Dota 2 news » The Sun Rises on The International

The Main Event of The International begins today. All the action takes place on the stage at Benaroya Hall in front of thousands of fans. If a day packed with Dota 2 being played by the best professional players in the world, inside of one of the most beautiful venues isn’t enough, we have more – much more.

First up will be the opening Ceremony at 12 Noon PST. We will be streaming this to the world, so even if you aren’t at the hall, make sure to drop everything you are doing and watch.

If you are in the hall, each day of the event will have autograph sessions with the Dota 2 voice actors at 2 and 4pm. Every signature is on a picture of the hero they have voiced. While you’re there, get your badge scanned and receive a special bonus in-game item.

Today’s actors are Gin Hammond and Dave Fennoy.

Gin voices Crystal Maiden, Drow Ranger, Enchantress, Mirana, Phantom Assassin, Spectre, Vengeful Spirit.

Dave is the voice behind Faceless Void, Skeleton King, Venomancer, Batrider, Huskar, Jakiro.

We love the International Fantasy Challenge and the Compendium owners who are playing it. Knowing many of you will be attending The International, we wanted to make it easier for you to manage your teams.

We know loading up the game client will be tough with your busy schedule. So we made it more accessible. Fantasy challenge players who have already created a team online can now check on how their players are doing, make changes when the games are over, and generally do everything you could do in game but now on the web!

Visit this handy link to start making changes to your team now. Remember we lock down teams right before the day’s matches begin and it is really, really important to remember – not every player will be playing every day. Your player has to be playing to earn points. Check the schedule and plan accordingly.

Some quick fantasy stats (we will dig more into these later). The top 5 fantasy players – S4 with 62.73, Sylar with 61.98, XBOCT at 61.96, Dendi at 61.55, and Loda rounds out the field with 61.11.

Attendees also get to visit the brand new Secret shop filled with old and new items, including these little guys (1,2). If you are at the hall make sure to check for daily deals and there are multiple products bundled with exclusive in-game economy items. Receive a complimentary 3-pack of trading cards with every purchase over $50 USD

Items you see posted from the store will also be available at the Valve Store online.

Everyday includes autograph signing sessions with the players and places for you to meet top Workshop contributors and more.

But what if all of this isn’t enough? What if what you really want is even more Dota 2 than a day packed full of Dota 2?

We’ve got that as well.

At the end of the regularly scheduled matches, when the day by all rights should be done and we should all be tucking ourselves into bed and preparing for Thursday – we have an All-Star Dota 2 Match pitting your favorite players against each other in two super teams for the ages. You can find the teams at the bottom of this page.

It doesn’t matter if you are in the hall or not, you should join us on Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, and this blog for more coverage throughout The International.

Let the games begin.