Ever wondered what the Dota 2 The International is like? Here's what the SteelSeries experience has been like on the ground floor!
Our team has been up bright and early every morning to make an amazing fan experience for the TI attendees. Whether you attended or not, experience it vicariously through the blog!
The Arena
The atmosphere is similar to that of Super Bowl. Thousands of fans convene in the adrenaline-packed arena, infused with booming caster voices who give it their all when they describe the games (I had the opportunity to meet Lyrical and PyrionFlax so far and can't wait to meet more if possible!)
The main screen is huge and displays all the game information very visibly. Seeing the famous player booths is also very exciting. These soundproof booths have had an interesting development path. Each one displays the picture of the hero the player is using and will get grayed out when the hero is out of commission.
I scoped out the casters a few times; it was cool to see them move about as they are describing the games, since we don't get to see them while they're on Twitch.
Who's the favorite to win TI? I have no idea. PSG LGD certainly is very strong. I'm sort of hoping Team Liquid pulls through though!
The SteelSeries Booth
The most exciting part of our booth (other than our awesome products on display such as Alias and Arctis Nova 1 White) is the photo op. We have a legit Aegis of Champions on display along other awesome props such as Radiance, Blink Dagger, Sword of Impending Transgressions (it's a Doom item), Butterfly, and Aghanim's Scepter.
After signing our wall and taking an awesome photo with the Aegis and sharing it on Twitter, fans received a ticket to spin our Wheel for the win and Glory. They would receive a random prize for an assortment of stickers and pins to Dota-themed goodies like a scarf, bag, keycaps, or a pen and notebook.
We set up multiple photo op stations throughout the arena for fans to take pictures with various props and share out on social media. The enthusiasm was certainly palpable, as the lines got pretty big; we ran through a good amount of merchandise. I must have snapped at least a thousand photos! It was a blast seeing what kind of poses people come up with.
Other than that, we've had amazing cosplayers embodying Marci and Nature's Prophet. They are incredily friendly people with amazing costumes and lots of energy and patience. I'd love to work with them again!
Dota 2 Legacy Products
Our display certainly attracted a lot of attention. We have several Dota 2 legacy products from the past on display that have graced our website in the past.
We have a Limited Edition Dota 2 QcK Prism that features most of the cast in cute chibi art. Many oogled the product and asked if it's available to buy, but unfotunately, at this time, we are out of stock.
There's also a Dota 2 Arctis 5 headset and an older Siberia V2 headset, as well as a Limited Edition Kana 2 Dota 2 bundle which includes a mousepad and a game download code with a mouse. There's also a Rival 600 mouse.
Our fans were eager to see if they can get their hands on these products, and we've received many inquires. It's great to see such hype for Dota 2-themed products! I know I would love to see more.
The Seattle Experience
It's pretty chilly in Seattle (40-50F, 2-10 C) but our team is having a blast, posting various social media content and interacting with fans. We've even done some last minute ticket giveaways and made some dreams come true when 4 fans came to Seattle without tickets! Always stay tuned to our socials as you just never know what might happen.
Other than that, we've seen some (brief) good views in between setup. I haven't gone on the Space Needle (Noodle) yet, and I'm not sure if I will, but I know that Meredith Grey is out there somewhere. It's her town. What, you don't watch Grey's Anatomy? You should.
Anyway, go watch some Dota 2 and dive into the best esport in the world. Yeah that's right, I said that.
