Dota 2 Players Are Competing For Esport's Largest Prize Pool At The International

Because of the way Valve funds the prize pool for the annual Dota 2 The International tournament, players have a chance to get their hands on ridiculous amounts of money. This year is no exception. Using their usual crowdfunding method -- where Dota 2 players fund the pot via purchases -- Valve has accumulated $24.8M in prize money for this week's event.

Valve began crowd funding The International's prize pool in 2013, and every year it's gotten bigger. In fact, in just five years, the prize pool has increased from $2.8 million (with $1.6 of that provided by Valve) to the current 24.8 million. Since then, Valve has continued to provide the $1.6M amount, but the players keep outdoing themselves.

At the end of the tournament, the prize pool will be broken down into various amounts ranging from 1st to 18th place. The first place team will take home $10,889,896. Each subsequent rank will receive a smaller amount, with 17th and 18th taking home $61,874.

The International is underway as of today and can be watched via Steam or on Twitch.