Millions on the line at professional video game competition in Vancouver
VANCOUVER — When thousands of fans pack Vancouver’s Rogers Arena this weekend, it won’t be a hockey player or a musical superstar they’re screaming to see.
Instead, the deafening crowd will cheer on professional video gamers as they battle for the more than US$25 million up for grabs in what’s being described as the esports Super Bowl.
This week marks the first time the International Dota 2 Championships are being held in Canada, and fans and organizers say the tournament’s success shows esports has exploded from a niche hobby to a booming industry.
About 15,000 tickets for Saturday’s finals sold out almost immediately and at least 10 million others are expected to stream the action live online, said Erik Johnson of Valve, the company that created “Dota 2” — a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game — and runs the tournament.