The International 5 tournament for "Dota 2" players is now officially underway.
Even though more and more "Dota 2" tournaments have been popping up recently, The International 5 is still widely regarded as the most important event on the gamer's calendar. It is also the most lucrative e-Sports tournament that players can participate in.
For this year's tournament, players will be fighting for their share of the massive $18 million prize pool, with the winner of the whole thing taking home more than a third of the available winnings.
This year's tournament began with Valve head honcho Gabe Newell welcoming players and fans to Seattle's Key Arena to kick off the festivities, according to The Verge.
The action at The International 5 has gotten off to a rollicking start, with one team already punching their ticket to the semi-finals.
In the first day of the tournament, LGD Gaming took on Team Empire in an upper bracket match. The two teams played each other in best of three series.
Heading into the match, Team Empire was the clear cut favorite among fans, but even support from the crowd could not carry the team through to the next stage of The International 5.
LGD Gaming quickly took control of the match in Game One, and were well on their way to sweeping Team Empire out of the tournament before a dramatic turnaround caused them to lose Game Two.
By Game Three, LGD Gaming dominated from start to finish and in the process, gaining entry into the semi-finals, according to SB Nation.
Fans looking to catch a glimpse of The International 5 can look for the games on YouTube, Twitch, or even on Valve. For newcomers who may not be all that familiar with "Dota 2," they can also watch the newcomer stream provided by Valve to get them up to speed.
The grand finale of The International 5 will take place on Aug. 8.
