The International 10 prize pool is sitting just under $32 million, and it’s on track to break last year’s record

The International 10 prize pool is sitting just under $32 million, and it’s still on the rise. If the trend continues, it will pass last year’s record-breaking $34 million prize pool and become the highest one in esports history.

The International 10, Dota 2’s most prestigious tournament, was supposed to take place between the 18th and 23rd of August. Unfortunately, it had to be pushed back indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

There has still been no official word on when it’ll happen, but that hasn’t stopped Dota 2 players from buying The International 10 Battle Pass to support the event. They’ve helped drive the prize-pool to just under $32 million, and it keeps getting higher each day.

The International 9, which took place last year, had the highest prize pool in esports history. It reached a staggering $34 million, with players and fans contributing a little over $32 million themselves. This year, they’ve almost equalled that already. 

It probably would have fallen short, since the event would have started next week. However, with no set date on the horizon and the COVID-19 pandemic still running rampant, there’s still plenty of time for the prize pool to grow.

What’s more, The International 10 Battle Pass released much later than it’s predecessors, which is evident in the graph above. Still, the prize pool grew exponentially faster than The International 9, and it’s continuing to trend quite nicely.

Dota 2 has come a long way since it’s earliest days in the esports industry. The International 2011 was the first of it’s kind, but it was still breaking records even back then. It had a $1.6 million prize pool, which was unheard of at the time. Now, it’s only a fraction of what can be won. 

For example, Evil Geniuses and Vici Gaming finished 5th and 6th in last year’s tournament, and they took home $1.2 million each. Team Secret, who came 4th, left with a whopping $2 million. That’s more than the entire prize pool at The International 2011.