13 Years Ago, One of the Most Competitive Video Games Ever Made Was Released

Esports have continued to rise in popularity in recent years. From massive fighting game tournaments like EVO to content creator-created online tournaments for games like Marvel Rivals, there seems to be a competitive scene for most multiplayer games nowadays. One of the biggest games that paved the way for modern video game tournaments is now 13 years old.

Today, July 9, 2026, is the 13th anniversary of the release of Dota 2. Developed by Valve, which also developed the revolutionary PC gaming library and digital storefront, Steam, Dota 2 set a relatively early standard for how competitive video games could be.

Dota 2 is a complex MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) title, featuring 5v5 gameplay with more than 100 heroes to pick from. Teams must work together to destroy the opposing team's "Ancient" while defending their own. The heroes are divided between core and support roles.

According to Metacritic, Dota 2 is sitting at an impressive 90 metascore, with some critics describing the game as having one of the highest skill ceilings of any PvP game ever made. Praise was also directed at the game's free-to-play status and for not becoming pay-to-win, with all gameplay updates being free to all players.

Since its initial release, Dota 2 has maintained a highly competitive (and very expensive) esports scene. Every year, Valve sponsors The InternationalDota 2 tournament. The prize pool has varied every year, but has always been in the millions. The largest prize was in 2021, in which the prize money was more than $40 million.

The upcoming 2026 International tournament will take place in Shanghai in August. The prize pool has not yet been revealed.

Dota 2 has often been regarded as one of the most influential video games ever made, often being cited as the pioneer of the free-to-play monetization strategy that is commonplace nowadays for other multiplayer games, like Overwatch, Marvel Rivals, 2XKO, and League of Legends.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jul 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 12:58 PM.