The Dota 2 International 2019 Is Next Week, And It Carries The Biggest Esports Prize Pool Ever

The Dota 2 International is happening next week, bringing together the best Dota 2 players to share in an enormous prize pool - the biggest that any esport tournament has ever offered.

The International has been held every year since 2011, and started with a prize pool of just $1.6 million. Now, with ten days of fundraising still remaining, The International 2019 has raised $33,009,045 for its prize pool, averaging $317,263 every day. The event, hosted by Valve, brings together the world's best Dota 2 players, and this year the competition is happening in Shanghai at the Mercedes-Benz arena. 25% of proceeds from the sale of Dota 2 battle passes is currently being put towards the pool, adding up to an enormous total.

The International runs from August 20 to 25, and can be watched through either Twitch or SteamTV. Last year's winner was the European team OG, which took home $11,234,158. As it currently stands, the winner of the 2019 International will take home $15,019,115, but that number is likely to rise as more money comes in.

The International also broke a record last year for having the most money up for grabs, which was then overtaken by the Fortnite World Cup just last month. The 2019 International has overtaken Fortnite's $30 million pool, though, to once again present the largest sum ever for an esports tournament. Whatever the end figure ends up being, it's going to be enormous.