Home / Software & Gaming / This year’s DotA 2 International prize pool is already at $5 million

This year’s DotA 2 International prize pool is already at $5 million

Despite having only been available for purchase for just a few days, gamers from around the world have already spent millions of dollars on Valve's annually released Compendium, which not only unlocks great prizes for DotA 2 gamers, but also adds a few dollars to the prize pool for this year's International competition. So far, over $5 million has been raised in just over two days, making Valve a pretty penny, and setting up pro-gamers nicely for when the competition rolls around this August.

With several months until the championship goes live however, Valve isn't hedging its bets; it knows how big this total will get. Last year, when the Compendium was first introduced, it ended up producing a prize pool over $11 million in size, so this time around Valve has provisioned for an even greater total. Incentives to keep buying Compendiums and the additional ‘points' go all the way up to $15 million, in what seems to be a push to create once again, the largest Esports prize pool ever.

compendium2

Rewards earned so far by buyers include a cursor pack for DotA 2, an Arcana voting system, digital effigies of a player's Compendium level, new loading screens and some 8bit-inspired emoticons. Still to come includes new terrain for the game, new couriers, a short film contest and even a brand new music pack.

Valve reserved the top prize for itself however. With only 25 per cent of all purchase costs going to the prize pool, it's netted itself more than $15 million in just a couple of days. By the end of its run, the Compendium could earn it more than $45 million.

If you want to buy one yourself, you can do so here for £10 for the basic version, or £27 for one that's already unlocked to level 50. ‘Better' yet, you can even buy “points,” to level up your Compendium, ranging from $2.50 (£1.65) all the way up to $10 (£6.60) which lets you unlock even more for DotA 2.

KitGuru Says: As much as I like how good Valve is at getting communities involved in things, I find its gamification of purchases pretty distasteful. £27 for some digital extras is as gross as freemium game speed-levelling or energy purchases.

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4 comments

  1. < col Hiiiiiii Friends….uptil I saw the paycheck saying $8736 , I have faith that my neighbour woz actualy receiving money parttime from their computer. . there friends cousin has done this 4 only about thirteen months and by now repaid the loans on there mini mansion and got a great GMC . visit their website SEE FULL DETAIL

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  2. < col Hiiiiiii Friends….uptil I saw the paycheck saying $8736 , I have faith that my neighbour woz actualy receiving money parttime from their computer. . there friends cousin has done this 4 only about thirteen months and by now repaid the loans on there mini mansion and got a great GMC . visit their website SEE FULL DETAIL

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  3. Pretty sure the one that unlocks to level 50 is around £17, not £27. It is better value than buying the £10 standard and two of the 2500 points at £6.60 each. Also, you can earn Compendium points by drop but like all of Dota’s drop systems, this is few and far between with no way I know of to increase your odds.

  4. In fairness, you do not need to pay a penny to enjoy the game. Unless the last festival event, the items are 100% cosmetic and do not affect the gameplay in any way. I’d say that’s a fair way to do things but I agree that it is ridiculous that they are taking home 75% of the income, the server costs can’t be that much although I do wonder how much the venue and hosting will total up to.