The International 2021 – Dota 2 Tournament Overview

Chris Altman Sports Betting Expert

15 minute read

The International 2021, the premier Dota 2 Tournament, is set to take place from October 7th, 2021 - October 17th, 2021. So, this is the time to learn everything you can about the annual esports world championship tournament for Dota 2. Esports is a bit on the newer side when it comes to sports betting, but that just means you won’t have decades of history to study up on!

CONTENTS

• History of The International Dota 2 Tournament
• The International 2021: Bucharest, Romania
• Top Competitors - The International 2021
• Betting on The International 2021
• The International 2021 FAQ

As mentioned before, The International 2021 (often abbreviated as TI) is an annual esports world championship tournament for the video game Dota 2. Dota 2 is a sequel to Dota (Defense of the Ancients), and is a multiplayer online battle arena game that has been developed and published by Valve.

The way that Dota 2 is played is in matches held between two teams of five players. Each team occupies and defends their own respective base on the game map. And, each of these ten players on their own controls an independent character, known as a "hero." Heroes all have unique abilities as well as different styles of play.

HISTORY OF THE INTERNATIONAL DOTA 2 TOURNAMENT

The International Dota 2 Tournament has been held annually since the year 2011, with the exception of the year 2020. Each year, the tournament has a total of 18 teams. 12 of these teams earn a direct invite as a result of the Dota Pro Circuit tournament series. The remaining six earn their spots by winning regional qualifying playoff brackets. These spots are allocated as follows:

• One from North America
• One from South America
• One from Southeast Asia
• One from China
• One from Europe
• One from CIS regions.

As of this writing, the most current reigning champion is OG. Also, OG are the only team who has been able to win an International more than once. Ever since 2013, the prize pool has been the result of a crowdfunded battle pass system within the Dota 2 game. 25% of all revenue is added to the prize pool.

In fact, at this time, the Internationals have the biggest single-tournament prize pool of any esports event. Each prize manages to surpass that of the previous year. The most recent prize pool was more than $34 million. In addition, winners also receive the Aegis of Champions trophy.

THE INTERNATIONAL 2021: BUCHAREST, ROMANIA

You may be hankering to get more information on this year’s tournament, The International 2021. The tenth year of the tournament, The International 10 - Dota 2 Championships, will commence on October 7th and run until October 17th. The tournament will be held in Bucharest, Romanian in the largest stadium in the country, the Arena Nationala.

The Group Stage will be running from October 7th - October 10th. The Main Stage will begin on October 12th. The two best Dota 2 teams in the world will then go head-to-head on October 17th in The International Bucharest. They will compete for the Aegis of Champions Trophy and a $40,018,195 prize pool.

TOP COMPETITORS - THE INTERNATIONAL 2021

There are a few teams that have proven themselves to be the frontrunners in TI Bucharest. Of course, OG being the current reigning champions as well as the only team to win more than once sets them apart. But, do not count out the other just yet. Here is a list of the top 5 competitors that are expected to compete in the International 2021.

• OG (Winners in 2019 and 2018)
• Evil Geniuses (Winners in 2015)
• Invictus Gaming (Winners in 2012)
• Alliance (Winners in 2013)
• PSG.LGD (The current best team in China through the 2021 Dota Pro Circuit season)

BETTING ON THE INTERNATIONAL 2021

You may be curious how to bet on The International 2021. At this time, there are no esports-specific sportsbooks that are legal and in operation in the United States. However, there are niche esports bets available on major online sportsbooks like FanDuel and DraftKings.

In addition, Canadian operator Betway is also a sportsbook that is taking esports bets.

Currently, esports betting is legal in the following states: New Jersey, Nevada, Colorado, Tennessee, Connecticut and Virginia as well as Washington.

THE INTERNATIONAL 2021 FAQ

Now, you have learned a lot about The International 2021 - Dota 2 Tournament. But, there may still be some areas where you have some questions. This frequently asked questions section should be able to answer any lingering questions you have about The International - Dota 2 Tournament.

WHERE IS THE INTERNATIONAL 2021 OCCURRING?

The International 2021 will be held in Bucharest, Romania in the largest stadium in the country, the Arena Nationala.

WHO ARE SOME OF THE TOP COMPETITORS OF THE INTERNATIONAL 2021?

Many of the top competitors of The International 2021 are returning champions. These include reigning champs for 2 years in a row, OG, as well as Evil Geniuses, Invictus Gaming, Alliance, and PSG.LGD.

CAN I BET ON THE INTERNATIONAL 2021?

At this time, there are no esports-specific sportsbooks that are legally in operation in the United States. However, there are some sportsbooks that do accept more niche esports bets. These sportsbooks can include major operators like DraftKings and FanDuel.

Keep in mind, sports betting and esports betting are not legal in all states just yet. Esports betting is legal in several states.

WHEN IS THE INTERNATIONAL 2021 BEING HELD?

The International 10 - Dota 2 Championships will commence on October 7th and run until October 17th. The Group Stage will be running from October 7th - October 10th. The Main Stage will start on October 12th. Then, the two best Dota 2 teams in the world will go up against each other on October 17th to determine who the ultimate champions are.

HOW MANY YEARS HAS THE INTERNATIONAL TAKEN PLACE?

The International - Dota 2 Championships has been held annually since the year 2011. However, it was cancelled last year in 2020. This year will be the tenth The International - Dota 2 Championships.

Chris Altman

Chris Altman is a sports betting writer and content expert with almost a decade of experience. He's covered everything, but his current focus is on reviewing sportsbooks and online casinos and keeping tabs on sports betting legislation. Chris has been with VegasInsider since 2019 and has freelanced in the sports betting content industry for years. More from Chris Altman