The Beginnings of Dota 2 and The International
Welcome back to "Between the Lanes," a blog feature where we, members of the development team, share some challenges, bug fixes, and occasional strokes of luck encountered while working on a game like Dota 2 and an event like The International.
The International is an incredibly massive undertaking that is followed by millions of people around the world. It's easy to forget that the very first TI was a modest, honestly quite unremarkable event held at Gamescom 2011 in Cologne, Germany, and took place in a booth.
From Soundproof Cabins to Progress
In honor of TI's humble beginnings, the developers have decided to dedicate this issue of Between the Lanes to an often forgotten, rarely celebrated (and occasionally poorly ventilated) piece of equipment that has been there since the very beginning and has remained a constant presence (except for last year): the soundproof cabin.
The Early Challenges
The first TI was a true learning experience for the developers. The desks on which the pros played were too narrow and too high. As a result, the players had to sit on stools, with their elbows hanging over the edge of the desk, which turned out to be the worst way to play DOTA.
Refined Cabins and Growing Challenges
As the events grew, so did the challenges, which called for more advanced techniques in cabin design. The cabins of TI2-4 had only one glass wall. But the fifth TI was going to be "in the round," on a circular stage with a 360-degree view; now the cabins had to be transparent on all sides.
The Future of Dota 2 and The International
The developers continued their iteration in the following years, making gradual but significant improvements in player comfort, cabin lighting, and other incremental changes. By the time they arrived at the last TI in Singapore, they had a decade of soundproofing experience under their belts, giving them the confidence to try a new approach.
But soundproofing is simply too important a compromise. And despite their efforts to acoustically design the arena, they underestimated the difficulty of bringing soundproofing to the standard. Do they believe that a cabin-free event is an experiment worth pursuing again? Absolutely.
What matters is that they are moving in the right direction: towards something better, faster, more enjoyable for the pros, and more exciting for us viewers.
Until then, we look forward to bringing the "classic" soundproof cabins from TI5 out of storage in Kent, WA, and back onto the main stage of The International 2023. And if you're wondering where to start your next Dota 2 adventure, why not check out our Steam Key page!
