After a 6-year absence, Seattle will be the hosting city for The International 2023 (TI12). The tournament will take place in October. Valve announced during the ESL One Berlin Major 2023 that TI12 will be held at the Climate Pledge Arena, “welcoming the largest audience in the event history.”.
Seattle was the hosting city of Dota 2’s The International tournaments from 2012 to 2017, where Valve’s headquarters is also located. The event then moved to Vancouver in 2018, followed by Shanghai, Bucharest, and Singapore. In the most recent The International, TI11, held in Singapore, Tundra Esports defeated Team Secret 3-0 in the grand finals to claim the championship title and the grand prize money of $18,930,775.
The TI12 hosting venue Climate Pledge Arena is the same place as KeyArena where previous TIs were held in Seattle. The KeyArena name was retained until 2021 when it was closed for renovations in 2018 and reopened as the Climate Pledge Arena. Climate Pledge Arena is known as the world’s first zero-carbon arena. With a seating capacity of approximately 18,000, the arena can host a large event.
So far, Team Liquid and Gaimin Gladiators have secured their spot in TI12. Other qualifying teams will be determined by their success as the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) 2023 season progresses.
