Cover-Credits:
In a recent blog post, Valve announced that it was sunsetting the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) after the 2023 season. In response to this decision, prominent professional Dota 2 player and The International (TI) champion Peter "ppd" Dager has put forward an intriguing proposal: the utilization of crowdfunding to rejuvenate Dota 2 tournaments and foster a sense of unity within its diverse global community.
Valve's announcement was characteristically concise, prompting Ppd to take to Twitter and advocate for a different path. "We've always looked to Valve for direction," he tweeted. "I genuinely see an opportunity for Dota communities to collaborate and create unique crowdfunded tournaments. I'd be eager to contribute to this vision."
This statement has ignited a spirited debate within the Dota community regarding the potential of crowdfunded tournaments to reshape the esports landscape. The core concept is straightforward but transformative: rather than relying solely on conventional sponsors, the Dota community would take the reins with some help from Valve, orchestrating and funding tournaments through crowdfunding by using in-game skins. This shift would provide the community with greater influence over the competitive scene, potentially encouraging innovation and creativity.
Previous instances illustrate how crowdfunded tournaments have previously injected enthusiasm and excitement into Dota 2's competitive arena. Most notably, the Captains Draft 2.0, presented by DotaCinema & MoonduckTV in 2016, serves as a prominent example.
Dota’s past with crowdfunded tournaments
Dota 2 is not unfamiliar with crowdfunded tournaments. Captains Draft 2.0 was a crowdfunded tournament that was held in 2014. Dota Cinema organized the tournament, which had an impressive $276,742 prize pool. The tournament was funded by a base prize pool of $50,000 and a crowdfunding campaign, that saw 25% of the revenue from in-game compendium sales for the tournament plus 10% of the Legendary Juggernaut set sales boost the prize pool.
The issuance of the Captain's Draft 2.0 Compendium for the tournament was also a success. The compendium contained a variety of easter eggs and helped raise funds for the tournament's prize pool while promoting the event to supporters.
The success of Captain's Draft 2.0 demonstrates how crowdfunded Dota 2 tournaments would offer Dota fans from all over the world the opportunity to contribute to the competitive landscape. This could help consolidate the Dota community and foster greater ownership among supporters.
