The International (TI) is an annual esports world championship tournament for the video game Dota 2, which is hosted and produced by the game’s developer Valve. Since beginning in 2011, the International has garnered more and more fans, from a handful attending to the first TI until a stadium packed in TI 9. The tournament’s prize pool has been crowdfunded via a battle pass since 2013, which they can purchase in game whenever TI season is approaching. As of now, TI has the largest prize pool of a single-tournament, with the latest TI reaching US $ 40 million.
Dota 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game that was developed by Valve. The game is played between 2 teams consisting of 5 players each with the primary goal of destroying the ancient of the opposing team. The game is a very fun and a teamwork oriented game, where communication between teammates is the key to successfully win the game. It has been played by high schoolers and adults alike, creating bonds and friendship between players. The game may take a long time to win, but the experience is mostly worth it.
Miracles and heart breaks happen in TI every year, where the best teams all around the world compete with one another to obtain the prestigious title of TI Champion and the Aegies of Immortal. Different teams would practice all year round, coming up with new strategies and lineups to hopefully have an upper hand on other teams. Players spend hours and hours to perfect their execution on their plans and strategies. The preparations and pressure that each player experiences is a hard pill to swallow for most, but the enjoyment and experience outweighs the hardships that they experience.
With the conclusion of this year’s TI, the support and devotion of the fans in the game can still be seen despite it entering its 11th year. Despite being a hard time for everyone, the fans are still tuning to the tournament with various streaming services. This year’s TI had a “Cinderella story” where the unlikeliest team which no one ever predicted, won the tournament by beating the best teams of different countries. Team Spirit defied all the odds and shocked the whole world by beating the Chinese powerhouse team which is PSG.LGD. The struggle of Team Spirit going through the lower brackets and playing the most games any team had, has been a grueling journey for them but the payout outweighed all. With Team Spirit winning this year’s TI, the team’s popularity would rise sky high and teams would be more wary and looking out for them. Personally this is my most favorite TI ever.
The International and Dota 2 as whole has been growing in popularity and community throughout the years, and it is most likely to grow even more. With the help and support from the fans of the game, TI would still continue in the future and a lot more teams would have a chance to obtain the title of being a TI champion. Whether people still play the game or not, the International season would surely bring bonds back and spark friendships all over again with the love for this game.
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