Former cyber athlete and coach of Dota 2 teams Peter "ppd" Dager shared his opinion on the prize pool of The International 12 and also made a prediction about the top 3 favorites of the tournament exclusively for Telecomasia.net.
- What was your general impression of the Dota2 Compendium? Are you disappointed or do you like it?
- I've never been a big fan of cosmetics in Dota 2 and never bought any compendiums. The current one is certainly disappointing for the players who thought they'd be competing for life-changing money and the fans who thought they'd get a more interactive experience.
- The prize pool for The International 12 is increasing very slowly. How will that affect the tournament's status? And how big do you think the prize pool for The International 12 is going to be?
- I think the prize pool will reach $3 million without any additional supporting features from Valve. The International will be the second biggest tournament of the year, and the dream of winning it will be a little less exciting.
- The tournament kicks off in two weeks. What do you expect from it? Is it a good thing that the biggest tournament of the year is coming back to Seattle?
- It's a Dota 2 celebration! It's great that it's taking place in Seattle, but it also drives up ticket prices, and it discourages many of my friends from attending.
- Who are the main favorites in your opinion? Who will be the top 3 for the tournament and why?
- Gaimin Gladiators, Team Liquid, and Team Spirit. All of them are capable of becoming champions and have enough experience and confidence in their abilities to succeed in the later stages of major tournaments.
Recall, the main stage of The International 12 is the playoff stage starting from October 20 through October 22 and the final meetings starting from October 27 through October 29. Before that, the tournament will be called The Road to TI (October 12-15). The championship will be held at Climate Pledge Arena and Seattle Convention Center's Summit Building.