While the competitive scene of Counter-Strike being a little sleepy (yeah, ESL Pro League S20 is still here, but we will have to wait quite a while before the big matches), we can turn our attention to another esports title from Valve: Dota 2. Tomorrow, The International 2024, aka TI13, will begin in Copenhagen, and CS.MONEY Blog will provide you with all the essential information.
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Dates and Format of The International 2024
The International 13 will take place from September 4th to 15th. The entire event can essentially be divided into two major parts:
- The Road to The International (September 4–10)
- The International Finals (September 13–15).
The Road to The International can be somewhat compared to the Play-in stage at Counter-Strike Majors. The exception is that while CS tournaments have teams that skip this stage, this is not the case. All sixteen teams will start their journey on September 4th, but only eight will make it to the final three days. We’ll discuss the format of the Road to The International separately, as it can be pretty confusing (don’t worry, we’ll clearly explain everything).
The final three days of The International will feature a Double Elimination playoff format, with four teams starting in the upper bracket and four in the lower bracket. All matches will be played in a Best-of-3 format except for the grand final, which will be a Best-of-5 with no formal advantage for the upper bracket team (aside from being less tired than the lower bracket team).
The Road to The International Format
The first major stage of the tournament, which will last a week, is not as straightforward. Many community members have questioned the necessity of such a format, and it’s hard to say their concerns are unfounded. Let’s try to explain the concept.
So, on September 4th and 5th, the group stage will take place. Sixteen teams are divided into four groups… and no one will be eliminated. Moreover, tournament organisers are not using the GSL system (also known as Double Elimination for four teams) but a round-robin format.
One theory is that this stage is needed for the teams to get a feel for the tournament, its meta, and to smoothly transition into the gameplay (especially if players have travelled long distances — jet lag can be a significant hindrance). This is also an excellent opportunity for the organisers to test all their settings, ensuring everything runs smoothly afterwards. After all, most issues typically arise in the first two days.
But let’s get back to the groups. A good result in the group stage grants an advantage in the so-called seeding deciders, which will take place on September 6th and 7th. Teams that finish first in their groups can choose their opponent from the teams that finished third and fourth. The resulting pairs will play a Best-of-3, with the winner advancing to the upper bracket and the loser to the lower bracket. Essentially, the seeding matches are the first round of the Double Elimination playoffs, where all 16 teams start in the upper bracket. You can play the group stage half-heartedly, and the only penalty will be facing a tougher opponent in the first round. The matches with real meaning will basically begin only on September 6th.
From September 8th to 10th, we will see the nominal first round of the upper bracket (the second if you count the seeding deciders) and two rounds of the lower bracket, after which eight of the sixteen teams will be sent home. All matches in the Road to The International will be played without spectators.
Main Favorites of The International 2024
Over the past few years, the scene has seen significant changes, and there aren’t as many names familiar to old-timers. However, there are a few teams that are favourites to win the championship.
Team Spirit: The two-time The International champions could very well win a third time. They shine at major tournaments and arguably have the best management and a solid mental game (everyone can press buttons, but not everyone can handle stress).
Team Falcons: A team with two world champions and several highly ambitious players. In terms of skill, they have everything needed to win, and they may have the strongest coach. They’ve consistently been in the top 3 at major tournaments this season.
Gaimin Gladiators: Last year’s The International runners-up and three-time Major champions last season. A team that is also incredibly strong but seems to lack something in critical moments. This year, they managed to win the Riyadh Masters, the tournament with the biggest prize pool of the season. GG is the kind of team that might nominally be slightly behind Team Spirit and Team Falcons but will definitely punish any of these teams if they’re not playing at their best.
Prize Pool of The International 2024
If you think The International still offers astronomical prize pools of tens of millions of dollars, you’re a few years behind. Valve has changed this practice. Currently, the prize pool for TI2024 stands at just over $2,370,000.
Why so little? Valve still allocates a portion of the sales from the special tournament compendium to the prize pool, but the compendium itself is… to put it mildly, uninteresting. It’s solely tied to the tournament, and there are no cool items in it. Valve discovered that people primarily bought battle passes in the past for the great in-game items, not to support esports. Sad, but true.
Where to Watch The International 2024
As usual, Valve will organise its own broadcast, which will be available on Twitch, YouTube, and the internal Steam streaming platform. Don’t forget the option to watch matches from within the game itself.
- Official Twitch
- Official YouTube
- Inside Dota 2 itself
- Community Casts
There will also likely be a large number of community casts, so the choice is yours.
