Free to Play (2014) Online

I had intended to just watch the opening, after so many people I know were recommending this to me. "I gave it a shot," I was going to say. "It's just not my thing." Minutes later, I was shushing my family so I could hear the movie. I couldn't turn it off until the credits rolled. SO good. Such a fantastic character study of these quite different people, their quite different lives, and their shared dedication to Dota.

I'm not into Dota. Not even a little. I think I played it one time, and didn't enjoy it. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this either. 75 minutes of Dota? Yawn.

But it's not 75 minutes of Dota. In fact, for a documentary about a Dota tournament, there's very little Dota in it. They don't really explain the game much at all, or why certain units were chosen over others. This was 100% fine with me (since, let me stress, I am not into Dota). Instead, it was all about the _players_, and was incredibly compelling.

Who do you cheer for, when you have sympathy for all of them?

Free to Play follows the story of three pro-gamers who are given the chance to win 1 million dollars from the tournament of the online video game Dota 2. The Ukrainian prodigy Dendi, the American veteran Fear, and the Singaporean talent HyHy.

Right off the bat, this is a beautifully shot and expertly edited documentary. The in game footage itself has been spiced up to fit the drama, and even though you will hear a lot of gaming jargon, it will be very clear as to whose winning or losing in the heat of things.

What I didn't expect, was the amount of emotion Free to Play builds up. You realize that these players have literally given it all to pursue a career in gaming and the pressure is on. Pretty much all three, especially HyHy, have parents who blatantly disprove their career choices and would rather have them studying and pursuing a more stable path. The film does not glamourize E-Sports as a sure fire way to fame and fortune. E-Sports is a high risk, high reward, winner takes all industry and does not guarantee a steady income. How these players deal the pressure from home, and at a tournament at such a young age is truly remarkable. Close to the end, this movie can become a real tear-jerker for the light hearted.

E-Sports is a fast growing industry, and Valve has made a great contribution to promoting it. As for the criticism that Free to Play is just an extended commercial for Dota is very unfair. It is akin to calling 'Senna' an extended commercial for Formula 1. Of course the sport in question will be featured time to time. Free to Play is a look into the human side of this sport and the motivations and challenges of the players. My only real complain is that it is a bit short. I would have loved to see another 20 minutes just to hit the 90 minute mark.

Overall, this is a solid and well made documentary. It is available to watch for free on YouTube and I would recommend playing it in full HD.

This movie is basically for everyone who doesn't understand the hype on e-sports to get it, it's seriously amazing, i couldn't have loved the movie more than what we got.

I really loved features from different sections in the e-sports world, from North America to CIS to China each one of those guys had to work hard to achieve what they've achieved. Fear for example has been like 10 years in the e-sport scene and just one couple of weeks ago he got to win his first lan (monster invitational) which i must imagine must feel amazing.

So yeah i'm rating this 10/10 because it's obviously worth the wait, it's an incredibly piece of work and valve and the players (in general) should be proud of this movie.

Great documentary about the topic e-sports and the actual players behind it. The focus lies on 3 professional dota2 players (Dendi, hyhy and fear) and their way to, and eventually in, the biggest e-sports-tournament (1000.000$ prize pool), back to the date in 2011, but focuses not only on their gaming career but also on their familiar background and displays the flaws and positive aspects of the correlation. A further aspect is the difference between the 3 protagonists and their motivation which led them to gaming. I really sympathized with them in the end.

The movie was very well shot and got me easily entertained through the 75 minutes, although it was a little bit overly clichéd sometimes (keyword: hyhy's relationship) and people could say that the movie polarizes a bit, but that's only nitpicking. Though the international was nearly 3 years ago, I still got goosebumps by watching this and its also nice to see that e-sports is getting more and more of a deal.

Beside the fact that serious documentaries about this topic are hard to come by these days, I would definitely recommend it.

9/10

What a fascinating movie! Different people, different lifestyles, different languages, different reasons to play, different ambitions, different feelings... Just one game to gather them all. An e-sports movie that can make you cry, smile, proud and so on. In my opinion Dota 2 is UNIQUE. Unique with its quality, players, teams, coaches, casters, fans, community, visuals, tournaments... It has the soul. To win or lose is not the point. Success is something we always look forward to. I clap for these three success stories. The movie is so impressive. Congratulations to everyone has a role to make this movie. My hat goes off to Valve.

The documentary follows 3 high profiled DOTA2 players through their daily lives as professional gamers. It shows their struggles to perform well, but also to make a living and show their families that they are making the right choices.

It follows Danil "Dendi" Ishutin (Ukraine), Benedict "HyHy" Lim (Singapore) and Clinton "Fear" Loomis (USA). It starts off a bit before The International in 2011, follows the players at the event, after the event and around The International 2 in 2012. They play on different teams at the competition and will meet each other in battles, but only one can emerge victorious and win the grand prize of $1.000.000, a prize pool that will not only show their families they did the right thing, but also change their lives forever.

