THE INTERNATIONAL
Alright, big boys and girls. Today we'll have one more boring lecture about what it is and how it works. And the object of our discussion is the annual and most awaited event for all DOTA 2 and overall eSports community fans - The International.
BRIEFLY ABOUT
This event was founded by the company creator itself - Valve. We don't know the actual purpose of such an event: to decide which team is the best around the world, or it's just a way to find and solve bugs in the game? However, this annual carnival of fierce never-ending battles will please your eyes.
But jokes aside. The International is the tournament that defines who thinks faster and who pushes buttons better. Previously, the number of teams participating was 16. Then it changed to 18, then 20. You may think: "So much?", and Valve will reply: "The infinity is not a limit".
So, The International 2022 will hold 30(!) teams within its boundaries, including wildcard games. But the main event will have 18 directly invited teams and two teams that manage to win the "last chance games." Valve knows how to make everything huge and spectacular.
Speaking of huge, the prize pools of this tournament are absurdly big even in terms of not only eSports but sports in general. It all started with $1 600 000, which was already an enormous number then. But the recent The International had already $40 000 000 of the prize pool.
When we saw this for the first time, we thought it was a charity conducted by Elon Musk and Bill Gates simultaneously. But no, it was a will from DOTA 2 players.
Interesting facts:
1. Elon Musk has a connection to DOTA 2. In 2017, the company called OpenAI showed to the world the artificial intelligence bots playing against the best team in that tournament. In spite of some limitations, the results were fascinating - The OpenAI bots destroyed champions with literally no effort. That was a literal "bro forgot to struggle" situation.
2. DOTA 2 players are enriching the prize pool for The International by purchasing the so-called battle pass. So, the exchange is quite simple - you buy in-game stuff, and the company can conduct the event and share the funds among the winners.
3. There was only one team, which won The International two times - OG. Moreover, this team won it two times in a row and without any roster shuffle, which is not so often event.
4. The cumulative prize pool of all tournaments was over $180 million. We can't even count to such an immense number without mistakes.
5. The International 2022 is the eleventh tournament in the series. And it doesn't seem to be the last one in the nearest future.
AEGIS OF CHAMPIONS
Every good tournament has its symbolic prize: a huge cup, golden ball, etc. But in DOTA 2, it's Aegis of Champions. If you look at it, you may think: "what's a shield-looking piece of metal," and we will answer you, "that's a shield-looking piece of metal, which everybody is craving to obtain".
Basically, the Aegis of Champions is one of the traditional icons as a big prize pool. This shield has the engraved names of the teams and players who won the tournament. Kinda the way to keep history, and every professional player wants to be a part of such greatness (do not mistake it with Aegis of the Immortal, which is an in-game item).
THE CURRENT "THE INTERNATIONAL 2022"
So, the tournament will take place in Singapore this time. It'll have the structure that you may know already, but if you don't, the next piece of information can be valuable.
First, is the usual group stage, where all teams will try to make their way to the playoffs by competing against each other for two games. Then, according to the teams' performance, they'll be sorted out in the playoffs into two main brackets: winners and losers.
What's the difference? That's quite simple: if a team loses in the losers bracket, it should leave the tournament. If the same happens in the winner (upper) bracket, a team will be dropped to the loser (lower) bracket.
The finalists of both brackets will meet each other during the Grand Final and compete for the main prize.
*Side note: playoff games are conducted in the form of "best-of-three", while the Grand Final has "best-of-five".
THE COMPETITORS OF THE INTERNATIONAL 2022
This year is different from others. Firstly, as was mentioned before, 20 are taking part. And here are they: