Dota 2's The International will be available in VR

Valve announced that Dota 2 fans will be able to watch this year's The International, the largest Dota 2 tournament, in virtual reality.

Both live matches and replays will be available in VR through the dedicated Dota VR Hub. One of the more intriguing aspects of this announcement is that you'll have the option to watch as if you were a member of the crowd at the event itself or from within the game.

In an announcement, Valve wrote, "Put on a headset and join your friends and other Dota fans to watch live matches or replays in Dota VR Theater, where you can stand surrounded by heroes and watch the action unfold on an enormous screen. Immerse yourself further by jumping through the minimap into the game itself. Watch from a bird's-eye view or plant your feet on the ground to watch the battles rage around you at full scale."

The International gets underway on August 2 with a Wildcard event in which four teams compete for the last two places in the Group Stage. This stage takes place from August 3 until August 5 before the main event kicks off on August 8. Here, the best of the bunch will battle it out until August 13 for a share of more than $18 million.