The Dota 2 International prize pool has comfortably broken its record

You needn't worry about Dota 2 excitement diminishing: this year's International prize pool has managed to eclipse last year's by nearly $4 million. The total is currently sitting on a pretty $24,000,545, and while the International is currently playing out as we speak, players are still able to contribute to it via paying for battle passes.

It's pretty astonishing when you consider that, in 2012, the prize pool was an utterly poverty stricken $1.6 million. It's steadily increased since then, with last year's prize pool coming in at $20,770,460. Alright, I guess.

If you're keen to follow the excitement of The International but have a) never done so before or, b) don't even know what the hell it is, this exhaustive rundown should get you up to scratch.

Shaun Prescott

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.