Dota 2 The International 2023: Dates, Teams, and Prize Pool

Valve’s Dota 2 The International 2022 is just around the corner, and fans, players, and pundits are eager to see who lifts this year’s Aegis of Champions.

As the thrilling conclusion to the Dota Pro Circuit, The International spans two weeks of exciting matches, a massive prize pool, and the world’s best teams.

We got all the deets below!

When & Where Is The International 2022 Held?

The expectations of this year’s Dota 2 TI are sky-high as it returns to the game’s most popular region—East Asia—with an expanded roster of 20 teams.

The 11th edition of The International Dota 2 will be hosted in Singapore between the 15th and the 30th of October 2022 at several locations:

• Group Stage—streamed closed-room matches between Oct. 15–Oct. 18
• Playoffs—at SunTec Singapore venue between Oct. 20–Oct. 23
• Finals—at Singapore Indoor Stadium between Oct. 29–Oct. 30

The Group Stage will unfold after 90 separate matches (two games each) in four busy days, so you have to pick and choose the ones you will watch live.

On the other hand, the Main Event will see the top 16 teams of the Group Stage battling it out in front of a live audience and hundreds of thousands of remote viewers.

Which Teams Are in Тhe International 2022?

Not every participant has had an easy time getting a ticket for this year’s TI Dota 2.

While the majority got a direct invite by topping the DPC charts, other teams had to fight it out in the Last Chance Qualifiers only three days before the start of The International.

For instance, based on their DPC standings, the first 12 invitees include:

Which Teams Qualified Through the Regional Qualifiers?

Teams outside the Top 12 that participated in the third DPC tour were eligible for the regional qualification events, which offered one invitation each for the 2022 Dota2 TI.

Each regional qualifier took place in September 2022 during five fierce days of double-elimination matches to determine the next six participating teams:

Which Teams Qualified Through the Last Chance Qualifier?

The 2nd and 3rd-placed teams of each regional qualifier then took part in the Last Chance Qualifier (Oct. 8–Oct. 12) for the last two spots.

After two very exciting group and playoff stages, the 1st and 2nd place went to two of the most successful teams in the game’s history:

The International 2022: Tournament Format

The International uses a hybrid tournament format with both single round-robin and double-elimination phases in order to offer a fair chance to every team:

Single round-robin rules require each team to play one match against every opponent in its group, and the final standings are determined by tallying the teams’ wins and losses.

The Dota 2 TI11 groups and their upcoming matches are as follows:

source: liquipedia.net

On the other hand, for the double-elimination phase, teams are placed in an upper bracket (Top 4 teams), where they get one extra chance to progress further after losing a match, and a lower bracket (5th to 8th), where they are eliminated after one loss.

source: liquipedia.net

As a reward for good results, the better-performing teams from one group are seeded against the worse-performing squads from the other group. For instance, the first matchup in the upper bracket is between the No. 1 team of Group A and the No. 4 team of Group B.

The International 2022: Prize Pool

Like every previous Dota 2 TI event (except the first two), the reward pool is a combination of a base $1,600,000 prize offered by Valve plus a community-contributed portion that comes from 25% of every purchase of the 2022 Battle Pass.

Since Dota 2 is a live service game supported by its players, the company uses its Battle Pass offering to crowdfund the tournament and support the game in the long term.

This approach has allowed them to offer the largest e-sports prizes anywhere. For instance, the total TI11 reward is over $15,500,000—almost a 1,000% increase over the base prize—half of which will be split by the members of the winning team.

However, that’s not even close to last year’s TI Dota 2 prize pool:

Please note*: the current prize pool is subject to change as funds are still being raised.

As you can see, despite your parents' opinions, it’s quite profitable to make it into esports.

With a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work, you might even join the Top 20 most-paid gamers in the world, all of which are Dota 2 players, with the Dane Johan Sundstein leading the pack with almost $7,200,000 collected in prize money.

Where Can You Watch The International 2022?

Even if you are not lucky enough to attend The International in person, you can watch every game broadcast for free on Twitch and YouTube from anywhere in the world.

While the group stage will most likely be covered by PGL (the event’s co-organizer) on their Twitch (PGL_Dota2, PGL_DOTA2EN2, PGL_DOTA2EN3, PGL_DOTA2EN4) and YouTube channels, the Main Event will be shown on Valve’s official Twitch and YouTube channels.

If you have the game installed, you can also watch every match from the in-game client, found under the ‘Watch’ section, which offers spectators the added functionality to check a detailed scoreboard and change the casters' language whenever they wish.

If you miss any game, you can watch its spoiler-free VOD via any of these channels.

However, one of the best ways to see your favorite team and players play is by joining a watch party organized by your favorite Dota 2 streamers, as they will provide personal commentary and analysis on the ongoing matches.

Note: The International also has hosts, analysts, and other talent broadcasting in 4 other languages: Russian, Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish via the same streams.

Bottom Line

Now that you have all the info you need to follow the 2022’s Dota 2 The International, you can set reminders for your favorite matchups and log into the game to support your favorite teams via the Supporters Club and the Sticker Capsules features or even choose a fantasy team and predict the winners and losers of TI11.