Witnessing the making of Dota 2 history

At 6.45am on a summer's day, a friend and I stood outside the Key Arena stadium in Seattle, Washington, at the end of a line that stretched for at least 500m.

We were not queuing up for a concert or a mega athletic event.

We were there to witness history be made at the finals of the Defence Of The Ancients (Dota) 2 global tournament, which took place from July 18 to 21.

There was a jaw-dropping total of US$10.9 million (S$13.5 million) in prize money, with US$5 million going to the winning team. It is a prize pool unparalleled in the history of e-sports.

Although the stadium gates would open only at 8am, and the first match was scheduled for 10am, the hype was already building when I joined the queue. Gamers were trash-talking and predicting winners. Two Chinese guys with Team DK's logo shaved into their short crops were looking over the merchandise catalogue, deciding what to buy.

When the gates opened, the crowd made a beeline for the Secret Shop, where Dota 2 merchandise was sold. My friend and I waited almost two hours in line and spent US$1,700 on shirts, leggings, mousepads, figurines, pins and hoodies. This was where our early start paid off. A friend who got in line at 7.15am ended up waiting until 1pm to buy his stuff.

Inside the stadium, the atmosphere fluctuated wildly depending on the match-up. If the English-speaking teams Evil Geniuses, Na'vi, DK or Cloud 9 were in the booths, the place would be packed to the rafters and the stadium would be rocking with crazy chants. On the other hand, if it was the China teams facing off - LGD Gaming, Invictus Gaming, Vici Gaming or eventual winners Newbee - the crowd was noticeably more subdued.

Language barriers apart, the Chinese style of play, while efficient, wins few hearts. In previous tournaments, Chinese match-ups were infamous for being hour-long games, with few clashes and extremely defensive line-ups.

This time, they were anything but. Runners-up Vici Gaming tore through the bracket with extremely aggressive heroes. Its strategy was good for the first 10 minutes; if the game lasted longer, it most likely lost. While ruthlessly efficient, Vici's style and limited hero choice was one-dimensional.

All the same, there were some truly amazing games, such as the third game in a best of three between crowd favourites Cloud 9 and Na'vi. This was an elimination match and many in the crowd were wearing their teams' jerseys.

When a seemingly unstoppable early game hero line-up from Na'vi was halted in its tracks by a perfectly played Clockwerk hero by Romanian player bOne7, the crowd went wild, with the cheers of those in Cloud 9 blue drowning out the Na'vi yellow and black.

Another highlight was LGD's comeback against Team DK, as DK let go what had looked like an insurmountable lead. Twenty minutes into the game, LGD was trailing by 10k gold and 5k experience - a significant amount - but DK's poor item choices and decision making led to a 66th-minute comeback from the underdogs.

Venue a tad large

While the 10,000 tickets sold this year are a testament to the game's popularity, the large scale of the event felt suffocating. It lacked the intimacy of previous editions, which were held at the 2,500-seat Benaroya Hall, also in Seattle.

At Key Arena, players and VIP ticket holders were seated on a separate level, and there was always security to keep the crowd at bay. Some players would stand on a walkway above the crowd and throw down cards which would unlock their in-game autographs. I almost got crushed in the scramble for Ukrainian player Xboct's signature.

After three days of battling through the brackets, it came down to an all-China final between Vici Gaming and Newbee. Unfortunately, this best-of-five series turned out to be one of the most boring of the competition. In total, both teams picked only 21 different heroes out of more than a hundred and the games were short, lasting just 15 to 26 minutes.

This could hardly compare with the nail-biting drama of the finals the year before, when the championship was decided by a well-placed spell.

The disappointment of a Dota 2 final is not what I will remember, though. What will stay long in the memory are the insane Secret Shop queues which wound around the building, those crazy cosplays and getting unexpected fist bumps from strangers because I was wearing Na'vi colours.

I will remember the stadium erupting in cheers each time a great play was made and the heartbreak and disbelief on the faces of fans when their team was booted.

At the end of the day, that is what Dota 2 is. It is more than just a video game; it is a roller-coaster of emotions, a sense of camaraderie and wild jolts of adrenaline.

On top of everything, it is a love affair. And I am sure all those who waited in line with me feel the same.

lting@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on July 30, 2014.
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