Valve Confirms Changes for Dota 2’s The International 2023
Last month, Valve made a surprising announcement to Dota 2 fans by confirming that there won’t be a battle pass for this year’s The International. This revelation hinted at more changes coming to the biggest Dota event of the year, and it seems that one of those changes may involve a multi-million dollar alteration.
Base Prize Pool for The International Gets a Boost
Typically, The International’s prize pool is a result of Valve’s base contribution combined with purchases of in-game items by the Dota 2 community over a specific period of time. However, with the retirement of the battle pass, Valve had to switch things up. During a broadcast of the ongoing Bali Major, former pro player and current analyst NS hinted that Valve is increasing its base prize pool for the first time in over a decade. He suggested that the starting prize pool for this year’s TI will be $3 million, a significant increase from the usual $1.6 million.
Crowdfunding Re-Adjustment and Unanswered Questions
While no further details were revealed, it is expected that crowdfunding will be adjusted since the battle pass is no longer in play. Fans are now curious about the content Valve will release for this year’s TI and how high the overall prize pool will be.
Valve has confirmed that a TI-themed bundle will be released in September before the event in October. The bundle will focus on the event and players, with less emphasis on cosmetic items. Without the battle pass to drive player engagement and unlock cosmetics, it is likely that this year’s TI will see a decline in its grand prize for the second consecutive year, after a record-breaking streak of 10 years.
In addition to these changes, the $15 million Riyadh Masters is also aiming to capture a share of the Dota Pro Circuit market, which has raised questions about the future of The International among fans and players.
Related: No battle pass for Dota 2 in 2023 as Valve starts work on something new
Valve, Dota 2, The International, prize pool, battle pass, crowdfunding