After Viewership Drop, TI11 Also Snaps 10-Year Prize Pool Streak

There was more bad news for Dota 2’s TI11 event after it was revealed that the total prize pool didn’t meet the target. The TI prize pool is determined based on the number of Dota 2 battle pass purchases, and with Part I out of the way, it was confirmed that the new prize pool hit just shy of $19m.

This is especially shocking considering the TI10 managed a prize pool of $40,018,400, the highest in TI history. To fall down so drastically, and not even go past TI5 in terms of prize is extremely concerning. This is also the first time that the earnings through battle pass for TI have been lower than the predecessor.

@ Valve

TI11 Viewership Record Was Also Alarming

TI11 also had one of the lowest peak viewership in the competition’s recent history, clocking lower numbers than not just TI10, but also TI9. For comparison’s sake, TI9 had 88,202,849 hours watched, and peak concurrent viewership of 1,965,328; TI11 had 67,692,105 hours watched, and peak concurrent Dota 2 viewership of 1,748,392.

Seeing the numbers drop on two counts will be very concerning news for the likes of Valve, and might be time for them to take on board some of the complaints that have been coming their way in the last year or so from fans. On the whole. These numbers are still some of the best among most esports, but it’s a clear indicator that Dota 2 is no longer the only big fish in the esports pond.

Might Be Time To Evolve

Some of the issues can be directed back to the game itself, with the likes of Fortnite, Valorant, and other games taking up much of the old Dota 2 audience. The likes of CS:GO, LoL, and Dota 2 will always retain some loyalty, but they’ve got to be careful, and not take that for granted.

A lot of complaints regarding the event itself have also made their way to Valve’s door. The production values for the TI11 were called into question by fans on Reddit, and some teams also complained about the soundproofing issues in the game. All of these minor issues can accumulate, and paint a negative image of Dota 2. Valve have got to make sure that this doesn’t spiral into something worse.

The game itself has always been a bit complex, and younger gamers might look to alternatives. There’s an existential threat here, which is why it might be time for the game to evolve, but the evolution shouldn’t come at the cost of something that might change the core of the game – the fundamentals that got so many individuals to love these games.

Valve Has Got Some Back-Up Plans For Now

Valve has also released TI11 Swag Bag recently, and a lot of new content recently, but it won’t be enough to compensate for the drop in numbers in the long run. Despite Valve’s best efforts to pump up the numbers on the final days, it was clear that this iteration wasn’t the success fans were hoping for. Valve also reaffirmed its commitment to the pro-scene last month, which is not the most reassuring news for fans, but it’s better than nothing.

Valve has got to rid itself of all this talk soon, however. If the drop in viewership and prize pool continues next season, Dota 2 might just have to hit the panic button. Teams and players might start looking at other esports for opportunities, but it has not come to that yet. For now, things are still salvageable.

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