The Dota Allstars tournament at the Electronic Sports World Cup 2011 Grand Finals will be played on Dota 2 instead, according to a news statement released by the tournament organisers today. This marks the second major tournament of the year that will feature Valve’s unreleased take on what many see as the father of the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena genre of games.
According to ESWC, the switch was made possible by Valve, who will provide Dota 2 closed beta keys to the players of each team which qualifies for the Grand Finals. US$22,000 in prize money will be distributed the top three teams at the Grand Finals, to be held from 21 to 25 October at the Paris Games Week in expo France.
It’s nothing short of amazing that Dota 2, which hasn’t been released or even seen a widespread public beta, has already featured in two major tournaments; first with the International, and now with the ESWC 2011 Grand Finals. It’s a clear sign that Valve is throwing its full weight behind Dota 2 and the Dota community.
Whether Valve will actually succeed and achieve widespread adoption of Dota 2 in the face of competition from similar free-to-play games, such as League of Legends and Heroes of Newerth, remains to be seen.
- Click here to read about three reasons why Dota 2 might fail
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