Three pro Dota 2 players. An unprecedented $1 million cash prize. Drama.
First launched in March 2014, Valve’s 75-minute Free to Play documentary film has since been available on the company’s YouTube channel and other online sources – but now it’s also available on Netflix so you can show mom and dad that, actually, video games are srs bznz.
The film introduces three pro Dota 2 players – Benedict “hyhy” Lim (Singapore), Clinton “Fear” Loomis (US), and Danil “Dendi” Ishutin (Ukraine) – who entered the game’s first International championship hosted in Cologne, Germany, in 2011, and the personal experience and impact of the competition on each player. At the time, the event’s $1 million cash prize was the most lucrative ever in esports.
In recent years, esports has surged in popularity to become one of the most widely-practiced forms of competitive sport today. A million dollar tournament changed the landscape of the gaming world and for those elite players at the top of their craft, nothing would ever be the same again. Produced by Valve, the film documents the challenges and sacrifices required of players to compete at the highest level.
Coincidentally (or not?), the Dota: Dragon’s Blood anime show debuted on Netflix at the end of last month. Love it or hate it, the Dota franchise is kind of a big deal even in 2021.