Dota 2 developer Valve has announced that Free to Play, a documentary about three professional Dota 2 players, will be released on Steam on March 19.
Dota 2 is one of the most popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games currently available. The game is the stand-alone sequel to the hit Warcraft III mod Defense of the Ancients (DoTA). The free-to-play title, which was released on July 18, 2013, has gained a massive following with both amateur and professional tournaments luring thousands of gamers into competing for the top spots. The Dota 2 International Tournament is currently the largest professional Dota 2 tournament in the world and players get to compete for a $1 million prize. As part of the promotional activities for the tournament, Valve has produced a feature-length documentary that showcases the experiences of three professional gamers from around the world in their bid for Dota 2 supremacy.
"In recent years, E Sports has surged in popularity to become one of the most widely-practiced forms of competitive sport today," said Valve in Free to Play's official site. "A million dollar tournament changed the landscape of the gaming world and for those elite players at the top of their craft, nothing would ever be the same again. Produced by Valve, the film documents the challenges and sacrifices required of players to compete at the highest level."
The documentary follows three Dota 2 players named Danylo "Dendi" Ishutin, Benedict "HyHy" Lim and Clinton "Fear" Loomis. The three players hail from different countries from around the world. Dendi is from Ukraine, HyHy is from Singapore, while Fear is from the U.S. The three youths showcased in the documentary are currently considered as some of the best professional Dota 2 players in the world.
Once the documentary is released on Steam, members will be able to view the documentary as well as take advantage of a Competitor Pack that comes with a number of perks.
"With the Competitor Pack you'll receive several in-game rewards including pro player item sets for Pudge, Doom, and Sven," said Valve in a post on the official Dota 2 blog. "You'll also obtain a Free to Play courier, a special ward, and a custom HUD skin. Plus a portion of each purchase will go toward the players featured in the film."
Aside from the documentary's launch on Steam, Free to Play will also be screened publicly at the Castro Theater in San Francisco this coming March 18 from 8 p.m to 11 p.m. Tickets for the public screening are available at online ticketing site Eventbrite for $25 per ticket.
