Dota 2 tournament bests own esports record with $24.8M purse

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Dota 2's marquee event has broken its own record for the biggest prize pool in esports history with a purse approaching $25 million.

The International surpassed its 2017 total of $24,787,916 on Sunday night, marking the sixth straight year of increasing prize pools since the tournament moved to a crowd-funded format in 2013. Fans boost the tournament pot via in-game microtransactions, with Dota 2 developer Valve also supplying $1.6 million in prize money.

The tournament's main event is set to begin Monday, and the pool will be distributed to the final 18 teams. The five-person club that wins The International will earn $10.9 million. The finals are set for Saturday.