Hi-Rez Studios, the developers of SMITE, announced today tha tthe prize pool for its upcoming SMITE World Championships has surpassed $2 million. This has made SMITE the third eSports IP to break that barrier. The SWC’s bankroll, currently over $2.14 million, edges out the total offered by Leage of Legends’ 2014 World Championship.
The SMITE prize pool is crowdfunded by Odyssey, a in-game promotion that sells exclusive content to SMITE players. Microtransactions that are generated by Odyssey contributes directly to the overall jackpot that eight teams from around the world will battle for in front of a live auditorium and online audience next month. The Odyssey continues to add to the final payout in the upcoming weeks. The final sum will be awarded at the conclusion of the championship, which takes place January 9th – 11th, 2015 at the Coob Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta.
To celebrate this milestone, Hi-Rez Studios has released a new developer diary that looks back on SMITE’s evolving history of using community passion to fuel its competitive events. You can check out the featurette here. Tickets for the SMITE World Championship are available here. Hi-Rez Studios will also broadcast the showdown on Twitch.