eSports have gone pro, big time.

The International Dota 2 Championships is among the richest events in all of sports. At stake: more than $20 million in prize money — twice that of golf’s biggest tournaments. And more views than the World Series. So the technology better perform flawlessly, for players and fans alike.

Which is why for the second year running, NVIDIA GeForce GTX gaming GPUs and G-SYNC technology are the official graphics hardware of The International, Valve’s gamer-funded Dota 2 world championships kicking off in Seattle, on August 8. Millions of fans will be watching.

The International is the highlight of an increasingly frenetic eSports season that is driving not only the PC industry, but new kinds of entertainment. This isn’t a regional phenomenon. People all over the world play the same games, and follow the same teams.

These are NVIDIA’s core customers — and their appetite for gaming is insatiable. Three of the top streaming titles on Twitch are dedicated to PC gaming. Traditional television and sports networks are creating eSports programming.

Powering a Global Sports Phenomenon

As eSports has gone global, players at all levels have come to rely on NVIDIA. Our gear lets gamers and fans see more of the game, more clearly. That’s crucial not just for teams in training, but for the increasingly high-stakes tournaments that have become a global entertainment phenomenon.

“To compete at the highest level, you need the best equipment when you train and play,” said Clement “Puppey” Ivanov, captain of Team Secret, which has been playing pro Dota 2 matches on GeForce GTX and G-SYNC for the past two years.

“The performance of GeForce 10 Series GPUs combined with G-SYNC’s ability to eliminate tearing and stutter without adding latency are crucial advancements in gaming technology,” he said.

Upgrading to Pascal

The GeForce graphics platform has become the standard for professional eSports. NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPUs and G-SYNC displays were used on the three “major” mid-year Dota 2 tournaments and three ESL One Dota 2 tournaments.

“In eSports, our playing field is a computer system, and NVIDIA is my home field advantage,” said Ivanov. “When I see NVIDIA GeForce systems in a tournament, I know the equipment is second to none and will just work. It allows me to remove those worries from my mind and lets me focus on winning.”

Don’t expect that to change. The International will be the first major tournament to run on GeForce GTX GPUs based on our new Pascal architecture. It’s the pinnacle of professional Dota 2 competitive gaming. Players and fans require the fastest, most responsive, most reliable systems on Earth.

So we’re excited that the International will pair our Pascal-based GTX 1080 GPUs with a new 180Hz G-SYNC monitor by ASUS. The combination is one of the most powerful gaming platforms on the planet.

And regardless of who wins, it’ll be a great show.

Cheer for your favorite teams in each matchup for a chance to win the official graphics cards of The International. Learn more at ti6gameready.com.