the Aegis is Team Falcons, who won in 2025.

Beyond the competition itself, The International has influenced how esports are documented and viewed. In 2014, Valve released a documentary called "Free to Play" that followed players from the first tournament. They later produced "True Sight," an episodic series that showcased the intense emotions of the 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021 tournaments. The event also utilizes specialized media coverage, such as "newcomer streams." These streams are designed specifically for viewers who are unfamiliar with the complexities of Dota 2. This helps connect the game to a wider, more diverse global audience.