Dota 2 (Defence Of The Ancients) began originally as a WarCraft map called «Aeon of Strife». The map was basically so awesome in so many ways that people started making their own variations everywhere and any way they could. There were many attempts until, as Kirill «gr1nder» Rusakov writes:
“During the chaos that took place among the map designers, a developer called Eul silently studied all variations of Aeon of Strife for Warcraft III. He realized that all prototypes have significant drawbacks, and decided to create his own AoS, in which he would collect all the best from dozens of other maps. To begin with, Eul pushed as much as possible the enemy bases into the corners and unfolded the map by 45 degrees. The lines began to run along the edges of the square map, and the center was placed diagonally between the bases. There was enough space for forest creeps – they were located between the lines. This is how the familiar landscape of the map appeared, which Eul called the Defense of the Ancients. This map quickly outperformed all competitors, and during the history of Warcraft III, whoever would not try to compete with DotA in popularity, he always remained with nothing.”
Eul’s variant, called “Defense of the Ancients”, inspired the current game title. Makers like Gunner_4_ever, Eul, Meian, Ragn0r, Guinsoo, and last but not least IceFrog plus many, many others, worked on the features until the game has evolved to the point of perfection quite some blood, sweat, and tears later.
Valve heard about this and employed IceFrog as a developer in 2009. Dota 2 the game was released after 2 years of beta-testing. Such as the case is with all legends, its birth is concealed in a thick cloud of myths and legends to the point where you can’t tell might from magic and dungeons from dragons. No-one is sure exactly who contributed the most or who was the true author, just like with Satoshi Nakamoto and Bitcoins (which were also created in 2009…coincidence? We don’t think so!). One thing is for sure:
Dota is probably one of the best-known games around for a variety of reasons. What makes it so attractive?
For some people, the $25 000 000 prize for The International 7 in 2017 is the ultimate award. After all, that would completely change your life. You could buy a condo in Hawaii and spend your days partying on a yacht in the middle of the Mediterranean sea. Keep winning Dota 2 championships – and you could buy Hawaii (maybe not all of it, but at least a part). CNBC reports:
“Historically the biggest esport in terms of tournament prize pools was Valve’s “Dota 2” game, which paid out about $38 million in total prize money in 2017, according to E-sports Earnings. The International 7 in 2017 or the so-called Dota 2 Championships was the biggest esports prize pool in history at nearly $25 million.”
For others, it’s about prestige. Described as a “competitive nightmare with an insane skillcap” on Reddit, Dota does pay off a lot if you put in a lot of hours. There is something about just not giving up and getting good at something. Something heroic.
That’s why for others still it’s about a challenge. Overcoming difficulty in itself can be fun if you like challenges. And it’s certainly interesting trying something that is infuriatingly hard again and again.
Whatever brings you to a Dota tournament – the money, the prestige, the adventure, or the thrill of fighting a worthy adversary – you’ll probably want to keep track of the tournaments coming up in 2019. Just in case anyone is looking for a hero. Here’s the list.
January the 19th: The Chongqing Major
The Chongqing Major was the first Major of 2019 (and second of the 2018/2019 season). It came with a $1,000,000 USD prize and it shaped the 2019 International a lot. It was organized by StarLadder and offered 15 000 DPC points.
Team Secret took the first place, kicking Virtus.pro’s ass 3-1, with $350,000 and 4,950 DPC points. This is from Blog.dota2.com, pre-event:
“Fans can tune in each day now through January 27 on SteamTV to catch all of the playoff action. With 4,950 DPC points awaiting the winners less than halfway through the competitive season, it’s anyone’s guess what the Dota Pro Circuit standings might look like in one week’s time. Will an established contender strengthen their grip on the leaderboard, or can a surprising upstart upset the status quo?”
Just in case, DPC points determine who gets invited to the ultimate match, The International 2019. They work as follows: whoever gets the 1st place in the major tournameте gets 33%, which in this case was 4950. The next gets 20%, and so on. Points get awarded to teams, not players. They (points, not teams) add up and the first 12 teams get invites to The International.
March 14: CORSAIR DreamLeague Season 11
Stockholm, Sweden, will see 16 teams take part in a spectacular group stage/double elimination clash of the titans at the end of which there are a $1,000,000 prize and DPC points. DreamHack’s Michael van Driel states:
“We’re glad the Dota 2 community continues to support us, and we’ll be sure to put on the best show yet, worthy of the prestige of a Major while keeping the flavor that Dota 2 fans expect of CORSAIR DreamLeague.”
We could tell you more about the euphoria, the professionalism, the fun, the playfulness, and the might and magic of it all, but you should probably see it for yourself: I don’t wanna miss a thing.
2-12 May: location unknown
That’s all we know. For now, we have no more information on the other majors to come in 2019. We will definitely keep you up top date though.
August the 15th: The $1.600.000 International 2019 by Valve
The International 2019 will be held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai. The prize for the previous one was $25,000,000. Qualifications for the tournament will be held in all regions in June 2019.
This will be the 9th tournament in its kind and it this one will complete the Dota Pro Circuit 2019. From 2011, when it was first held in Köln, to 2019 the prize fund amounted to $106,5 000 000. From 2012 to 2017, interestingly, it was held in Seattle.
Here is the breakdown of DPC points so far from Dota2.ru:
We leave you with the ultimate prize that is what it’s all about. Aegis of Champions, the trophy that is awarded to the winner, is a shield made by Weta Workshop. It can be used as a real shield. Www.Dota2.com describes Aegis of Champions”
“Inspired by Norse and Chinese design themes, we intended the shield to feel as eclectic as our hero line-up while still maintaining a sophisticated and clean overall design. Since the Aegis is both a functional shield and a trophy, its circular silhouette is broken by a pair of concave indentations allowing a for a natural grip when the victorious hold it over their head. The most striking feature of the Aegis of Champions is its central relief, which depicts the constant struggle between the Dire and Radiant forces. The result is a unique object of profound beauty that is truly worthy of celebrating, and protecting, the best of the best.”
