In the early 2000s, the idea of being paid to travel the world as a professional video gamer was a pipe dream. Video console gaming dominated the market, and the golden ticket for game designers and console companies was to incorporate the internet into the equation.
Once this was unlocked, it would be the Big Bang for online gaming. When Microsoft and Sony launched it in the latter stages of the noughties, the industry’s excitement became palpable—and with good reason.
By the time the console gaming market correctly implemented the potential of online gaming, the outcome was staggering: millions of people using the servers at any given time, drastic changes to games like Call of Duty and other sports games, and gamers being able to face off against people from all over the world.
While these games might have started with such strong promise, they now play second fiddle in terms of prize pools and popularity to Dota 2, Valorant, and League of Legends, the most valuable eSports markets in the world.
Betting Markets
In the same way professional sports like soccer are often propped up by gambling market activity, the same applies to Dota 2. While eSports might not generate the same gambling volume as top-flight soccer games or the big American sports, its validity as a betting market helps keep the top tournaments and games in the spotlight.
Introducing those bettors interested in video gaming opens the playing field for those who might be intrigued by a slightly different market. Betting on Dota 2 at Thunderpick is the same as betting on any other type of professional sports tournament. Gamers can bet on the outright win of Dota 2 tournaments, individual games, handicap markets, and those players who will reach the finals or individual tournament statistics.
However, the health of the underlying market is often a strong indicator of the health of the wider industry. With such a hive of betting activity whenever there’s a prominent Dota 2 tournament, this added interest and market help to inject more interest, which can swell up viewing figures and, in turn, the prize pools of the top tournaments.
Crowdfunding & Community
Battle Pass is the driving force behind much of the organic activity that injects capital into Dota 2. There are three bundles which act as different tiers and have different levels of access:
- Level 1 Bundle – $9.99
- Level 50 Bundle – $29.35
- Level 100 Bundle – $44.99
These bundles help generate community engagement, with the funds added to the prize pool. By contributing so significantly to the prize pool, the game’s rise has resulted in it breaking several records for the most lucrative eSports tournament for players, including surpassing $40 million in 2021.
The top eSports teams in the world flock to Dota 2 tournaments because of the enormous prize money gap. Gamers with a talent for battle arena games will often try to fine-tune their skill to get a seat at the table of some of these tournaments because of the life-changing sums of money on offer.
The community also drives a huge audience that watches these tournaments unfold—whether they travel to the host cities to watch in person or tune in via streaming services like YouTube or Twitch.
The Power Of Digital Marketing
Valve, the game’s creators, have employed a series of successful marketing strategies, ranging from onboarding the top gaming influencers to generate engagement about upcoming Dota 2 tournaments to pitching in six-figure sums to boost the prize pools.
If there’s one thing that eSports has highlighted, it’s that the market is almost exclusively digital – whether it’s via YouTube, Reddit, or community websites that bring together Dota 2 fanatics. Valve has channeled this more effectively than other top game designers. They continue to innovate and recently unveiled their Steam Deck at the Tokyo Game Show – allowing gamers to play portable versions of some of their landmark titles.
While their initial investment strategies were smaller in the mid-2010s, by the early 2020s, they had paid dividends, with Dota 2 becoming one of the most popular eSports markets on the planet.
Final Thoughts
The popularity of Dota 2 ultimately stems from its quality. Valve could throw millions of dollars at gaming influencers to plug their titles, but if gamers don’t find it enthralling or prefer the look and feel of other battle arena games, then it wouldn’t have the audience or subscribers to pump up the overall amount in the prize pool.
Dota 2’s gaming dynamics help to bring in a much broader dimension of gaming. For instance, most sports games will involve a one vs. one element, whereas Dota 2 and the whole make-up of the battle arena dynamic allows teams to face off against each other in a live gaming environment; this brings in a higher level of strategy, teamwork, and intrigue.
It opens it up as a more multifaceted gaming option. When combined with the biggest prize pools in sports, it helps generate the sort of organic, word-of-mouth advertising that collectively keeps it hovering in the top bracket of professional video gaming.