History is being made this weekend. The largest prize-pool in E-sports history is currently being competed for by the best moba players in the world.
This is going to be incredible. Currently teams from all over the world are battling to be in the grand finals this Saturday. Where they will play a best of five games to take home 1/3rd of the $18 Million prize pool that Dota fans have helped contribute too. That alone is amazing. There is no other sport in the world I can think of where $2.50 of ever purchase of a certain item can add up to nearly twenty million dollars.
Last year the event was broadcast live not just on Twitch, but on ESPN. And this year you have the option to watch lie event in a movie theater. Which is what my girlfriend and I will be doing. You obviously don't need to do the same, why spend money on a tournament for a game you might never have played? But here's why you need to watch it this weekend end anyway. Be it on twitch, in game, wherever, be sure to be a part of history.
E-sports are growing faster than ever before, thanks in part to Twitch and live-streaming services. But also thanks to the fans of the games themselves. And with TI5 being the largest E-Sports event to date, it is your nerdly duty to get as many eyes on this moment as possible. The more people who hear, "There's two teams playing a video game for $6 Million dollars" the more people who are interested in playing games professionally might try to do so. The more people who play competitive games for entertainment, the more large publishers and developers will want to create not just competitive games, but complicated ones.
I've been ecstatic to see mobas and games like Dark Souls become as important to gaming culture as they have been in past few years. Not just because I love to play games that challenge me and allow me to push my skill set to the limit, but because it spits in the face of the ****ing people who kept saying that you need to make simple games to be successful. I'd like them to test that logic to the massive success of a game like Dota2 or League of Legends. They must think then that Dota, therefore, is a simple game. I would pay good money to watch such people play Dota for the first time with people who have spent thousands upon thousands of hours in an atempt to master this incredibly deep game. If you want more games that push you to your limits, then this is something you need to be supporting.
Watch this Match at Least. The Best of the Best fight in two teams consisting of players who normally play against one another. This match is hardly ever taken seriously by either team and is always worth a few great laughs.
If you want to check out the event tomorrow be sure to check out either TI5's Twitch Channel, YouTube, Steam Broadcast, or WatchESPN. The Grand Finals start Saturday August 8th at 2pm Pacific time. If you're a Dota fanatic like me be sure to check out Fathom events and see if there is a screening of the event near you. Not into Twitch? Last year I found that watching the Internationals in game was the most stable way to do so, since the viewership can spike very fast and give een the best internet a run for its money on Twitch. If you're new to Mobas or just want to learn more about Dota while watching the matches, then the Dota Beginner's Stream is the perfect fit for you.
No Matter how you choose to watch this year's International, know that by doing so you're taking part in a pinnacle moment of video game history. That alone is something amazing.