Dota 2's The International prize pool hits $2.6 million

The prize pool for Valve's third annual Dota 2 The International eSports tournament has reached $2.6 million, furthering its renown as the largest prize pool in competitive gaming history for a single event. The prize pool is up from $2 million in May.

At press time, the total amount of prize money stands at $2,600,925. Every Dota 2 player who purchases the in-game Interactive Compendium ($10) will add $2.50 to the total prize pool.

If the prize pool reaches $3.2 million, Compendium owners will be able to select the next Dota 2 hero shipped in the final game.

In addition, this new prize pool milestone will unlock a new immortal item, though it is unclear what this is. GameSpot has reached out to Valve for comment.

Dota 2 analyst Matthew "Cyborgmatt" Bailey told GameSpot that he was not surprised by the new milestone, saying the effort Valve put into the Compendium was impressive.

"Honestly, at this point in time I'm not surprised that we have hit the $2.6 million mark," Bailey said. "The speed in which we have reached these goals just goes to show how passionate and dedicated the Dota 2 community is."

"On top of that, the amount of work Valve has put into the Compendium after the initial release with the introduction of the player cards, International fantasy challenge, predictions, rewards, and more just help to show their dedication of making this year's International event the best one yet and also gives you a ton of content for your money," he added. "In regards to the actual Immortal item we will now be receiving, I can’t say what it is; however, I will say that it will be worthy of the Immortal tag."

The previous largest eSports prize pool was $1.97 million in League of Legends' Season 2 World Championship, which took place in Los Angeles in October 2012.

The International 3 will run from August 7 through 11 at Seattle's Benaroya Hall. Fifteen of the tournament's 16 teams have already been invited, with the final spot up for grabs in a qualifier in Seattle immediately before The International 3 begins.

The GameSpot eSports team will attend The International. Check out GameSpot's eSports hub for more.