Valve has done a brilliant job creating a virtuous cycle around professional Dota. They host The International (TI), the biggest tournament of the year. Dota i

Valve has done a brilliant job creating a virtuous cycle around professional Dota. They host The International (TI), the biggest tournament of the year. Dota is free to play, and financed by selling in-game cosmetic items. Every year around TI-time, Valve releases a collection of items, with 25% of proceeds going towards the tournament prize pool. Some people buy the items because they look cool. Some people buy the items because they "want to support esports". It turns into a virtuous circle because e.g. reddit gets hyped up like a kickstarter "how high can we make it go?!". Each year breaks the previous sales record, leading to PR, and higher sales. Higher sales leads to a larger prize pool, leading stories like these. Larger prize pools also attract pro players from other esports, leading to more PR and hype, etc.