The International 9 prize pool is about to surpass that of TI8, breaking prize pool records across esports history.
With the prize pool starting at $1,600,000 crowdfunding has surpassed all previous expectations, bringing the total reward to a whopping $25,030,434 ($23,430,434 added) with more than one month still to go until the big event. Only 25% of the sales contribute to the prize pool meaning that $93,721,736 has already been spent in purchases by fans across the globe.
Last year, The International prize pool reached $25,532,177 ($23,932,177 added). There are still 56 days left to go for the final tally to be counted.
The TI9 prize pool tracker provides real-time hourly and daily comparison graphs. This year’s prize has gradually grown at a faster pace than last year’s fund.
In addition to dwarfing most esports tournaments prize funds, the prize pool has even surpassed the prizes of well-known traditional sporting events, such as the Cricket World Cup, The Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, and others. Once it was estimated that the esports market was expected to pass the $1 billion mark in 2017. Dota2’s contribution to the market size is undeniable and continues to destroy expectations.
Ever since the inception of the International, the annual Dota 2 championship has never ceased to make its mark in the world of electronic sports. Year after year, Gabe Newell welcomes hordes of ecstatic spectators from around the world to the International and manages to gather an audience who do not hesitate to contribute from their own pockets to support the growth of their favorite game. The successful formula of crowdfunding, which has been adopted by Valve since the International 2013, has worked wonders in boosting the prize pool of the International every year, allowing it to reach unanticipated heights for a showdown many dismiss as a mere "video-game competition".
The International 9
Valve will bring the biggest Dota 2 event of the year to the Mercedes Benz Arena in Shanghai, China —home of infamous Shanghai Major of 2016. The venue is an indoor arena located on the former grounds of Expo 2010 in Pudong, Shanghai, China, with a seating capacity for 18,000 people. Thus far, 12 teams are confirmed to attend - Team Secret, Virtus Pro, Evil Geniuses, ViCi Gaming, Fnatic, PSG.LGD, Team Liquid, NiP, OG, Keen Gaming, TNC Predator and Alliance.
