Aug 2, 2016 - By Noreen T. M.

The International on Twitch

The International returns to Twitch

It’s back, and this year it’s bigger than ever before.

Dota 2’s The International 2016 is so massive that it’s difficult to describe in words, so let’s try some numbers: $19,000,000 and rising! The International 2016 will be by far the largest prize pool of any esports event, and that total will continue to rise through sales of this year’s Battle Pass.

Who’s going to take home the main prize?

There’s a healthy swarm of heroes looking to claim their cut of this year’s bounty. The action starts at 9 am pacific time today with the Wild Card match. Escape Gaming, Complexity, EHOME, and Execration will compete for the two remaining spots in the Group Stage that kicks off tomorrow, August 3rd.

The sixteen qualifying teams will battle in two 8-team round robin groups, separating teams into an upper and lower final bracket. From August 8th-13th, the main event will determine who takes home the Aegis of Champions, alongside a lion’s share of this year’s unbelievable prize pool.

If this year’s Dota 2 competitive season has been any indicator of what to expect at The International, competition will be fierce. Team Liquid has been the model of consistency with several Top 3 finishes throughout the year. OG is hot off of victories at The Manila Major and ESL One Frankfurt. The Chinese squads have looked equally formidable, with 2014 champions Newbee as a returning threat, and the wild Wings Gaming grabbing a key victory at The Summit 5.

A better viewing experience on Twitch

The International 2016 is set to be a special viewing experience on Twitch this year. We’re presenting The International 2016 in a higher video quality than ever before. We know that streamers want us to support a wider range of video qualities, and as a first step, we are working with our partners at Valve to present this event in 1080p, 60 frames-per-second (fps) HD video. When you open the desktop video player Options menu to adjust your Video Quality, you’ll see a new range of options that adds 1080p, 60 fps as the “source” option and includes more options in the lower range for users with less stable internet connections. For now, this set of Video Quality options will only be available on Valve’s TI6 streams during the Wild Card match, Group Stage, and the Main Event, so check it out on Valve’s official English, Russian, and Chinese streams on Twitch.

With the biggest prize pool, too many powerhouse teams to count, and our best streaming options, this year’s major event is destined to be one to remember.

Event Details

Where to watch: The Interational 2016 Event Page on Twitch

When: August 2nd — August 5th, August 8th — August 13th

More Info: Dota 2 Website

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