The International: More Than Just Twitch
The International, Dota 2’s biggest tournament, is primarily watched on Twitch. However, its official Instagram account also plays a significant role in capturing behind-the-scenes moments and showcasing the Dota 2 community.
The International’s Twitch stream attracts the majority of fans’ attention during the two-week event. With the games being streamed live, it is the go-to platform for most viewers.
In contrast, The International’s Instagram account has a considerably smaller audience. Though it isn’t completely unknown, it only has 213,000 followers and receives far less attention compared to the Twitch stream.
Instagram isn’t typically associated with esports, which explains the limited activity on the account. In fact, it only becomes active during The International. After last year’s tournament, the account remained inactive for 50 weeks, fading from memory. However, it returned to life on July 30, 2017, with a photo of iG Vitality fresh off a plane from China.
While The International’s Instagram account is not a replacement for the main stream, it offers exclusive, high-quality behind-the-scenes photos. These photos provide a glimpse into the Dota 2 community, featuring players, teams, personalities, and spectators.
The candid nature of these photos brings out the human side of competition, especially for Chinese teams that are often unfamiliar to western audiences. For example, there is a photo of Newbee’s Song “SCCC” Chun cheerfully carrying the team’s manager on his shoulders, symbolizing their journey to victory.
As The International reaches its final day, it’s worth scrolling through the event’s Instagram account to relive the tournament’s storylines and captured memories from a different perspective.
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