In the last 12 years or so, Dota 2 The International series has been known for having one of the biggest prize pools in esports tournaments, competing against CS:GO and LoL. However, following a completely reworked scheme for this year’s tournament, the prize pool for the upcoming TI has dropped to a new low and seems unlikely to improve.
Earlier this year, Valve announced that they would move away from the Battle Pass scheme and focus more on important in-game updates while figuring out a new system to crowdfund their pro scene. The new system was unveiled as The Compendium, a premium in-game feature that rewards players in a nearly similar way to Battle Pass.
Since its release, however, fans and professionals have been critical of it, noting that the new system doesn’t seem to offer much for the price ($7.49 for the standard and $29.99 for the upgraded version). Valve stated that 25% of all sales would contribute to the TI12 prize pool, but sales have been low, and the prize pool has not significantly increased.
At the time of this writing, the prize pool for TI 12 is barely reaching $2.5 million after two days of crowdfunding. It should be noted that Valve’s initial base prize pool was set at $1.6 million, and there are only less than two weeks before TI 12 kicks off.
Looking back at their previous series, the prize pool is likely heading for another downtrend after the 2022 edition in Singapore. Before the grand finals, its prize pool only managed to reach $18.9 million, a significant decrease compared to the 2021 edition which amassed a whopping $40 million. Given the current lackluster reception of the Compendium, it’s almost certain that the upcoming TI will end up with even lower numbers.
It seems clear that the prize pool for The International 12 will be significantly lower than any other in recent memory, and with the closure of the Dota 2 Pro Circuit this year, uncertainty remains for professional Dota 2 competition. Although Valve has guaranteed that there will be another TI next year, a further drop in viewership is expected, and this can only be rectified when they come up with better premium in-game purchases in the future to cater to their loyal fanbase.
Of course, this doesn’t spell the end for its professional scene, as major organizers such as Gamers8 and ESL are likely to come up with a better professional scheme next year, especially considering the overwhelming positive reviews of Riyadh Masters 2023. However, there is a growing number of critical western audiences who refuse to fully support them due to reports of human rights violations.
