Sorry, it seems being incredibly good at video games can only make you silly rich once.
The members of Newbee, a Dota 2 team competing against 15 other teams for the lion's share of an absurdly big $18 million pot, were eliminated on the first night of the game's annual high-stakes tournament.
During last year's International (the fourth ever), Newbee's five members handily won over Vici Gaming to take home a $5 million pot. It immediately made its five members, all from China, the highest earners in all esports. Their early loss Monday means they'll only take home about $50,000 for the team.
But Newbee, a team that was only formed in 2014 to compete for the International's large prize, struggled against South Korean team MVP Phoenix on Monday night. They, along with three other teams, were knocked out of the first full night of the tournament. The International 5 started July 26 in Seattle, where several rounds of play first put the 16 teams into winners and losers brackets. This week, those teams go head-to-head until the final games on Saturday night.
Dota 2 is one of the most-watched competitive games. The fast-paced multiplayer game puts two teams of five against each other on a map, each selecting one of more than 100 different characters as they try wallop each other and destroy the other team's base -- called a tower. (We created a primer video to explain the genre for those interested in a deeper dive.)
The International is a particular draw because of the enormous prize pool, which is generated by fans through the purchase of add-on content for Dota 2. By buying The Compendium, a set of in-game content that includes everything from cosmetic upgrades to rare treasures, players guarantee 25% of their money goes directly to the International pot -- an easy way to make your event more dramatic. The base Compendium is $10, but you easily spend a lot more to "level it up" to unlock even more rare loot.
The matches continue Tuesday, as more teams are whittled down until the final day. Those interested can tune in via Twitch, Youtube or the Dota 2 website.