The International: Dota 2 Championships

The International (abbreviated as "TI") is the largest tournament in Dota 2 esports. It is an annual tournament hosted by the game's developer, Valve Corporation. The first tournament took place 2011 at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, shortly after the public reveal of Dota 2 with a total prize pool of $1.6 million. It is notable for its multi-million dollar prize pool, funded with an initial $1.6 million from Value and and additional 25% through crowd-funding via the Compendium sales. These tournaments have the largest prize pools in the history of esports, with the total prize pool increasing year-after-year.

Eighteen teams compete in The International; eight teams seeded based on points acquired through the Dota Major Championships, Minor Championships and other qualifying events throughout the year, and another ten teams from regional qualifiers.