While not the largest of esports in the world, the Valve held event The International does hold the top spot for the largest prize pool in a single event. Since 2014, picking up the Aegis has created an instant millionaire among the five top players in the world with last years first prize breaking a record $11,000,000 (Total Prize Pool: $25,532,177) to the top team OG.

Wanting to be a part of the hype train that is Dota 2 can be costly, though, and with changes to their DPC (Dota Pro Circuit) system this year, Minor tournaments don’t have the same reach they did just a year ago, and the reduced amount Majors on the Circuit this year means that space comes at a premium.

As much love as I have for the world of Dota 2, it’s extremely tough to sponsor these days with a solid ROI. If money isn’t an issue, the best path is to certainly jump on the Major bandwagon, get the most exposure in the scene, and create specialized campaigns that favor the older audience of the game. After all, The International prize pool is so big is due to crowdfunding via Valve’s Dota 2 Battle Pass.

Outside of huge spends, though, Dota 2 doesn’t have the easiest path for exposure. The Minor system while cheaper is certainly still expensive to get into, and with the top Tier, 1 teams qualifying to the Major, the lineup of Tier 1 teams at a Minor is now reduced. Still, with good Dota, great talent, and at least two or three teams going at it, the final days draw in the numbers as the top team fights for that seed into the upcoming Major.

Non DPC Events this year have managed to grab some top teams, and while some serious money is on the line, everyone is working towards the big dance (The International 2019) and these events do nothing for your standings. This has resulted in teams pulling out at the last minute due to making it to a DPC based event or sending stand-ins to play for them pulling away some of the serious star power from a certain team.

Smaller grassroots events exist, and while the metrics might not “wow” you in a space that sees 10,000s or 100,000s of viewers on a regular basis if you’re after a certain demographic or market, they can work extremely well for you.

If you want to carve out your own space and be part of one of the world’s biggest esports, tenfold.global is here to help.