The eSports scene is steadily growing, and it’s no wonder why – people like video games. From casual to competitive play, video games offer endless entertainment at the touch of a button.
Video games can bring people, communities, and families together like never before. One facet of the world’s love for video games is the eSports scene, which has been growing steadily in recent years.
eSports boast some of the most significant prizes ever in the gaming world. And nowhere is this more evident than in the Dota 2 eSports League, also known as the most expensive eSports scene in the world. The Dota 2 eSports League is fascinating and has a complicated history, a marvelous gameplay framework, and a thriving eSports scene that captures the attention of many. Today we’ll be discussing what Dota 2 is and how it became a worldwide eSports phenomenon.
The Dota Pro Circuit’s remarkable history can be traced back to the game’s development. In 1998, Blizzard (later known as Activision Blizzard) released a game called StarCraft: Brood of War. The public received the game well, and soon, there were multiple fan mods. One of these was the Aeon of Strife mod, which focused less on controlling a whole army and more on maintaining a single powerful unit. At the same time, the AI handled the “underlings.”
This mod was only a vestigial organ to Dota 2. Still, it would soon set the stage for the most critical game mod it was derived from – Warcraft 3: Defense of the Ancients, or simply “DotA.” According to Redbull, “Created by modder Kyle “Eul” Sommer, the mod is very similar to Dota 2 as we know it today, just in a different engine that obviously lacks many modern bells and whistles. Five players compete against five others on a map with three lanes, trying to destroy the opposition base, with creeps running down each lane and each unique playable hero having different abilities and progression. The basics of Dota were born here. While Sommer would soon leave the development team, Dota 2 would quickly become popular, generating a ton of traffic in the gaming community and, ultimately, the eSports world.
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Understanding Dota 2 General Gameplay and Competitive Ruleset
Dota 2 is a free-to-play game released for Windows OS on July 9, 2013, and on Mac and Linux nine days later. The game revolves around a multiplayer online battle arena with many roleplaying-game elements.
In addition, heroes can collect items to assist them along their journey to defeating the enemy Ancient. Players can also purchase items using gold amassed from dead heroes and creeps, as well as from destroying buildings.
The primary objective of Dota 2 is to take down the enemy Ancient in their stronghold, and there are many ways players can accomplish this goal. The roleplaying-game elements include an experience point and leveling system.
The player-controlled Hero gains more strength for however many creeps and heroes die nearby. The highly strategic game revolves around excellent team coordination, making it a great option for players who want to work their minds during a gaming experience.
Dota 2 appeals to a wide variety of players, from beginners to experts, because of the multiple game modes that suit both casual and competitive players.
The game offers 21 game modes to choose from, though some are only available in private lobbies or competitive settings. Each game mode alters things such as play duration, tower strength, and availability of shops.
Some of these include Turbo Mode, Limited Heroes (which is perfect for newcomers!), Reverse Draft, and Weekend Battle Cup. The controls are also suited to casual and competitive players, leading to fun with the whole family and immense ease at a competitive level.
Dota 2 appeals to everyone in different ways, and it’s no wonder it has captured the attention of so many people over the years.
But what’s going on with the professional scene? How did Dota 2 become such a crazy eSports phenomenon?
Dota Pro Circuit and The International
Do you remember how Dota 2 began as “DotA” or Warcraft 3: Defense of the Ancients? Well, that’s how the Dota Pro Circuit began in 2011. Although Dota 2 wouldn’t be released until 2013, people were already competing in Dota-related eSports long before its official release.
According to the official Dota Pro Circuit website, “In 2011, The International changed the landscape of competitive eSports, gathering the world’s finest Dota teams and setting a new standard for a champion’s prize. From those origins, the Dota Pro Circuit has grown into a fierce competition that spans both the calendar and the globe, with all players still focused on a single goal—victory at The International.”
This eSports competition’s humble beginnings were the gateway to great things happening in the future, including the creation of the most expensive eSports scene in the world.
In the Dota Pro Circuit, a season spans about one calendar year, starting in the autumn and ending in the summer of the following year. Each season consists of three tours containing a Regional and Major tournament.
By winning, teams win DPC points, which is the best way to secure invitations to International events. According to the Dota Pro Circuit Website, “Each Regional League functions as a round-robin tournament, offering winning teams a path to competing in that Season’s Major. The Majors play out as elimination-style tournaments, where high-performing teams can earn cash prizes and vital DPC points.”.
The top twelve teams who win the Regionals and Majors go to The International for a chance to get the top prize for winning.
The Dota Pro Circuit culminates in The International, where the winning team gets an enormous cash prize and bragging rights in the Aegis of Champions. In 2019, Mike Stubbs estimated that The International 9 Dota 2 Tournament in Shanghai, China, had a prize pool of over $30 million.
According to Red Bull, “Five of the best players in the world will become multi-millionaires overnight and most likely the most financially successful eSports athletes of all time. That prize fund is testament not only to the skill of the game’s top players, but the number of spectators the MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) game now pulls in, as well as the number of casual players below them in the pyramid. Millions of people play the game every month making it one of the most successful games ever and a serious money spinner for its creators at Valve.”
Final Thoughts
Dota 2 is a game with a rich history, an exciting and intuitive design, and a thriving eSports scene. Valve eagerly backed the Dota 2 competitive scene, which would not have been possible without such excellent developers.
However, the most expensive competitive play scene in the world was fostered by fans and shows how much the gaming community loves this virtual adventure. If you have played Dota 2, have gone on a tour, or have even participated in the Dota 2 eSports scene, we would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!
