Dota 2, one of the most popular online games, crowned its new champion yesterday. Chinese team Newbee defeated Vici Gaming, who also came from China, in the grand finals to earn a prize money of $5m and claimed the "Aegis of Champions". The runners-up Vici Gaming went back home with $1.4m and $4.5m of the prize pool was distributed among the remaining 19 teams. Valve donated $1.6m to the prize pool, with the rest coming from in-game purchases from players all around the world. The International tickets were sold out before the main event and Key Arena seemed to be packed during the matches
Dota 2, developed by Valve, consists of two teams protecting their fortress, called "the ancient", hence the name -- Defence of the Ancients. A hero is picked out of available 107 for every player and every single one of those heroes has unique skills allowing teams of five to try to destroy the opponents' ancient while defending their own. Team play and individual abilities constitute the core of the game, encouraging thousands of players to compete and to improve their skills with their friends or other online players. In this perspective, tournaments like the International allow players to get paid for their hard work and dedication to the game.
On a different note, the first Interntational was won by the Ukrainian team Na'Vi, and the tournament in 2013 was won by Alliance.
Michael O'Dell from Team Dignitas told the BBC: "This year has certainly been the banner year for eSports, with massive tournaments in Dota, League of Legends and CS:GO. And there are more to come. The scene is very vibrant right now."
Source: BBC | Image via Dota 2
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