Thanks to its victory at this year’s Dota 2 The International, Wings Gaming has entered the Guinness World Records for recording the largest esports prize win to date. 
The mostly crowdfunded sum, Valve contributed $1.5m (£1.2m), for the prize pool reached just shy of $21m (£17.1m) in 2016 with over $9m (£7.3m) going to the victorious team from China.
Wings beat Digital Chaos in the final back in August. A statement from the team said: “It was our dream. The recognition of Guinness World Records is an extraordinary encouragement to us as it could introduce us to more people, and introduces esports to more people.”
Stephen Daultrey, Editor of Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition, told Forbes: “Wings Gaming’s achievements are nothing short of extraordinary. They are a relatively new team, yet have won one of the most prestigious tournaments in the esports calendar in style.”
The 2017 Gamer’s Edition also mentions live streams, marathon sessions, cosplays and other gaming-focused events.
Esports Insider says: The conversation about esports moving into the mainstream is one that takes place without fail at every conference focused on the business side of the industry. Featuring in the Guinness World Records is a clear step it’s moving very much in that direction.
