At which 2011 event was Dota 2 first shown publicly?

Dota 2 was first shown publicly at Gamescom in 2011. Valve used the major European gaming convention to present the game while showcasing its first major competitive tournament.

The reveal was tied directly to the inaugural International championship, which took place during Gamescom in Cologne from August 17 to 21, 2011. Valve invited leading DotA players and teams, turning the presentation into both a game debut and a landmark esports event.

At the time, Dota 2 was not yet a finished retail release. Valve began sending closed-beta invitations to DotA players and people attending the event. The game later entered open beta in September 2011, before its full Steam release in July 2013.

Gamescom is sometimes confused with later Dota 2 milestones. The International returned to Seattle in 2012, while PAX Prime hosted that second tournament; neither event was the game’s first public showing. BlizzCon and E3 were also unrelated to this debut.