A Whopping $20 Million Is Up for Grabs in Dota 2's The International This Week

Dota 2's big annual championship event, The International, begins today and is offering its biggest prize pool ever.

More than $20 million is available for the 16 competing teams. As in past years with the Dota 2 Compendium, 25 percent of the money generated by sales of the 2016 Battle Pass go toward the prize purse. That means over $80 million was generated by the Battle Pass, which grants owners a variety of in-game items, quests, and other rewards.

This is a step up from last year's record-breaking mark of $18.4 million, and a far cry from prior years, when the total prize pool was as little as $1 million in 2011. As broken down on the Dota 2 website, the first place winners will win more than $8.8 million. The following three teams will all win in excess of $1 million each, with even the No. 16 team earning $100,000.

For comparison, the total prize pool for the 2016 Halo World Championship was $2.5 million, while Heroes of the Storm's 2015 equivalent was just $1.2 million.

The 16 Dota 2 teams will compete this week for a chance to play in the final championship match on Saturday, August 13. You can watch all of the action in-game or live on the Dota 2 website. Additionally, those with a VR headset can watch through the new Dota VR Theater. The first matches are already underway.