The International returns to Seattle

The video game developer Valvehas announced the host of The International Dota 2 tournament. The event will return to Seattle for the 13th edition of The International, and the tournament is expected to have the largest audience in history.

The International 2023 will begin on October 14. Both parts of the tournament, the group stage and the knockout stages, will be held under the motto “The Road to the International”.. Valve has confirmed that it will share more information about The Road to the International in the coming weeks.

This is the first time Dota 2 has returned to Seattle since 2017. From 2014 to 2017, The International took place at KeyArena, now known as Climate Pledge Arena. Information about ticket sales for the event has not yet been disclosed.

Dota 2 continues to maintain its position as one of the biggest MOBAs (Multiplayer Online Battle Arcade) in the world. March, ESL Gaming unveiled its revamped ESL Pro Tour circuit for Dota 2.which included the return of the DreamLeague.

This international competition usually offers one of the largest prize pools within the esports industry. In the 2021 edition, 18 teams competed for a prize pool of $40M, with the winner taking home $18.2M.

The International of 2022 was the third most watched Dota 2 event in history. The event recorded a peak audience of 1.7M viewers during the final between Team Secret and Tundra Esports. While the all-time high in viewership was recorded during The International 10, which gathered 2.7M viewers during the final where Team Spirit won.