The International
What Went down at Dota 2 T18 and What to Expect from T19
Every year The International competition is more intense, more competitive. Players have been noticing this. This year was no different. We saw PSG.LGD make a surprise run for the Aegis. They dominated the group stage to reach the upper...
Dota 2: Post-TI7 Roster Shuffle Analysis
Ah, the post-TI roster shuffle. Your favorite teams inevitably disband or swap players and you're left looking at your EG shirt wondering why you bought it. Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration--Universe is still on the team, Fear's...
Should Players Be Forced to Give Loser Interviews at TI?
Valve's boldest production choice at TI7 was the addition of interviews with players just moments after they had been eliminated from the tournament. In traditional sports, loser interviews are very common -- you'll often see them included in coverage...
The Best Games of TI7: 5 Must-Watch Matches
My day job sometimes sends me out to places with no cell phone reception. It's usually not a big deal, until I have to spend a week camping during the biggest Dota tournament of the year. When I got...
Dota 2: What Is the International?
Valve is perhaps best known for creating Steam, the ubiquitous PC gaming platform. While it has developed many successful games, none have as vibrant of an esports presence as Dota 2.
The history of Dota 2 is too long to discuss here...
The TI7 Prize Pool: Too Big to Fail?
The past four International prize pools have smashed records without fail. While TI1 and TI2 boasted identical prize pools of $1,600,000--at the time, this was unfathomably huge--every TI prize pool that followed these events has been larger than the one...
Will the International’s Prize Pool Continue to Grow?
I was eating dim sum with a group of friends and friends of friends on Saturday morning. Someone asked me, "Do you think that Dota will continue to grow? Will the prizepool for that big tournament get bigger...
TI7: Should Valve Look for a New Home?
It's been two long weeks since President Trump signed an executive order that temporarily barred all individuals from seven majority Muslim countries from entering the United States. This ban is not limited to visitors but extends to individuals who hold valid visa, refugees and...
SirActionSlacks on the Golden Age of Dota
In the hours leading up to the Northern Arena BEAT Invitational Dota 2 Grand Finals, I sat down with Jake “SirActionSlacks” Kanner to discuss his thoughts on the Dota 2 community. With the chaos and tension surrounding the upcoming...
Post TI Roster Shuffle – Wilder than Your Wildest Dreams
Literally speechless, at first.
Last year's post TI roster shuffle left many of us feeling somewhat stunned. My Cloud9 shirt (and mug, wristband, sticker...) lost much of its relevance. But we adapted.
I thought the pinnacle of roster shuffle drama arrived...
The Celestial Cat Lady: Mirana at TI6
Mirana received an Aghanim's Scepter upgrade in 6.87 that made her Starstorm much more dangerous. With the Scepter, Starstorm triggers every 8 seconds automatically with no cast time. She started getting picked up a lot more in pro matches and...
Attending TI6 from outside Key Arena: Al Fresco Style
After two years of waiting, I finally had a shot at attending TI6 in person. It's definitely a perk of taking a job in the state of Washington. Unfortunately, the day tickets were released I was boating around the...
