TI6 prize pool exceeds $7 million: Dota 2 community spends over $22 million in 6 days

TI6 prize pool has already surpassed $7,238,000 – a 352.38% increase in only six days. If we take away the $1,600,000 Valve chipped in, we’re left with over $5,638,000 raised by the community. However, only 25% of the proceeds of each sale contributes to the TI6 prize pool. Therefore, the Dota 2 community actually spent over $22,552,000 on TI6 Battle Passes and levels.

Valve’s The International has a long history of setting and breaking records – and this year is already proving to be no different.

Merely 150 hours after The International 6 Battle Pass became available, TI6 prize pool has already broken the 7 million dollar mark, thanks to the community contributions, showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

At 12:00 CEST, on May 23rd, the total TI6 prize pool has reached $7,238,048. If we take away the base TI6 prize pool of $1,600,000 provided by Valve, we’re left with $5,638,048 contributed by the community.

However, only 25% of the proceeds of each sale contributes to the TI6 prize pool. Therefore, the Dota 2 community actually spent $22,552,192 on Battle Passes and levels, over six days, leaving Valve with a $15,314,144 gross profit.

The TI6 prize pool is growing at a faster pace than last year’s record-setting prize fund. According to the TI6 prize pool tracker that provides real time hourly comparison graphs, this year’s prize is growing – on average – 13% faster than The International 5 one.

Should this be an indication of the trends to be expected and continued, TI6 prize pool could potentially surpass last year’s prize of $18,429,613 – the largest in Esports history to date.

In order to bring TI6 prize pool to $19 million, the Dota 2 community would have to spend $69,600,000, leaving Valve with over $50 million on their hands.

The Dota 2 community can contribute to TI6 prize pool by purchasing The International 6 Battle Pass. The basic version is available for $9.99, while the Level 50 Battle Pass is on sale for a discounted price of $26.99. Owners can also purchase bundles of 5, 11 and 24 levels to upgrade their Battle Passes, for $2.49, $4.99, and $9.99.

If TI6 prize pool surpasses last year’s total, each Battle Pass owner will be rewarded three Trust of the Benefactor treasures. Each of those treasures might contain a 2016 Immortal Treasure, a Random Hero Set, an Arcana Set, or an ultra rare chance at one of the following limited-run prizes:

Battle Pass owners can predict the total TI6 prize pool. Correct prognostics will be compensated with 10 Battle Pass Levels.

The Battle Pass comes with three Immortal Treasures, community challenges and exciting daily quests, a brand new wagering system, the possibility to compete in weekly Battle Cups, and a myriad of rewards waiting to be unlocked for up to level 2,500.

Certainly among the most exciting features of the 2016 Battle Pass is the chance of recalibrating current MMR. After playing at least 40 International Ranked games, TI6 Battle Pass owners can opt to replace their regular Match-making Rating with their new seasonal one.

The International prize pool history

In 2013, crowdfunding was introduced as a means to increase The International prize pool. The International 4 prize pool weighed in at a whopping $10,930,698, thanks to the additional $9,330,698 contributed by Dota 2 enthusiasts.

Last year, The International prize pool has continued to soar high above any other esports event and has even surpassed the prize funds of some well-known traditional sporting events, such as the Cricket World Cup, The Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, and others.

With an astounding total of $18,429,613 – the highest in esports history, to date – The International 5 prize pool has exceeded the combined prize funds of all previous four Internationals – $17,005,079.

TI1 prize pool: $1,600,000

Na’Vi – Champions of The International 2011

At the first International tournament, in 2011, teams competed for a prize pool of $1,600,000. The International 1 was held at GamesCom, in Cologne, Germany. The first eight teams received a slice of the prize pool.

TI1 prize pool distribution

• 1st place – $1,000,000 – Na’Vi
• 2nd place – $250,000 – EHOME
• 3rd place – $150,000 – Scythe Gaming
• 4th place – $80,000 – Meet Your Makers
• 5th-6th place – $35,000 – Moscow Five/Invictus Gaming
• 7th-8th place – $25,000 – Nirvana.int/MiTH.Trust

TI2 prize pool: $1,600,000

Invictus Gaming – Champions of The International 2

Just like at the first International, a total of $1,600,000 were split among the top 8 teams. The International 2 was held at the Benaroya Hall, in Seattle, Washington.

