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The International Dota 2 Championships, the most lucrative eSports tournament in the world, is coming to Vancouver’s Rogers Arena this summer.

Dota 2, also known by its official but seldom-used title Defense of the Ancients 2, is a multiplayer online video game in which mythical heroes battle in a fantasy realm. With more than 10 million active players, it is the most popular game on the Steam gaming platform.

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From Aug. 20 to 25, the world’s best teams will battle in front of what is expected to be a sold-out crowd at Rogers Arena for a prize pool worth $27 million.

The big money attracts big names. Last year’s champions, Team Liquid, a pro outfit from the Netherlands that walked away with a $10-million first-place cheque, are owned by an investment group that includes basketball legend Magic Johnson and Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis.

Seattle had hosted the annual event since 2012 but renovations to the city’s Key Arena — to facilitate an NHL expansion team — made it necessary for Valve Corporation, the Bellevue, Wash., video game giant that created Dota 2, to move the event north of the border.

“Rogers Arena is a great venue, Vancouver is a great city, and Key Arena is going to be shut down for major construction very soon,” Valve said in a brief statement to GeekWire.

The event had been rumoured to be coming to Vancouver since October when eagle-eyed fans watching a TSN report from Rogers Arena spotted an electronic banner advertising the event behind sportscaster Farhan Lalji.