Second annual Dota 2 tournament headed to PAX

Valve's second annual Dota 2 tournament, The International 2012, will be held this September at PAX Prime in Seattle, Washington.

The championships will take place between August 31 and September 2, 2012, during PAX Prime and will carry a grand prize of $1 million. The tournament will again be broadcast in multiple languages free of charge.

Valve launched The International last year, during Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, where Ukrainian Na'Vi took home the grand prize after a five-day tournament comprising 16 of the best Dota teams competing in a group-stage, double-elimination playoff format.

Dota 2 is scheduled for PC and Mac release this year. The game combines action and real-time strategy elements in multiplayer matches that pit teams of player-controlled heroes against one another. The game will include integrated voice chat and computer-controlled characters that will take over for players who disconnect during play sessions, as well as a coaching system, where veteran players will have the chance to tutor newcomers.

GameSpot has archived footage of last year's The International Dota 2 tournament.