Dota 2 The International: Let's Look Back At All Past TI Events (2011-2014). And What To Expect In TI5

Dota 2 The International: Let's Look Back At All Past TI Events
The DOTA 2 International Championship


Dota 2 The International: Who Will Win TI5?

TI4 Top 10 Plays from Day 3

A total of four Dota 2 Internationals have passed since 2011, and the prize money has just kept increasing year on year. Let's take a look back at what happened in the last 4 TI's and try to predict who will win TI5. 

The International (2011)

The crowd watches the opening matches of the first International

Things got real for DOTA 2 though when Valve announced the first major tournament. There had been smaller events held by separate companies, but nothing worthy of attention outside of DOTA 2 players. The International though, coined as the name for Valve’s own DOTA 2 event, would be the end all be all of DOTA 2 tournaments. It’s what would eventually put DOTA 2 on the map as one of the premiere games in the MOBA and esports scene.

The first International was announced on August 1, 2011. This particular International was invite only and had no sort of lead in or any kind of competition to determine which teams got into the International. This was understandable because the game hadn’t been around for very long then and most of the teams that were invited were ones that had competed in the original DOTA.

One of the other things that gave The International a great deal of attention was its prize pool. Most tournaments start off small, especially if the game is new and doesn’t have a lot of players. But Valve went in the opposite direction. For their very first outing into esports they opened with a $1.6 million prize pool. That meant that the team that won first place would be receiving $1,000,000. It was an insane amount to start a tournament on.

But it worked. Players and viewers alike paid attention. The International was held during Gamescom – the German video game trade show – in Cologne, Germany. Like many tournaments, the games started out in a group stage, which decided which teams would start in the winners’ bracket and which would begin in the losers bracket. From there it would go into a standard double elimination style tournament.

In the end it came down between the Chinese team EHOME and the Ukranian team Natus Vincere. The finals were a best of five. EHOME won one game, but in the end Natus Vincere was able to close the finals in their favor at three to one. It was landmark event and it helped put DOTA 2 on the gaming and esports map. The International was about to become a big event. For those interested in a more in depth look at the first International you should check out the Valve made documentary “Free to Play” which looks focuses more on the players and teams that went into the competition.

Team OK Nirvana Int. have a little fun in their gaming booth

Highlights Recap:

  1. The event was held in Cologne, Germany on 17-21 August 2011.
  2. Total prize pool was $1.6 million.
  3. Finals were between Natus Vincere and EHOME.
  4. Natus Vincere was the winner.

Prize Money Distribution:

  • 1st Natus Vincere $1,000,000
  • 2nd EHOME $250,000
  • 3rd Scythe Gaming $150,000
  • 4th MeetYourMakers $80,000
  • 5/6th Invictus Gaming $35,000
  • 5/6th Moscow Five $35,000
  • 7/8th MiTH.Trust $25,000
  • 7/8th Online Kingdom.Nirvana int $25,000

The International 2 (2012)

After the first International, people were wondering how Valve was going to top themselves. A million dollars for first place was already a huge deal. Could they afford to keep the pace going?

As it turns out, they could. The second International was announced months in advance of its time. In May 2012 Valve announced that the second International would take place during PAX Prime, in Seattle Washington. The event went on during the convention, though it was not tied directly to PAX Prime itself. Similar to last year though, the prize pool remained at $1.6 million. This meant that the team who won would be walking away with another million dollars.

Like last time, the finals were between Natus Vincere and a Chinese team. This time Natus Vincere went against Invictus Gaming for the finals of The International 2. Unlike the year before though, Natus Vincere would find themselves coming in second. The finals would be a three to one sweep in Invictus Gaming’s favor.

This would only be beginning of China’s dominance in the International scene. While they wouldn’t be winning each tournament, China would place in the top eight for the next couple of tournaments, bringing tons of prize money.

Highlights Recap:

  1. The event was held at the Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Washington on 31 August - 2 September 2012.
  2. Total prize pool was $1.6 million.
  3. The finals were between Invictus Gaming and Natus Vincere.
  4. The winner was Invictus Gaming.

Prize Money Distribution:

  • 1st Invictus Gaming $1,000,000
  • 2nd Natus Vincere $250,000
  • 3rd LGD Gaming $150,000
  • 4th Team DK $80,000
  • 5/6th EHOME $35,000
  • 5/6th Team Zenith $35,000
  • 7/8th TongFu Team $25,000
  • 7/8th Orange eSports $25,000
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