Blast Slam IV delivers an epic, satisfying esports final for Dota 2 fans in Singapore

It's been three long years since I've watched a competitive Dota 2 live, and as I made my way into the Singapore Indoor Stadium for Blast Slam IV finals on Sunday (Nov 9), I was expecting a sold-out audience, similar to the The International 11 (TI), which took place in 2022 at the same location.

Instead, it was strange to see the arena around three quarters filled, with empty seats at the sides of the upper levels. But despite what seemed to be a smaller crowd from my experience at TI, the roars were loud and exactly as I remembered, as the two squads of finalists – London-based Tundra Esports and Saudi Arabia-based Team Falcons – battled it out for the lion's share of the US$1m (S$1.3m) prize pool.

Dota 2, or Defence of the Ancients 2, is a competitive game played on the PC that features two teams of five players battling it out in a top down view in a map, with the objective of destroying the opponent's base. A game can take from 20 minutes to over an hour to finish, and competitive games are usually a best-of-three, with the finals often a best-of-five.

"It's my first final, and I'm happy to be here," audience member Ryan Yeo told CNA Lifestyle. "I usually prefer to watch online because you can slow down and watch things, but I have not attended one so far, so why not this time?"

Yeo, who attended the event by cosplaying as Zeus, a Dota 2 character, was also joined by his friends, who also came dressed as characters from the game. 

Meanwhile, for a couple who only wanted to be known as Daryl and Benita, attending the tournament was something that they really enjoyed, as they both have played Dota 2 for at least 10 years, either since secondary school or while in polytechnic.

"We watch most of the tournaments,