Hi everyone!
On August 20–25th, Valve is hosting The International 2019, the DOTA 2 eSports tournament, in Shanghai, China. With a $32 million prize pool, it is the biggest eSports tournament in the world.
Growing up, I played thousands of hours of DOTA. I wasn’t good at the game, but I still enjoyed the exhilarating team wipes and nailbiting victories, and raged at the frustrating failures. I fondly remember watching Free to Play, a Dota documentary made by Valve (farewell Dendi!) Each year, I’ve watched The International and always wished I could attend the event. For many of us, it can be difficult to physically attend due to costs, travel expenses, work schedules, etc.
Today, we are excited to announce that we are bringing the official presentation of The International 2019 to virtual reality in Bigscreen!
Thousands of fans around the world can hangout together in Bigscreen’s VR living room to watch the tournament live. With avatars, virtual environments, and voice chat, Bigscreen gives people a chance to meet other DOTA 2 fans and watch the tournament together.
- August 15 — August 18 Group Stage: 18 teams divided in two groups of nine teams each where they play in a round-robin format. Top four teams in each group advance to the Upper Bracket of the Main Event.
- August 20 — August 24 MAIN EVENT: The main event begins on August 20th with 18 invited teams competing for five days before the Finals. Opening ceremonies, Arcana voting, All Stars Game, film contests, and cosplay contests will also take place this tournament week.
- August 25 FINALS: The top teams that make it to the Finals will have a chance to win over $14 million for First Place!
RSVP to watch The International DOTA 2 FINALS event here!
This event is available worldwide for free, and RSVP is optional and not required. It is social and cross-platform on all supported headsets.
What’s Next for Bigscreen & Bigscreen TV?
Over the past few months since we launched Bigscreen TV, we’ve been hosting many events like SpaceX Rocket Launches, Fortnite World Cup, Overwatch League (OWL), and the Tomorrowland music festival. Thousands of people have attended these live VR events. In the coming months, we’re planning to host more rocket launches, eSports tournaments, and 3D movie nights.
As Bigscreen makes a bigger push into eSports, we plan to create an “eStadium” virtual environment where fans can gather together to cheer for their favorite teams.
This Friday, we will also be revealing a new modern-themed cinema environment. Join us for the grand unveiling on Friday August 16 at 7PM Pacific. Don’t forget to bring popcorn!
