Game developer Valve has announced the location of Dota 2’s The International tournament.
The season-ending event will return to Seattle for The International’s 13th edition, with Valve highlighting that it expects the tournament to have ‘the largest audience in the event’s history.’
The International 2023 will commence on October 14th. Both portions of the tournament, the group stage and playoffs, will appear under The Road to the International banner. According to a release, Valve will share more information surrounding The Road to the International in the coming weeks.
This is the first time Dota 2 returns to Seattle since 2017. From 2014 through 2017, The International took place at the KeyArena, now known as the Climate Pledge Arena. Information on ticketing for the event has not been disclosed.
Dota 2 continues to maintain its position as one of the largest MOBA’s (Multiplayer Online Battle Arcade) in the world. In March, ESL Gaming unveiled its revamped ESL Pro Tour circuit for Dota 2 which included the return of the DreamLeague.
The International often features some of the largest prize pools in esports. 2021’s tournament saw 18 teams compete for a prize pool of $40.01m (~£31.7m), with the winner taking home $18.2m (~£14.4m).
2022’s The International was the third-most-watched Dota 2 event in the history of the esport. The event recorded a peak viewership of 1.7m during the finals between Team Secret and Tundra Esports.
The all-time peak viewership was recorded during The International 10 which amassed 2.7n viewers during the final where Team Spirit emerged victorious.
