DOTA 2 Players Add Over 1.2 Million Dollars to The International 2014 Prize Pool and Break Previous Year Amount in Less Than 24 Hours

The International 2014, the biggest upcoming premiere DOTA 2 tournament event, is now set to be the esports tournament with the largest single prize pool in video game history having exceeded 2.8 million dollars in prize money. Community contributions through Compendium sales pushed last years total to 2.8 million in a span of three months whereas this years contributions have just broken that record in just a little over 22 hours! The pot will only continue to grow larger with the upcoming main event starting in two months time.

Late last night (May 9) at 11 PM PST, Valve deployed a game update that implemented The International Compendium 2014 into the game client. The previous years prize pool was $2,874,381 and was beat by this years Compendium sales today (May 10) at around 9:20 PM PST. The Compendium is a virtual book that features event information, team and player information, game predictions, and a fantasy league. DOTA 2 players who purchase the Compendium also receive generous in-game rewards which increase in number the larger The International 2014 prize pool grows.

The International Compendium 2014 is sold in the DOTA 2 store for $9.99. 25% of each purchase, which is $2.50, is added to The International 2014 prize pool. The Compendium was first introduced for last year’s event and sales of the 2013 Compendium over a three month span through May to August brought the International 2013 prize pool to $2,874,381. The International 2013 was previously the single esports event with the largest prize pool until just recently, the contributions to The International 2014 prize pool broke the record in less than a whole day. This year’s Compendium added a leveling system which can be increased by playing DOTA 2 matches or purchasing point packs, the latter which contributes another 25% of the sale to the prize pool. Higher Compendium levels reward more in-game benefits incentivizing particularly aggressive buyers. The International 2014 main event will be held from July 18th through 21st allowing two more months’ time for the prize pool to grow.

In-game screenshots of the Compendium

The International is the most prestigious DOTA 2 tournament hosted yearly by Valve. This year’s venue will be at Key Arena in Seattle where 16 of the best DOTA 2 teams compete in front of a live audience for a shot at the multimillion dollar prize money.