The International is Dota 2’s annual world championship and one of the most watched and culturally significant events in esports. It brings together the game’s top teams, draws a global live audience in the millions, and has helped define the scale of modern competitive gaming through its spectacle, prestige, and fan investment.
As Director of Production for The International’s broadcast and in-venue content, I led a 20-person crew, managed six-figure budgets, and oversaw roughly 50 deliverables per event. The work supported livestream audiences reaching 1.7 million peak viewers and 67.7 million hours watched, while helping scale the event from an arena show into a global storytelling platform under immovable deadlines.
The body of work included location announcements, hero reveals, in-game update films, halftime comedy short films, fan humor pieces, Team hype intros, player profiles, vignettes, and tournament recap content, all designed to engage both the live crowd and the worldwide broadcast audience.
Location Announcements
The International Returns was a location announcement film for Dota 2’s The International 2023, revealing the tournament’s return to Seattle. Framed as more than a simple event update, the piece was built to reignite community excitement by treating the host city itself as part of The International’s legacy and identity.
Halftime Show
At The International, halftime films serve as featured entertainment during the Finals, giving the event a chance to step outside the match broadcast and celebrate Dota 2’s humor, lore, and fan culture on a bigger stage. Pieces like Support Support – The Giver Within and Twisted Sisters turned community in-jokes, hero mythology, and role-based comedy into polished main-event shorts designed to energize the live crowd and reward longtime viewers between games.
Remember When – With PyrionFlax
Remember When was a Dota 2 throwback series that revisited the game’s history through comedic, community-driven episodes on fan-favorite heroes, Diretide, legendary personalities, and unforgettable patches. The series tapped into the memories, humor, and deep-cut references that longtime players instantly recognize.
Player Profiles
Short documentary-style portraits of Dota 2’s top players, built to bring humanity, personality, and emotional context to the competition.
Team Hype Intros
Team intro films that transformed walkouts into high-stakes stage moments, building energy and anticipation before the tournament’s biggest matches.
Hero Announcements
Hero announcement videos in Dota 2 are cinematic teaser pieces built to introduce new heroes through identity, atmosphere, and speculation, turning future gameplay updates into major community moments.
Tournament Recaps
Short-form highlight recaps built to capture the defining plays, turning points, and momentum shifts that shaped The International in real time.