The International 2026

The International (TI) was born from a stunning announcement at GDC (Game Developers Conference) in March 2011. Valve revealed they would hold a Dota 2 invitational tournament at Gamescom in Cologne that August — with a prize pool of $1,600,000. For context, the total annual prize money in Counter-Strike at the time was less than $100,000. The esports world could not believe what it was reading.

The first TI was won by Ukrainian team Natus Vincere (NAVI), defeating Chinese team EHOME in a gripping final. Dendi, NAVI's mid-laner, became the first Dota 2 celebrity and the face of international esports. The event established Seattle as the spiritual home of The International — it returned there repeatedly, becoming a pilgrimage for Dota fans.

What transformed TI from a great event into a phenomenon was the Interactive Compendium in 2013 (later the Battle Pass). Players could purchase a digital booklet, with a portion of the proceeds contributing to the prize pool. Community funding pushed TI4's prize pool past $10 million and TI10's (2021) to $40 million — the largest in esports history. OG's back-to-back victories in 2018 and 2019 — with a roster hastily assembled after a painful split — are universally considered the greatest achievement in competitive gaming.