Entry
The International 6 is likely one of the most hyped up tournaments in Dota 2 history. With the largest prize pool and the most narrow skill difference, it seemed like every Dota fan in the world has been craving for the gates to open at Key Arena. That statement was not metaphorical if you look at the endless line of fans outside of the venue an hour before the doors open. On the other side of the venue is the Secret Shop. The line there was also terrifying so I decided I would pick up my souvenirs at a later time.
Although I entered the Key Arena through the press entrance, the entry of the arena was very smooth according to my other friends. All they had to do was to have their bags inspected and then tap their entry badges linked to their Steam profile (so attendees have the chance to receive an exclusive chest for every first blood at TI). The venue was circular with food counters in between seating sections. Valve is very thoughtful to include televisions everywhere around the venue to guarantee that the fans won’t miss out on any exciting action while they are waiting in line for food or for autographs. There is also a counter where we can link our Steam badges if we hadn’t done so already, an autograph session area, and a floor with player suites. Overall the venue is easily accessible and included everything we needed for a spectacular Dota tournament.
Complimentary bag
There was also a line next to the entrance for a complimentary bag. I’ve included a picture of its contents. This bag is quite thoughtful for Valve as it contained some quality souvenirs. Don’t forget to pick up your bag with your badge if you are an attendee tomorrow if you haven’t already.
Players arrival
Upon my arrival I headed towards the press entrance where the players entered the venue one after another. Although some players such as Dendi maintained a cheerful attitude, it was obvious that their nerves were tense and they were preparing themselves for the most prestigious event of the year. After all the players entered, the press entrance opened and we travelled into the garage of the venue. At first the check in staff could not locate my name on the list and I almost had a panic attack. But after some communication I was able to obtain my press badge and entered the venue without further hiccups.
Opening ceremony
Once I met up with my friends the opening ceremony began with only a slight delay, which is considered impressive for Dota tournaments. The attendees were first graced by presence of the Co-founder of Valve – Gabe Newell and his flip-flops. After his short introduction, the opening ceremony began with Lindsey Stirling’s violin performance, props to Bruno for arranging such an awesome performance for the fans. Immediately after the performance ended, the players were led out and greeted all the audience.
MVP vs OG
The first series featured one of the favorites of TI6 - OG, going against the chaotic Korean overlords - MVP. OG were among the crowd’s favorites for sure, with the entry of Miracle- accompanied with roaring cheers. MVP being the underdog of the tournament however did not disappoint. With their original Phantom Assassin pick they were able to defeat OG despite casters’ opinion of them being severely outdrafted.
Signing Sessions
The signing session this year is slightly different compared with previous years. First of all attendees would pick up a token two hours before a signing session. Then with that token the attendees can get access to the signing session for that specific token. A total of 250 tokens are distributed for each session. During the session a machine would take two photos of you with the assigned personality. Then you scan your badge to claim a digital autograph in your steam account. While I think this method is much more efficient for the personalities, it is much less personal. We cannot have our belongings, for example a poster autographed by the talents. I managed to get autographs from Chuan, iceiceice, and AdmiralBulldog today, which was satisfying enough for me since I’m a big fan of Newbee.
Wings vs DC
Wings vs DC happened in between the signing sessions so I missed some parts of it, but I was there for the Techies and Pudge madness. Although they lost that game the crowd went completely crazy for Wings just because of their audacity to pick these two heroes. In the end however, DC’s hot streak during the group stages did not last through the winner’s bracket as they fell 1-2 against Wings Gaming,
VG.R vs TNC
TNC is probably the biggest nightmare for Chinese Dota teams this year. Although they start the main event in the lower bracket, they defeated Wings and LGD both with a clean sweep during group stage. This slaughter of Chinese teams continued as they eliminated VG.R in this BO1 series. Although Demon is one of the more popular players attending TI6, the elimination of fy and Mikasa was still very disappointing for most Chinese Dota fans.
LGD vs Secret
This game is my personal favorite for the first day. Although both teams are considered to be top tier before coming into TI, they somehow meet in the loser’s bracket, one game away from elimination. Although LGD dominated the early game, Team Secret came close to bouncing back. Maybe was definitely the MVP of this game and I’m confident I’m not alone in this opinion because of the endless chant of Maybe throughout the game.
Escape vs Fnatic
At this point close to half of the audience had already left. Although Escape vs Fnatic was not the most hyped up series for the day, both teams still gave it their best and ultimately, Fnatic eliminated Escape Gaming with overall better decision-making and execution.
Na'Vi vs Liquid
This battle of the European titans in the loser’s bracket had close to the same amount of hype of LGD vs Team Secret. Unfortunately this was the last series of the day and some audiences already left before the Escape vs Fnatic series. Although Dendi’s video gave the audience a good laugh, he was eliminated along with the rest of NA’VI. His Queen of Pain performance was quite memorable for the audience as well.
In game item drop
As most of you probably know, the TI6 attendees have the chance to receive the Treasure of the Crimson Witness from Valve. Fortunately, I was able to receive four treasures! My treasures included items for Bounty Hunter, Wraith King, Lion, and Centaur. So if you attended TI as well, remember to check your Steam associated email for a notification from Valve.
Conclusion
This concludes my day one recap for you guys, hope you enjoyed the matches as much as I do!
The International 6 Coverage HUB
Click here for results, VODs and all the other information
