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The International (esports)
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<p>The International (TI) is an annual <a href="/facts/Esports/HJHyo3bC">esports</a> <a href="/facts/World_championship/DgVdPvRw">world championship</a> for the five-on-five video game <i><a href="/facts/Dota_2/BD8DugTD">Dota 2</a></i>. Produced by the game's developer <a href="/facts/Valve_Corporation/zlRE5vJL">Valve</a>, it serves as the culminating event of the professional <i>Dota 2</i> season and currently features 16 teams. The International was first held in <a href="/facts/Germany/paluuWBX">Germany</a> at the 2011 <a href="/facts/Gamescom/jfs4DnBb">Gamescom</a> to promote the game's release. It was then held in <a href="/facts/Seattle/7lYIrCa6">Seattle</a>, where Valve is headquartered, until it began to be hosted internationally again starting with <a href="/facts/The_International_2018/uyU1xH1I">The International 2018</a> in <a href="/facts/Vancouver/rn2AKA1n">Vancouver</a>. </p><p>The tournament's prize pool has been <a href="/facts/Crowdfunded/u9gwrlYI">crowdfunded</a> via a <a href="/facts/Battle_pass/9rY5HrEQ">battle pass</a> system within the game since 2013, with a quarter of all revenue from it directly going towards it. Internationals have the largest single-tournament prize pool of any esport event, with largest reaching US$40 million. The most recent champion is <a href="/facts/Team_Liquid/tdP6FXIc">Team Liquid</a>, who won <a href="/facts/The_International_2024/UGFEFIlc">The International 2024</a>, with <a href="/facts/OG_(esports)/Tg4YXYfI">OG</a>, <a href="/facts/Team_Spirit_(esports)/TNGDheqd">Team Spirit</a>, and Team Liquid each having won two Internationals since its inception. </p>