The International 2019

The Dota 2 Championship

The International is the premier annual championship for the multiplayer online battle arena game Dota 2, developed by Valve. In Dota 2, two teams of five players each select from a roster of hero characters, each with its own talents and powers. The teams cooperate to destroy the opposing team's base structure, known as the Ancient, to win the match. The game is viewed from a top-down perspective, with players seeing a segment of the map near their hero and a mini-map showing allies and revealed enemies. The map features three symmetric lanes connecting the bases, each protected by defensive towers. Periodically, each base spawns groups of weak computer-controlled units called creeps that march down the lanes, engaging any enemies they meet. When a hero is defeated, it respawns at its base after a delay that increases as the match progresses.

The 2019 tournament was the concluding event of the 2018-2019 Dota Pro Circuit season. This circuit consisted of a year-long series of tournaments starting in October 2018 where teams earned qualifying points. The International 2019 was a landmark event as the first iteration of the championship to be held in China, taking place at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai.

Crowdfunding and the Battle Pass

The prize pool for The International 2019 was generated through community crowdfunding, a model established for the tournament in 2013. Valve released a corresponding battle pass for Dota 2 in May 2019. This in-game feature allowed players to purchase access to exclusive content, with 25 percent of all revenue from its sales directed to the tournament's total prize pool. By July 2019, the pool had already surpassed $30 million. It eventually finalized at $34,330,068, setting a new record for a crowdfunded esports prize pool and making it the largest tournament in esports history at that time.

This funding model directly involved the global player base in building the championship's prestige. The winning team's share of the prize money was $15,620,181.

Qualification and Tournament Format

A total of 18 teams competed at The International 2019. Qualification was a two-part process. The top 12 teams from the Dota Pro Circuit rankings, based on points earned from October 2018 to June 2019, received direct invitations. The remaining six spots were determined through regional qualifiers held in July 2019. These were single-elimination playoff brackets in six regions: China, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Europe, North America, South America, and Southeast Asia, with each winner earning an invite.

The tournament began with a group stage from August 15 to 18. The 18 teams were divided into two groups of nine for a round-robin phase. Every team played a two-game series against each other team in its group. Based on the results, the top four teams from each group advanced to the upper bracket of the main event's double-elimination playoffs. Teams placing fifth through eighth entered the lower bracket. The ninth-place team in each group was eliminated from the competition.

The main event playoffs were held from August 20 to 25 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai. The format culminated in a best-of-five grand final series to decide the champion.

Hero Draft and Strategy

Strategic depth in Dota 2 is heavily influenced by the hero draft phase, which preceded every match at The International 2019. At the time, the game featured 117 playable heroes. Before a game, the opposing team captains took turns selecting and banning heroes in a structured draft. Each side ultimately banned six heroes and selected five for their team. Once a hero was picked, it could not be selected by any other player in that match.

This system forced teams to plan strategically, using bans to deny opponents heroes that were strong counters to their planned strategy or that could exploit weaknesses in their chosen lineup. The draft was a critical mental battle that often set the tone for the match to follow.

The Grand Finals and OG's Historic Victory

The grand finals featured a matchup between the champions of the two previous Internationals. Team Liquid had won the title in 2017, and OG were the defending champions from 2018. Both teams had progressed through the upper and lower brackets of the main event to reach the final showdown.

The series was played as a best-of-five. OG won three games to Team Liquid's one, securing a 3–1 victory. With this win, OG achieved an unprecedented feat in Dota 2 history. They became the first team ever to win The International championship twice, and they did so in consecutive years, confirming their status as a leading team.

Event Activities and Cultural Impact

The International 2019 was more than just the competitive matches. It included several related activities for the community. An all-star game was played, featuring the top 10 players based on fantasy points accumulated during the group stage. The event also hosted a cosplay contest and a submitted short film contest, each with its own independent prize pool, celebrating the creativity of the Dota 2 fanbase.

Valve used the event's global stage to announce two new heroes for Dota 2, generating significant anticipation. The tournament was a massive viewership success, particularly on the livestreaming platform Twitch. The grand finals attracted a peak of over 1.1 million concurrent viewers, making it the most-watched Dota 2 event ever on Twitch at that time.

Legacy and the True Sight Documentary

The International 2019 left a lasting legacy in esports through its financial record and competitive milestone. Its crowdfunded prize pool of over $34.3 million remained the highest in esports for some time. OG's repeat victory created a new benchmark for team success in the game's history.

The human drama of the grand finals was captured in an episode of Valve's documentary series, True Sight. The film crew followed both OG and Team Liquid behind the scenes before and after their matches during the finals. This documentary provided an intimate look at the pressures, strategies, and emotions at the highest level of play. The episode was released online for free on January 28, 2020, and also premiered to a live audience at the Kino Babylon in Berlin, preserving the story of the tournament for fans.