TI2 prize pool distribution

• 1st place – $1,000,000 – Invictus Gaming
• 2nd place – $250,000 – Natus Vincere
• 3rd place – $150,000 – LGD Gaming
• 4th place – $80,000 – Team DK
• 5th-6th place – $35,000 – EHOME/Team Zenith
• 7th-8th place -$25,000 – TongFu/Orange Esports

TI3 prize pool: $2,874,381

Alliance – Champions of The International 3

The International 3 reached a total prize pool of $2,874,381. The base prize pool started at $1,600,000. The 2013 tournament would see the introduction of crowdfunding, with 25% of the revenue generated by the sale of the Interactive Compendium being added to the prize pool. A total of $1,274,381 was added to the amount. The event was also held at the Benaroya Hall, in Seattle, Washington.

TI3 prize pool distribution

• 1st place – $1,437,190 – Alliance
• 2nd place – $632,364 – Natus Vincere
• 3rd place – $287,438 – Orange Esports
• 4th place – $201,207 – TongFu
• 5th-6th place – $114,975 – Invictus Gaming/Team DK
• 7th-8th place – $43,116 – Team Liquid/Fnatic

TI4 prize pool: $10,930,698

Newbee – The International 4 champions

The total prize pool for TI4 was $10,930,698, with a staggering $9,330,698 being added to the base prize pool of $1,600,000. This was the largest prize pool in esports history, at that time. Teams finishing through 14th place received a piece of the prize pool. The tournament was held at the Key Arena, a multi-purpose arena in the Seattle Center, with a total seating capacity of over 17,000.

TI4 prize pool distribution

• 1st place – $5,028,121 – Newbee
• 2nd place – $1,475,644 – Vici Gaming
• 3rd place – $1,038,446 – Evil Geniuses
• 4th place – $819,800 – Team DK
• 5th-6th place – $655,842 – LGD Gaming/Cloud9
• 7th-8th place – $519,208 – Invictus Gaming/Natus Vincere
• 9th-10th place – $49,188 -Titan/Team Liquid
• 11th-12th place – $38,257 – Mousesports/Alliance
• 13th-14th place – $21,861 – Team Empire/Fnatic

TI5 prize pool: $18,429,613

Evil Geniuses, winners of The International 5 © Valve

TI5 broke all records with its astonishing prize pool of $18,429,613. Over $16,829,000 were raised through TI5 Compendium purchases. The International 5 was also held at the Key Arena, in Seattle, Washington. Noticeable changes were made to the format and the prize pool breakdown. Unlike TI4, all 16 participating teams advanced to the Main Event. All 16 of those teams also received a share of the prize pool: the winning team was awarded over $6,000,000.

TI5 prize pool distribution:

• 1st place – $6,061,543 – Evil Geniuses
• 2nd place – $2,609,831 – CDEC Gaming
• 3rd place – $2,020,514 – LGD Gaming
• 4th place – $1,431,198 – ViCi Gaming
• 5th place – $1,094,445 – EHOME
• 6th place – $1,094,445 – Virtus.Pro
• 7th place – $757,693 – MVP.Phoenix
• 8th place – $757,693 – Team Secret
• 9th place – $202,051 – Team Empire
• 10th place – $202,051 – Cloud 9
• 11th place – $202,051 – compLexity Gaming
• 12th place – $202,051 – Invictus.Gaming
• 13th place – $50,513 – Newbee
• 14th place – $50,513 – Natus Vincere
• 15th place – $50,513 – Fnatic
• 16th place – $50,513 – MVP.Hot6ix

TI6 prize pool

TI6 prize pool has already begun to outpace The International 5 one. In the first two hours, the Battle Pass sales have enhanced the TI6 prize pool by close to $275,000 – a 38% increase compared to the TI5 sales in the same period of time. As of May 23rd, 12:00 CEST, the total TI6 prize pool is already over $7 million.

The International 6 will also be held at the Key Arena, in Seattle, Washington. All 16 participating teams – yet to be established – are expected to advance to the Main Event. All 16 of those teams are also expected to receive a share of the TI6 prize pool.