People often emphasize records and attempt to break them every year. However, DOTA 2 manages to break its record every year. The International is the biggest competitive event for Valves’undeniably successful game, DOTA 2. In this game, there is an incredible emphasis on strategic planning and execution, which makes this game so interesting.
The competitive nature of these tournaments, combined with the growing popularity of DOTA 2, results in crowds filling arenas for these tournaments. However, the huge crowd is not the only way Valve manages to generate an incredible amount of wealth. Valve consistently manages to break their records in terms of prize pools and prize money, year after year.
The money they generate is immense, and Valve has managed to keep its players invested in the game for nearly a decade now. Furthermore, the DOTA 2 community keeps putting in money in the prize pool of these prestigious tournaments every year. Hence, you will note that the total prize pool for these tournaments keeps increasing by a whopping million dollars annually.
The Brief History of the International Prize Pool
In 2013, Valve hosted the third international tournament in Seattle; before that, they held two small tournaments if you compare them to the spectacles today. However, even in those tournaments, Valve managed to break the record of the highest prize pool for an E-sports tournament up to date, which was one million dollars. Valve knew the growth potential. This led them to launch a wonderful idea, called the compendium. The third international involved the revenue-generating feature called the compendium.
What is the Compendium?
A compendium is a digital interface. Its design allows users and fans around the world to make purchases. The iteration of the compendium is solely for engaging fans with the international and directly support the tournament along with their favorite DOTA teams. Valve collected a quarter of the money that came from every purchase made off the compendium and added that value to the international prize pool.
Furthermore, Valve introduced more incentives in the form of stretch goals, which unlocked rewards for reaching certain prize pool amounts. Moreover, the compendium was just not a source of donation; it had many more features that kept the users, fans, and players engaged with the international and the players.
Successful Strategy
Valves’ strategy and compendium idea was a huge success. It raised a whopping two million dollars for the third international DOTA 2 tournament. Not to mention, there has not been any other game competition that has matched the prize pool limit of DOTA 2. This has given way to many new ventures surrounding the global DOTA 2 tournaments. In today’s world, the total prize pool of the DOTA 2 tournament estimates as high as 30 million dollars, according to The Verge. Its enormity surpasses any other gaming tournament in the world. So much so that you can now also have access to the DOTA 2 betting odds with MBet.
To Sum Up
Valve managed to use the compendium, along with other in-game purchases, to create an ecosystem that collects the prize money throughout the year. Over the nine years of the International, Valve has successfully figured out how to use the cosmetic strategy to generate an unbelievable amount of wealth. They have reinforced advertisement strategies to get players and the public to participate in the festivities of the events. Valve utilized the psychological fear of missing out, introduced frequent awards on the compendium, and reated community polls that alter the game to increase the prize pool every year.
Conclusion
Looking at the level of success Valve has reached, it is not difficult to predict whether they will break yet another record. This is possible since Valve has created a systematic community that keeps pooling in their money, and the community keeps growing year after year.
