Flashback: The First Million-Dollar eSports Tournament
Have you ever wondered why Sports tournaments cause an immense level of excitement and passion within the gaming community? Aside from the thrilling competition and the experience that people get when they participate in these events, the prize pool often plays a significant role.
The Valve Corporation annually hosts The International, a prominent tournament for a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game called Dota 2. Its inaugural event took place in Germany way back in 2011 and has now become one of the most awaited eSports tournaments in the world.
History was made when Valve Corporation hosted The International 2011 (TI1) in Cologne, Germany as it was the first official Dota 2 tournament and the first eSports tournament with a million-dollar prize pool. The tournament prize pool was initially set at $1,600,000 which drew massive attention and the grand winner was awarded with $1,000,000.
This event is historically significant in the eSports world because it’s the first time that the community saw Dota 2 in action at a grand tournament. A total of 16 teams from around the world competed in a double-elimination format, with matches played in best-of-three. The final match was a nail-biting game between the Chinese team Natus Vincere and the European team EHOME. In the end, Natus Vincere (Na’Vi) bagged the championship title, winning the $1,000,000 grand prize.
The International 2011 (TI1) has definitely set the stage for more thrilling tournaments that we now enjoy.
Stay tuned as we share more memorable moments in eSports! Follow us on our social media channels (@mvpesportsph) for more updates.
