Homecoming: The International 2023 is coming to Seattle

The International will return to Seattle, Washington in 2023 after a six-year absence.

The International 2023 (TI 12), the most prestigious competition in Dota 2, will be held in Seattle in October, according to Dota 2 developer Valve. According to the official blog for the event, this year’s TI will be held in Climate Pledge Arena and will draw the biggest crowd in the event’s history.

The International 2023 also marks the prestigious competition’s long-awaited comeback to Seattle. The event was held in Key Arena, which is close to Valve’s Bellevue offices, from 2012 to 2017. After KeyArena’s multi-year renovations began in 2018, Valve relocated The International to Vancouver’s Rogers Arena. Since then, the event has traveled around the world, stopping in countries such as China, Romania, and Singapore.

When the tournament was held in Singapore in 2022, Tundra Esports won the championship and took home $8.5 million of the USD 18,930,775 prize money after dominating the competition and defeating Team Secret 3-0 in the grand final. The epidemic led Valve to cancel their 2020 The International event, which was supposed to be held in Sweden.

The International 2023 – format

The Road to the International and The International will be the two phases of The International 2023, according to the statement. The group stage, which is set to start on Saturday, October 14, and the playoffs will make up the first stage. The International will begin on Friday, October 27, and go through Sunday, October 29. There probably won’t be a last-chance qualifier this year because it was a one-time event held by Valve last year to address the travel ban imposed during the pandemic that prohibited many teams from participating in DPC tournaments.

Valve earlier stated that they were done with the popular qualifier structure but have since kept quiet. Nonetheless, players and fans alike adore the LCQs, thus Valve might add the Last Chance Qualifiers in TI12 as well, though, the chances are slim. The studio has promised to share additional information on tickets asThe International 2023 draws near.

The International 2023 – participating teams

The 12 teams with the highest DPC points throughout the season in the regional leagues and Majors will receive direct invites to TI 2023. The regional qualifiers will then determine which team from each of the six regions of the circuit will compete in the competition. Gaimin Gladiators, who narrowly prevailed in the grand finals to win the Berlin Major 2023, have earned enough points to qualify for The International 12 alongside the runner-up of the event Team Liquid.

Header: Valve