Valve showing DOTA 2 at Gamescom

It's been 10 months since Valve confirmed it was working on Defense of the Ancients 2, and in that time, the developer has kept the strategy game largely under wraps. That will end soon, however, as Valve is bringing DOTA 2 and a $1 million tournament to Gamescom 2011 later this month.

The Bellevue, Washington-based developer today sent word that it will be holding a DOTA 2 tournament dubbed "The International" at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, August 17-21. This will mark the first time DOTA 2 has been shown publicly, and it will be a lucrative experience for the winning team. The victorious squad will take home $1 million in cash.

There will be 16 teams participating in the double-elimination tournament, with participants hailing from China, Singapore, Denmark, Europe, Malaysia, the Philippines, Ukraine, and Thailand. For more details on the tournament's competitors, check out the DOTA 2 website.

DOTA 2 fans who can't make it to Germany for the show can tune in to a free broadcast of the entire tournament, which will air in four languages: English, Chinese, German, and Russian.

DOTA2 will run off of Valve's Source engine and include integrated voice chat, and computer-controlled characters will take over for players who disconnect during play sessions. These AI bots will also be available to play against in training matches, though Valve does not intend to create a single-player campaign for the game.

DOTA2 will also feature a coaching system, where veteran players will have the chance to tutor newcomers. In return for their service, coaches will gain in-game glamour items and titles. These rewards can also be gained through creating interactive walkthrough guides and offering other out-of-game community contributions.