Dota 2 is a radically different kind of game for Valve, so it makes sense the company would be revealing the game to the public in a new way.

Confirming rumors today, Valve will be shipping out 16 teams to Germany to participate in a Dota 2 tournament during Gamescom, a tournament that will act as the game's official unveiling, too.

The team's aren't competing for simple glory, either; Valve's handing the winner $1 million bucks!

"I have had the good fortune to watch the competitors as they prepare for the tournament, and the level of play is extraordinary," said president and founder Gabe Newell in the announcement release.

Thankfully, the tournament will be broadcast live in Chinese, English, German and Russian, letting the many of us not attending Gamescom an opportunity to see what all the fuss is about as it happens.

The releases says Dota 2 will be released on both PC and Mac "later this year," but doesn't address rumors Valve's looking into the free-to-play model, following the introduction of free-to-play games on Steam. Free-to-play is a common business model for these types of games, however.

The tournament itself takes place over the five days of Gamescom, August 17 through August 21.

Dota 2 is a radically different kind of game for Valve, so it makes sense the company would be revealing the game to the public in a new way.

Confirming rumors today, Valve will be shipping out 16 teams to Germany to participate in a Dota 2 tournament during Gamescom, a tournament that will act as the game's official unveiling, too.

The team's aren't competing for simple glory, either; Valve's handing the winner $1 million bucks!

"I have had the good fortune to watch the competitors as they prepare for the tournament, and the level of play is extraordinary," said president and founder Gabe Newell in the announcement release.

Thankfully, the tournament will be broadcast live in Chinese, English, German and Russian, letting the many of us not attending Gamescom an opportunity to see what all the fuss is about as it happens.

The releases says Dota 2 will be released on both PC and Mac "later this year," but doesn't address rumors Valve's looking into the free-to-play model, following the introduction of free-to-play games on Steam. Free-to-play is a common business model for these types of games, however.

The tournament itself takes place over the five days of Gamescom, August 17 through August 21.

But when does it hit Xbox?

That's million bucks.

Sooo... it must play quite a bit like its predecessor in order for people to be anywhere near a level of proficiency needed to play on a million dollar stage?

That's a lot of Brad bucks.

That's million bucks.

That's million bucks.

Yeah, later this year sounds likely. You know, Valve, the company who has strict deadlines and release dates.

That's million bucks.

Gabe is spending some of that hat money he earned yesterday.

That's million bucks.

@Baing: NEVER, you could never put DoTa or DoTa 2 on a console.

That's a pretty cool way to unveil a game.

@Leadcat said:

That's a lot of Brad bucks.

Million of them.

That's a great way to develop hype for a game and get fans excited for its first public showing =)

Good on Valve. Sorry LoL and HoN... You'll probably live on in our memories once DOTA 2 rapes our senses.

(I'm not actually a fan of any of them, just mirroring the statements of almost every fan I've talked with)

@Scooper said:

That's million bucks.

You are my hero.

As long as DoTA is the home of all nerds who take out their sexual frustration on new players, this will actually be the first Valve game I haven't bought on release...

Moneyz.

I cringe at the thought of how many HoN players will migrate to DotA 2...

now that's how you do it.

Every is talking shit about soul caliber 5, but if they had a tourney with 1 mil on the line, some people might get their game on =P

This is a really cool way to reveal it. Can't wait til Gamescom now.

Valve is fucking cool.

Dota 2 also received a Steam Store page today in which the beta is mentioned as such:
 

Beta

Valve is targeting this fall for a large scale beta.

And HoN just went free-to-play, or something resembling that.

I've always loved and respected Valve more than Blizzard. This just adds on to that.

Hero in the a poster is named Lina. Is that a new version of Lina Inverse (Slayer)? Looks good.

Sounds good. Looking forward to kicking League of Legends to the curb and hopping into bed with Valve for my Dota fix.

I cringe at the thought of how many HoN players will migrate to DotA 2...

Good to know my HAT money is going for good use.

@ashyzup said:

Hero in the a poster is named Lina. Is that a new version of Lina Inverse (Slayer)? Looks good.

Too tall and busty. And serene.

@Sjupp said:

I cringe at the thought of how many HoN players will migrate to DotA 2...

...and LoL players. I only played LoL for a while and it was probably one of the worst online experiences I've had with a game. I can't say how much better/worse HoN is, but LoL sure ain't free of it's fair share of assholes. To be honest, I'm very seriously considering not buying this game unless I can find a dedicated (not hardcore, I just mean consistent) group of people to play with.

@picklecannon said:

@PrimeSynergy said:

@Sjupp said:

I cringe at the thought of how many HoN players will migrate to DotA 2...

...and LoL players. I only played LoL for a while and it was probably one of the worst online experiences I've had with a game. I can't say how much better/worse HoN is, but LoL sure ain't free of it's fair share of assholes. To be honest, I'm very seriously considering not buying this game unless I can find a dedicated (not hardcore, I just mean consistent) group of people to play with.

If TF2 is any indication of the direction that valve is going to take the game, I'm sure new players will be eased into dota and there will probably be some sort of match making to make sure you're never getting owned to hard.

