Valve, the developer of popular online games like DotA 2 and Counter Strike, has released details about their distribution of the prize pool for The International, their annual DotA tournament. This year, the prize pool has reached a record-breaking amount of $16,819,356 through crowd funding.
The distribution breakdown is as follows:
First Place: 36% ($6,054,968)
Second Place: 15.5% ($2,607,000)
Third Place: 12% ($2,018,323)
Fourth Place: 8.5% ($1,429,645)
Fifth/Sixth Place: 6.5% ($1,093,258)
Seventh/Eighth Place: 4.5% ($756,871)
Ninth through Twelfth Place: 1.2% ($201,832)
Thirteenth through Sixteenth Place: 0.3% ($50,458)
(Taken from source)
Compared to last year’s International 4, where the winner received 46% of the prize pool and 16th place received 0%, Valve’s plan this year spreads the wealth more evenly. Although the percentage given to the champion is smaller, the actual amount of money they will receive is significantly larger due to the increase in the total prize pool.
One interesting observation is that the 6th place team in this tournament will receive more money than most other games offer for first place in their yearly championships.
The International 5 starts on August 3rd, giving the prize pool more time to grow!
Valve, DotA 2, Counter Strike, The International, prize pool, distribution, crowd funding, champion, tournament.