Thanks to a highly successful contribution funding event in League of Legends, the prize pool for the upcoming 2017 Mid-Season Invitational has now risen to over #=$1.69 million —- because it's not a competition without high stakes, right?
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Of this impressive sum, approximately $1.4 million has come directly from purchases of the Conqueror Karma and Conqueror Ward in-game cosmetic items, which were made available earlier this month as part of a fundraising event that aimed to increase this year's MSI prize.
It definitely seems like it's been a huge success so far. The items, only purchasable until May 24, included a custom loading screen border in addition to the Karma and Ward, and while that seems extraordinarily inconsequential, apparently it's what the players crave. The MSI cosmetics have already generated 5.6 million dollars of revenue for Riot Games - a quarter of which have gone into the prize pool.
This means that first place will reward competitors with a whopping $676,000. second and third will receive $338,000 and $169,000, respectively.
These high stakes are only further evidence of the growing popularity that has enveloped the Esports scene, which last year resulted in a 20 million dollar prize pool during the DOTA 2 International 2016 Championship.
For more information, check out the official website for League of Legends Esports to read about ticket prices, match schedules, and stats about the competing teams.
Those interested in viewing the events can visit the MSI YouTube channel or Twitch.tv page to watch past competitions and tune in for upcoming events.
