The Eastern Europe qualifiers for The International 2024 attracted over 147K peak viewers, significantly surpassing last year’s numbers. Similarly, the South American qualifiers showed impressive growth, drawing more viewers than those in North America and China.
The International 2024: Eastern Europe Closed Qualifier
Eastern Europe is a key region in Dota 2, so it’s no surprise that its qualifiers for The International 2024 were significantly more popular than those in other regions. This year, with only one spot available, the competition was fierce. The biggest surprise was the early exit of Virtus.pro — a team considered a favorite — eliminated after just three matches. Natus Vincere lasted a bit longer but also failed to reach the finals. In the decisive series, 1win dominated 9pandas with a 3-0 victory, earning their first-ever spot at The International. None of the 1win players had previously competed in The International.
The Eastern Europe qualifiers generated 2.8 million hours of watch time, with peak viewership reaching 147.8K — a 30% increase from last year’s qualifiers. So far, Eastern Europe leads in viewership among all regions, with only the Western Europe qualifiers, which began on June 19, potentially surpassing it.
Notably, the Eastern Europe qualifiers featured many top community casters like Nix and NS. However, the largest audience was drawn by the official Russian-language channel dota2_paragon_ru, with Russian-language broadcasts accounting for almost 60% of the total watch hours.
The International 2024: South America Closed Qualifier
South America received no direct invites to The International 2024, so two spots were available in the regional qualifiers. These qualifiers primarily featured mixed teams from Peru, as well as rosters from Leviatán, NoPing Esports, and Midas Club. Despite the competition, the matches went as expected, with Heroic and beastcoast — both top favorites according to many analysts — advancing to the finals. These two teams will represent South America at the world championship in Denmark.
In terms of viewership, South America currently ranks second in regional popularity. The qualifiers peaked at 76.8K viewers, surpassing North America and China. Last year, the South American qualifiers peaked at 50.8K viewers.
On June 23, the winners of the final two regional qualifiers for The International 2024 — Western Europe and Southeast Asia — will be decided. Each region will be awarded two spots for the world championship, finalizing the event’s participants list.
The International 2024 Participants:
The International 2024 is scheduled to occur from September 4 to 15 in Copenhagen. The finals will be held at the Royal Arena, a venue renowned for hosting various esports tournaments, including a major event for Counter-Strike in the past.
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