The International 10 prize pool breaks $40 million

Even after The International 10 was delayed due to COVID-19, the Dota 2 community has pushed the prize pool over last year’s record to claim the title of the biggest prize pool in esports history. 

But Valve also gave this year’s Battle Pass a few extensions, which have helped it go even further, topping $40 million today during its final day. 

With just two hours to go, the total was stuck at just over $39,955,000 and it looked like that might be where it stopped. But a surge in purchases at the last second propelled it over that last hurdle. It was likely a mix of players wanting to get a few more drops from Immortal Treasure III or some big purchases just to hit the milestone. 

TI10 surpassed the previous mark set by TI9 back in August, breaking the $34,330,068 prize pool and then surging to $35 million at the start of September. Since then, Valve released the Windranger Arcana and Immortal Treasure III along with giving the Battle Pass a second extension, which led to a constant increase in sales through the last month. 

Overall, it took the TI10 prize pool an additional 36 days to reach $40 million. If it would have ended on day 110 just like the TI9 Battle Pass, it still would have hit roughly $36.7 million. 

Dota 2 now holds the top six spots on the list for the largest overall esports prize pools of all time. This has been a constant for seven years. The Battle Pass has continued growing each year since implementing the crowd-funding mechanic for TI3. 

But we’ll still have to wait to see how Valve will use this prize pool since TI10 and the Dota Pro Circuit were indefinitely postponed earlier this year with no details available on when they might resume. That essentially means that this $40 million is going to go on ice until further notice. 

Related: Valve clarifies its plans for competitive Dota 2 after community backlash

Valve could use this money to fund other competitions since it’s unlikely that TI10 will happen prior to the summer of 2021 at the earliest based on where the 2019-20 DPC left off. 

The Dota developer said it’s working with tournament organizers on events that will be announced soon, including a recent partnership with South American esports league Movistar Liga Pro Gaming.