It has just been almost one week since the introduction The International 2019 Battle Pass on 7th May, yet the prize pool of The International 2019 has reached more than $11 million. It seems like this year's prize money is going to break another record in Esports.

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A staggering $11 mil prize pool in just 7 days

In 2018, it took more than three weeks for the community to accumulate the same amount of money. Meanwhile this year, Dota fans have contributed around $9.5 million besides the base $1.6 million prize pool Valve provided. This wages an increase of $2.4 million compared to last year for the same time duration.

So, what's so compelling in spending so much money on such a supposedly free game? The answer lies in the privileges players can enjoy in the game.

The extensive rewards featured in the Battle Pass

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Battle Pass features various rewards with luxurious cosmetic items

With each level achieved, players can get one reward. It can range from minor things like players card pack, customized fountain healing effect, votes for arcana to bigger rewards like a treasure chest containing an immortal cosmetic item. Though not very valuable outside of the game, those rewards give an incentive for players to play the game, to enjoy the cool features they deliver. Customized voice chatwheel is a great deal of fun especially to hype up teammates or opponents.

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A voice chatwheel with its duration scaled to the level of your Battle Pass, a great way to show who devoted more money to the prize pool.

The luxurious immortal cosmetic items in treasures

Immortal items in-game have always been a great feature in the Battle Pass. Each year, Valve releases a good deal of shiny cosmetic items which attract lots of attention from players. It keeps Dota 2 fans crazy enough to level up their Battle Pass to get more chance at opening chests, with a faint hope of getting extremely rare items.

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Shiny and luxurious, who could resist such temptation?

The monumental Aegis replica trophy for collectors

Each year, dedicated contributors can get the prize of a physical replica 1/5 scale of the Aegis, the much-famed trophy of The International championship once they reach level 1000 in their Battle Pass. That could cost a lot of money to achieve, but many people dedicated their time and money and felt it worthy to bring home the iconic prize.

At this rate, the contributions from Dota2 fans are expected to exceed that of last year's prize pool. Also, the possibility of The International 2019 Battle Pass surpassing Fortnite World Cup is very high.