The international (TI4) is upon us, and once again a gaming world record has been made. This, of course, is the prize pool (which has already surpassed $10 million) making it the largest prize in competitive gaming history. The prize pool has been helped significantly by a considerably improved compendium, which contributes $2.50 to the prize pool every time one is bought. The compendium has made leaps and strides since it was originally introduced last year in TI3; the price of $10, I have to say, is worth every penny.
Benefits to The CompendiumI think it’s great to be able to contribute to the best Dota2 players in the world and the more I play the game, the more I appreciate how truly brilliant the pro players really are. The biggest draw of the compendium for me though are the rewards, especially the immortal items. The first item I received was Storm Spirit’s “lightning orchid” which gives a red streak in his ultimate every time it is activated! Other benefits include couriers, player cards, additional immortals as you level up, battle point boosters, daily hero challenges - the list of benefits is almost endless.
Much ImprovedSo why has it performed so much better than last year’s compendium? Well there are several factors, improved stretch goals help, but the biggest difference is the levelling up system. The previous compendium was a one off buy, and while you could add player cards to it, once you had it the novelty quickly wore off. In the current compendium however, you can either earn or buy levels (and further add to the prize pool) earning more and more rewards as you do level. Then there are daily challenges to earn player cards, and hero challenges to earn bonus compendium points. The whole thing really is great in terms of value for money, and how much you take out of it is up to you.
Growing PopularityPerhaps the biggest reason behind this year’s compendium success (and in turn the prize pool) is the sheer number of players that now play Dota2. The game was only officially released after Beta in 2013, a few short months before TI3. In just one year the game has grown hugely. When the Beta ended there were over 3 million playing Dota2 (yes, 3 million people playing Dota 2 in the BETA!), and in one year’s time that number has now increased to over 7 million unique players every month. The game is now more played than World of Warcraft (WOW) and has become the second most played game in North America and Europe.
ProgressionWhile the progress it has made is exciting, it still has a long way to go before it comes close to matching League of Legends (LOL) in terms of player numbers. With over 68 million unique players every month, the game has an incredible following. LOL has been around slightly longer than Dota2 though (the game was originally released in 2009). Who knows? Maybe in a few years Dota 2 will be even bigger than LOL.
All in all I’m very happy with amazing progress that Dota2 is making and how much I’m getting out of the game and the compendium. I’m so excited for TI4 on July 18th. I only wish I could be at the Key Arena in Seattle, WA for the show! The cost of plane tickets aside, the event sold out within the first hour. At least I’ll get to enjoy The International with my friends through my PC in the comfort of my home. It’s going to be epic!
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Author: GOODBOY (YouTube: GoodBoy)
About the author: "I started playing Dota (not Dota 2) in 2009, and after a rocky start I steadily got more and more involved in the game. When Dota 2 arrived it blew me away. I love online gaming, especially when you are part of a team. Ilove how it's interactive, strategic and fast paced it is and it's great to meet so many people from all over the world. Many people that I consider to be good friends, I have never met in person, which is pretty funny when I actually do get to meet them! Dota 2 remains my favourite MOBA type game, and I think it will have a huge presence in the years to come".