The task of describing what DOTA (pronounced “doh-tuh”) is, and why it’s such a huge deal in the gaming world is a difficult task. I made a decent attempt last year (in what happens to be my first DFO post) that serves as a good starter. The biggest DOTA tournament of the year, The International, is set to begin its Wild Card play-in today. Afterwards, it’s on to the Group Stage (Wed-Fri), then the elimination bracket that runs August 8th-13th, culminating in the Grand Finals that last year saw the winner take home $6.6 million in a single daring play that brought the roof of KeyArena in Seattle down.

This year’s tournament is going to be even bigger. For the first time we have an American team defending the title, and the prize pool is approaching $20 million and still growing. It’s funded almost entirely through in-game purchases by fans and players of the game. I was going to wait to make this post until the Finals were approaching, but I’m beyond hyped for this shit. It’s the World Cup of gaming and my hard drive is at maximum hardness.

Want to see a ravenous ghoul infest himself into an invisible cat-man who then ambushes a Drow ranger with the help of a glowing willow wisp? You know you do.

Watch it all live here.