Here's a quick maths question for you. If a copy of Dota 2's Compendium costs $10/£6 (which it does), and $2.50 of that goes to the International 2014's prize pool (which it does), and that prize pool—which launched at a base level of $1.6 million—currently stands at over $6 million (which it does), then how much deeper is Gabe Newell's swimming pool tribute to Scrooge McDuck? The answer is lots.* Valve aren't the only winner of this equation, though. The participants of the Dota 2 tournament have a much bigger prize to compete for, and the Dota 2 community have now secured the entirety of the Compendium's stretch goals.
It's not just the amount that's impressive, but the speed at which it's been raised. If you take a look at CyborgMatt's Prize Pool Tracker , you can see the comparison to last year's fund-raiser. In 2013, the community raised $1,274,407 across the entirety of that Compendium's funding period. This year, they've made $4.4 million in just eleven days. If nothing else, it's a testament to how much the community has grown in the year since the game's official release.
The last few stretch goals guarantee Compendium owners new music, environmental effects and base customisation options. Additionally, a 1v1 mid-lane-only matchmaking option will be made available to all players.
As it stands—assuming the prize pool's distribution remains the same as last year—the winners of The International will make over $3 million. That's great news for whoever proves to be the top team, but, in his most recent Three Lane Highway , Chris argues that all this year's finalists should be getting a percentage of the pot.
*You can apply this same answer to almost any question regarding Valve and money, which should make your end of year exam quite a bit easier.
