Revenue of DOTA 2 worldwide 2015-2017
First released in July 2013, DOTA 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena that was created as a sequel to Defense of the Ancients (DotA). Published by Valve Corporation, which is also the creator of the gaming platform Steam, DOTA 2 generated revenue of 406 million U.S. dollars in 2017. This marks an almost twofold increase on the revenue generated in 2015.
DOTA 2: Steam giant
Given that both DOTA 2 and Steam share the same developer, it is unsurprising that the game is so successful on the platform. DOTA 2 reached its record high peak concurrent player number in March 2016 at nearly 1.29 million gamers playing at the same time and still gets close to one million concurrent players most months. The game is also very successful on the platform based on the hourly average number of players. In 2018, DOTA 2 averaged almost 455 thousand players per hour, beaten only by one of Steam’s jewels in the crown, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
DOTA 2 tournaments
Thanks to the varied and action-packed gameplay of DOTA 2, it has also become a very popular game among eSports fans. One of the main tournaments for the game, The International, which is hosted by Valve Corporation, drew in almost 15 million concurrent viewers at its peak during the eighth edition of the tournament in Vancouver, Canada in 2018. Some of these viewers tuned in via the video streaming platform, Twitch.tv, where peak concurrent viewership for the tournament reached 730 thousand. With so many viewers invested in the action, the stakes could not be higher, especially given the money to be won. The cumulative prize pool for DOTA 2 tournaments worldwide in 2018 stood at 41.4 million U.S. dollars.
DOTA 2: Steam giant
Given that both DOTA 2 and Steam share the same developer, it is unsurprising that the game is so successful on the platform. DOTA 2 reached its record high peak concurrent player number in March 2016 at nearly 1.29 million gamers playing at the same time and still gets close to one million concurrent players most months. The game is also very successful on the platform based on the hourly average number of players. In 2018, DOTA 2 averaged almost 455 thousand players per hour, beaten only by one of Steam’s jewels in the crown, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
DOTA 2 tournaments
Thanks to the varied and action-packed gameplay of DOTA 2, it has also become a very popular game among eSports fans. One of the main tournaments for the game, The International, which is hosted by Valve Corporation, drew in almost 15 million concurrent viewers at its peak during the eighth edition of the tournament in Vancouver, Canada in 2018. Some of these viewers tuned in via the video streaming platform, Twitch.tv, where peak concurrent viewership for the tournament reached 730 thousand. With so many viewers invested in the action, the stakes could not be higher, especially given the money to be won. The cumulative prize pool for DOTA 2 tournaments worldwide in 2018 stood at 41.4 million U.S. dollars.
