Free to Play

Each player faces scepticism from family and friends about a career in gaming. Dendi's story is shaped by the loss of his father, Fear's by years of chasing an uncertain living, and hyhy's by pressure to pursue a conventional career.

The International in Cologne in 2011 brought 16 teams together. Dendi's team, Natus Vincere, won the $1 million first prize, an unprecedented sum at the time.

The film shows the training, teamwork and stress of high-level competition, as well as the sacrifices players make.

Later International tournaments grew dramatically, with prize pools funded in part by players' purchases reaching tens of millions of dollars.

For people in esports and sport business, Free to Play documents an important moment in the industry's growth. Valve's large prize money attracted players, sponsors and media attention.

It also raises questions familiar from traditional sport: player welfare, career length, and the role of publishers who own the game and control competition.

Event managers can note how the tournament blended a physical event with online streaming, a model many sports now use.

Watch Free to Play if you work in esports, sport marketing or new media, or want to understand competitive gaming's rise.

It was produced by Valve, the tournament's organiser. This Shelf feature reflects the film's story and themes; it is not a scene-by-scene review.