July 20 marks 12 years since the conclusion of The International 2014, one of the most important tournaments in esports history. TI4 became the first esports championship with a prize pool exceeding the $10 million mark, ushering in a new era for the professional Dota 2 scene and the entire industry.
The final stage of the tournament took place from July 18 to July 21, 2014, at KeyArena in Seattle, USA. Two Chinese teams met in the grand final — Newbee and Vici Gaming. Newbee claimed victory with a 3-1 score, becoming The International champions for the first time in their history and lifting Dota 2's ultimate trophy — the Aegis of Champions. For their victory, the team received over $5 million, which was also a record-breaking payout for esports tournament champions at the time.
The total prize pool for TI4 reached $10,923,977. Of this amount, only $1.6 million was contributed by Valve as the base fund, while over $9.3 million was raised through sales of The International Compendium — an in-game digital book where 25% of purchases were funneled directly into the prize pool. This crowdfunding model proved revolutionary for esports and subsequently allowed The International to set new world records for prize money for many consecutive years.
TI4 marked a turning point not only for Dota 2, but for the entire esports industry. The tournament demonstrated that video game competitions could generate tens of millions of dollars in prizes, attract multi-million audiences, and rival the scale of the world's largest traditional sports events. It was following The International 2014 that esports began rapidly gaining popularity among investors, sponsors, and traditional media.
For Ukrainian fans, TI4 was also memorable for the performance of Natus Vincere, who finished the tournament in 7th–8th place, earning over $518,000 in prize money.
Twelve years after the conclusion of The International 2014, this tournament remains one of the most significant events in esports history. It laid the foundation for the modern funding system of major championships and proved that esports is capable of being a global phenomenon with a multi-million audience and record-setting prize pools.
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