TI6 Prize Pool passes $19 million mark

TI6 Prize Pool passes $19 million mark merely days before the TI6 Wild Card series kicks off on Tuesday, August 2nd. With the release of the Immortal Treasures III, the prize pool climb has once again picked up some pace. Three days ago it shattered the TI5 record of $18,429,613.

Thanks to the Dota 2 community’s contributions following the release of the Immortal Treasures III, the TI6 prize pool passes $19 million.

At 08:00 CEST, on July 30th, the total TI6 prize pool has reached $19,012,660. The community has contributed with over $17,412,660 – a staggering 1088.29% total increase.

If we take away the $1,600,000 Valve chipped in, we’re left with over $17,412,660 raised by the community.

However, only 25% of the proceeds of each Battle Pass sale is added up to the TI6 prize pool. Therefore, the Dota 2 community has actually spent over $67.3 million on TI6 Battle Passes and levels.

The TI6 prize pool tracker provides real-time hourly and daily comparison graphs. This year’s prize has gradually grown at a faster pace than last year’s fund.

According to esportsearnings.com, top seven out of ten of the biggest esports tournaments in history are Dota 2 competitions. The rankings have not been updated to include the TI6 prize pool at no. 1.

In addition to dwarfing most esports tournaments prize funds, the TI6 prize pool has even surpassed the prizes of well-known, some centuries old, traditional sporting events, such as the Cricket World Cup, The Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, and others.

Based recent data, the ‪‎esports‬ market is currently at $892 million and is expected to pass the $1 billion mark in 2017. ‪‎Dota2‬’s contribution to the market size cannot be denied.

TI6 prize pool contributions

The Dota 2 community can contribute to the 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, respectively.

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.

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.

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

The International 1 prize pool: $1,600,000

Na’Vi – The International 1 champions

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. The TI6 prize pool is 1051.875% higher than The International 1 fund.

TI6 prize pool

The International 1 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

The International 2 prize pool: $1,600,000

Invictus Gaming – The International 2 champions

Just like at the first International, a total of $1,600,000 was split among the top eight teams. The International 2 was held at the Benaroya Hall, in Seattle, Washington. The TI6 prize pool is 1051.875% higher than The International 2 fund.

TI6 prize pool

The International 2 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

The International 3 prize pool: $2,874,381

Alliance – The International 3 champions

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. The TI6 prize pool is 541% higher than The International 3 one.

TI6 prize pool

The International 3 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

The International 4 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. The TI6 prize pool is 68.6% higher than The International 4 fund.

TI6 prize pool

The International 4 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

The International 5 prize pool: $18,429,613

Evil Geniuses – The International 5 champions © 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 before, 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. The TI6 prize pool has already broken last year’s record and is expected to reach and even exceed $20 million.

TI6 prize pool

The International 5 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

The International

The International is the annual Dota 2 tournament hosted by Valve Corporation. The International made its debut in August 2011, with a total prize pool of $1.6 million.

Last year’s event, The International 5, took place between August 3rd-8th at the KeyArena – a multi-purpose arena in Seattle, Washington, with a maximum capacity of over 17,000. The Dota 2 community contributed with a staggering $16,829,613 to the $1.6 million base prize pool, making the total prize fund of almost $18,429,613 million the largest in esports history at that time. The International titleholder is North-American team Evil Geniuses.

This year’s main event will take place at the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington, between August 8th-13th. All 16 participating teams will advance to the main event and will receive a share of the TI6 prize pool.

The International 6 prize pool has outpaced The International 5 one from the very beginning. As of July 27th, the total TI6 prize pool has already broken last year’s record, thus becoming the largest in esports history.