I'm just baffled by the amounts of idiots playing HoN and LoL respectively. HoN players are the most elitist fuckwits I've ever met and LoL players are INFINITELY stupid. Obviously there are exceptions in both games but I'm amazed by the sheer size of people in both those games fitting into those groups.

I'm interested in seeing how DotA 2 will turn out but HoN and LoL have kind of ruined it for me.

But will I be able to use my hats in DotA 2?

Time to go on a binge in Cologne. And rob Valve blind!

@Sjupp said:

I'm just baffled by the amounts of idiots playing HoN and LoL respectively. HoN players are the most elitist fuckwits I've ever met and LoL players are INFINITELY stupid. Obviously there are exceptions in both games but I'm amazed by the sheer size of people in both those games fitting into those groups.

I'm interested in seeing how DotA 2 will turn out but HoN and LoL have kind of ruined it for me.

thats pretty much the reason why I never played any dota game ... the communitys are terrible and for someone who just wants to have some fun and doesn't really care about winning/losing thats a real bummer.

@ajamafalous said:

But will I be able to use my hats in DotA 2?

... asking the hard pressing questions we need answers to. News at 11.

But will I be able to use my hats in DotA 2?

Witness the last game under the name of DotA, unless a miracle happens and Valve learns how to count to 3.

I played LoL today for the first time and it was fine...

That's a lot of money to give to the kind of spastic jerks who play these games ;\

@picklecannon said:

@PrimeSynergy said:

@Sjupp said:

I cringe at the thought of how many HoN players will migrate to DotA 2...

...and LoL players. I only played LoL for a while and it was probably one of the worst online experiences I've had with a game. I can't say how much better/worse HoN is, but LoL sure ain't free of it's fair share of assholes. To be honest, I'm very seriously considering not buying this game unless I can find a dedicated (not hardcore, I just mean consistent) group of people to play with.

If TF2 is any indication of the direction that valve is going to take the game, I'm sure new players will be eased into dota and there will probably be some sort of match making to make sure you're never getting owned to hard.

I'm just baffled by the amounts of idiots playing HoN and LoL respectively. HoN players are the most elitist fuckwits I've ever met and LoL players are INFINITELY stupid. Obviously there are exceptions in both games but I'm amazed by the sheer size of people in both those games fitting into those groups.

I'm interested in seeing how DotA 2 will turn out but HoN and LoL have kind of ruined it for me.

@PrimeSynergy said:

@Sjupp said:

I cringe at the thought of how many HoN players will migrate to DotA 2...

...and LoL players. I only played LoL for a while and it was probably one of the worst online experiences I've had with a game. I can't say how much better/worse HoN is, but LoL sure ain't free of it's fair share of assholes. To be honest, I'm very seriously considering not buying this game unless I can find a dedicated (not hardcore, I just mean consistent) group of people to play with.

If TF2 is any indication of the direction that valve is going to take the game, I'm sure new players will be eased into dota and there will probably be some sort of match making to make sure you're never getting owned to hard.

I'm just baffled by the amounts of idiots playing HoN and LoL respectively. HoN players are the most elitist fuckwits I've ever met and LoL players are INFINITELY stupid. Obviously there are exceptions in both games but I'm amazed by the sheer size of people in both those games fitting into those groups.

I'm interested in seeing how DotA 2 will turn out but HoN and LoL have kind of ruined it for me.

That's million bucks.

valve never seems to disappoint 

Will us not so talented convention-goers be able to play this on the show floor at Gamescom?

@RagingLion said:

@Sjupp said:

@picklecannon said:

@PrimeSynergy said:

@Sjupp said:

I cringe at the thought of how many HoN players will migrate to DotA 2...

...and LoL players. I only played LoL for a while and it was probably one of the worst online experiences I've had with a game. I can't say how much better/worse HoN is, but LoL sure ain't free of it's fair share of assholes. To be honest, I'm very seriously considering not buying this game unless I can find a dedicated (not hardcore, I just mean consistent) group of people to play with.

If TF2 is any indication of the direction that valve is going to take the game, I'm sure new players will be eased into dota and there will probably be some sort of match making to make sure you're never getting owned to hard.

I'm just baffled by the amounts of idiots playing HoN and LoL respectively. HoN players are the most elitist fuckwits I've ever met and LoL players are INFINITELY stupid. Obviously there are exceptions in both games but I'm amazed by the sheer size of people in both those games fitting into those groups.

I'm interested in seeing how DotA 2 will turn out but HoN and LoL have kind of ruined it for me.

Yeah, I've been hearing this a big issue in these communities. It makes the comments Gabe Newell gave a little while ago take on greater significance is this light - the comments were about how it would be a good system to make those who contribute to good communities pay less for a game than those who make the multiplayer environment a less pleasant place to be. I wonder if that means Valve has given this very issue some serious thought and come up with some solutions for creating a better multiplayer experience for people?

That's actually really interesting! I remember reading about that some time ago but I never put in into any context.

@Sjupp said:

I cringe at the thought of how many HoN players will migrate to DotA 2...

Yep.. Lame.

I really have faith that valve will do a great jpb with dota, and I know that I will pick up the game when it comes out; but WHERE IS HALF LIFE 2: EP 3???!