It's the biggest DOTA 2 tournament in Europe: the ESL One Frankfurt DOTA 2 tournament. The third such tourney is about to be held this coming June, and word about the tourney's specifics is already starting to come out. You won't believe the prices to catch this live, but even if you don't have that kind of cash, worry not; options for seeing DOTA 2 in action will abound.

First, the prize pool; this year, the prizes add up to a not-insubstantial $250,000, which is well worth it for anyone in on the action. Those interested in catching the event will be able to shell out 29 euros for tickets starting December 17, which will be an as-yet-undetermined amount in US dollars as exchange rates fluctuate semi-minutely. That's not the only ticket that can be had, though; those willing to shell out better than 10 times that--249 euros--can get in on free concessions during the event, a "goodie bag" full of random swag, and the ability to get in on what's known as the Secret Shop, which contains merchandise normally on hand for live attendees.

Those willing to drop more than ten times THAT price at 2999 euros gets you everything mentioned previously, along with a private lounge for up to five people, front-of-line priority, reserved seating at a premium location, and even free tours of what goes on at a major event behind the scenes.

Exciting, sure. Worth several thousand dollars? That I kind of doubt. That doesn't matter, however, because this provides an object lesson that needs to be considered fully. For anyone who's ever wondered if esports can be a long-term paying proposition, this is proof positive that it is. Not only do we have the paying advertisers in place, but we also have the audience, and an audience sufficiently flush in portions to buy the equivalent of skybox seating. That's pretty much rounded out everything that was missing from a sport, so yes indeed, you should be able to call esports an actual sport now.

The good news here is that there's plenty of room for further development in the sector. We could well be looking at the official sport of gamers in development here, and that just serves to make gaming all the more valid as a hobby. It's hard to believe that in just 30 years we've gone from the mocked outsiders to the mistrusted loners to the mainstream. It's been quite a ride; keep it here for all the latest.