Overview
#TheInternational refers to Dota 2’s annual world championship tournament, the esports industry’s premier event with prize pools regularly exceeding $30-40 million — the largest in competitive gaming history. The hashtag trends globally every August (typically) as millions watch teams compete for the Aegis of Champions.
Prize Pool Evolution
TI1 (2011) offered $1.6M. By TI10 (2021), the crowdfunded prize pool reached $40,018,195 — the largest in esports history. TI11 (2022) saw a format change with Valve no longer directly crowdfunding, dropping the pool to $18.9M. The hashtag spikes during match days, with grand finals generating millions of concurrent viewers.
Iconic Moments
- TI3 (2013): Alliance’s “The Play” versus Na’Vi became esports folklore
- TI5 (2015): EG’s comeback victory spawned #Bleedblue
- TI8 (2018): OG’s underdog run from open qualifiers to champions
- TI9 (2019): OG’s back-to-back victory, first in TI history
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