The International 2025
— the main annual championship for Dota 2, which is perceived as the culmination of the season
and gathers maximum audience attention.
During these periods, interest in esports sharply increases in the app: people open matches more often, but at the same time
not everyone wants to enter the broadcast just to understand the situation.
Against this backdrop, we had an idea: to provide the user with fast, clear context right on the match screen — the stage of the game, draft/picks, and key events — so that they can make a decision and place a bet without leaving the viewing experience.
Therefore, while designing the next promotional page for the tournament, we decided to implement a link between the page/promotion (which directs to the tournament and leads to relevant matches) and match widgets, which eliminate the main barrier — “I don’t understand what is happening.”
Goal
Accelerate time-to-bet during TI 2025 without entering the broadcast
Increase conversion to betting from the TI promo page
Create a clear and "catchy" entry into the tournament through promotion
Solution
Create a promotional page for the tournament that serves as a hub
Design widgets at the top of the match screen that provide context without interfering with the main betting line.
I designed a modular "shelf" of widgets.
Widgets change content according to the stages of the match to display only the data that helps
make decisions the fastest.
- Live state with stats on heroes/players, their values, kda, and other important metrics.
- Separate states of "Draft" and "Picks" with timers and slots, so the user
understands the selection and banning of heroes without watching the stream.
What was the most important thing in the design
- Reading speed: context in 1–2 seconds.
- Compactness: a lot of data in limited vertical space of a mobile screen.
- Systematicity: unified principles, but different entities and states.
Results
The metrics below have been altered/aggregated due to the NDA and reflect the order of effect based on post-release analysis and observations.
The conversion rate from the cyber section during TI increased by +8–9%
The average time to the first bet has decreased by 12–14% thanks to widgets that provide context without entering the broadcast.
The share of users who entered the broadcast "just to figure things out" has decreased, and bets from the match screen have increased.
Engagement on the screen has increased through interactions with the screen and transitions to relevant matches.
The quality of sessions has improved — fewer early exits without action (6–7%) and more targeted scenarios.
Thank you for your attention!
The TI 2025 launch had more features than were included in the case — if you want, I can tell you about Ogre Magi on the main screen, the "multicast" mechanic, and other cool features from this project.
