Dota 2’s The International to be held in Singapore in October

Dota 2’s annual world championship tournament The International will be held in Singapore in October, announced developer Valve Software on Sunday (May 22). 

It marks the first time that the competition will be held in Southeast Asia in its 11-year history. Previously, it had been held in Germany, the United States, Canada, China and Romania. 

Valve had teased The International 11 (T11) through a series of tweets which depicted Dota 2 characters in front of iconic landmarks in Singapore, such as the Marina Bay Sands, ArtScience Museum and the Merlion.

Similarly, the reveal video featured a panoramic view of notable locations in the country, accompanied by a montage of the winning teams in previous years. 

The International currently holds the record for the greatest overall prize pool in a single Esports tournament after offering a total prize pool of over US$40 million in last year’s iteration, where the champions Team Spirit claimed the grand prize of over US$18.2 million. 

Notable local players include Daryl Koh, also known as iceiceice, who placed third in The International 2011, splitting a prize of US$150,000 with his teammates. 

Another prominent player is Toh Wai Hong, also known as xy-, who played alongside Daryl in The International 2012 as part of Team Zenith, winning a total of US$35,000 after placing fifth to sixth. 

More details regarding the dates and ticketing information will be released in due time.