It also follows Clinton's issues by being kicked out of his house, Benedict's though choices with love, and Danil's issues with showing his family that this isn't just a small hobby.

The documentary is really well done, very emotional for gamers around the world. And in general a brilliant documentary that any gamer should watch, even if you don't play the same game as the players in the documentary. Because it's more than just about a game, it's about players that want to make a living doing what they love. And eSports growing much larger than before, and ready to take on giants like Football, Handball, Basketball and other large acknowledged sports.

This film gives you a great insight into the world of e-sports and its rise in popularity. What used to be considered as a basement dweller's hobby is on its way to become a recognized, legitimate sport. And in some countries, this already is the case.

More importantly, however, the film allows you to follow the lives of three professional gamers on their way to "the international", a Dota 2 tournament whose victors would receive the highest prize money for a gaming event at that time: one million dollars.

You get to experience the pressure they undergo in the face of the tournament, but also their struggle for recognition with their families. What their peers consider a waste of time could in fact end up make those kids millionaires and celebrities.

From the beginning to the end, the film grips you tight and does send you on a roller coaster of thrill, anticipation, excitement and also disappointment, sadness and reflection. You feel for and with the people in Free to Play, also thanks to a great job in editing and scoring.

Even if you are not familiar with Dota 2 or the e-sports scene in general, I would highly recommend watching this film as it opens both the world of e-sports and the private lives of those 3 gamers. And it's definitely worth a watch.

First, let me say that this is an excellent documentary as compiled by Valve. More specifically, this is not your typical documentary you might see about dolphins or fast food. However, FreeToPlay IS a documentary that opens up a new world to viewers who may or may not be familiar with the game of Dota2 and or Esports (Video Game) world.

The movie revolves around 3 professional Dota players - Dendi, Fear, and HYHY, all coming from different cultural backgrounds, albeit sharing the same passion and aspirations for the game. Each of their stories are distinct, yet share similar elements of struggle as each of them go through phases in life battling against the social conventions of having to go to school and the pressures of getting a real job.

FreeToPlay has successfully encapsulated the evolution of the gaming industry and its potential to grow in the years to come, paving the way for young aspiring gamers to consider Esports as a viable and legitimate option as a career. Nevertheless, the movie has also been spot on in sharing the real consequences of sacrifices one has to make to becoming the best, as illustrated by the story told by each individuals life.

All in all, FreeToPlay is an eye opener. An interesting and captivating story to show the world how gaming is not just about the 'fun'. It is more than that, it is, in short about life, competition, dedication, - ESPORTS.

Was just expecting it to be good but not that good, brought tears to my eyes after seeing professional gamers using a trash desk, few notebooks and borrowed CRT monitor to fulfill their dreams. Its pretty hard for gamers to manage studies, gaming, social life, and professional life together yet they do it. Its really sad to see that gaming industry haven't flourished in developing countries yet like some of the Asian countries including Pakistan & India where there are too many passionate gamers who never had a chance to show their set of skills internationally and they might possess more than the gamers we know these days. Hats off Valve, you made us gamers proud.

Free To Play is a documentary movie made by Valve, Inc (game company) to show life of the professional gamer, in this case Dota 2.

The movie follow the story of 3 professional gamer: Danil "Dendi" Ishutin, Clinton "Fear" Loomis, and Benedict "HyHy" Lim, on their take on the first biggest eSport tournament in the world: The International 2011, with the prize pool of total 1.6 million dollars.

Some say this might be just a long duration "commercial" about the game, of course, maybe Valve want it to be as an extended commercial to promote the product, but nevertheless, this movie also really show the human side of the professional gamer, the struggle with the stereotype that they faced everyday, and their personal lives.

if you are an avid gamer, I'll recommend this any day! 9/10

Amazing production from valve, a great documentary showing how games are changing life's of several people out there.

The movies fallow's 3 guys, showing all that games and the E-sports market could do for their life's.

A heart touching, beautiful and emotional movie that can be watched by nerds or even the grandpas...

At first, me as a gamer was expecting a OK movie, but the value put in the production was so big, that i really got caught unprepared for this.

And this movie really show things that the population is'nt ready for it yet the new market of athletes with brains, skills, determination and strategy.

Games are there, constructing a new legion of fans that i'll be proud of being part

Through the whole movie I was impressed, by all meanings I thought doing things people they really love is what you really have to do. This movie is based on three professional gamers their life, their fate for taking the path to play on!

Made by Valve this is truly impressive they just gone into our head heart whatever to make entire audience feel that this feeling where you become so passionate about, whole movie I felt something that is hard to explain by words. It's just your life and you decide how to live it.

And there's our guys who chose way of gaming, how they struggle to get accepted by their family and people, how they try hard to get money for living, how they go over the win or lose. This is the documentary that we're gonna talk about boom-start of E-Sports, as said in movie they (Professional players, Dendi, hyhy, Fear as main) will be the ones who we will be talking about. When gamer becomes a father, when gamer becomes a mother and then everyone takes it little bit serious or more calm that will be the golden age of gaming!

As for the production making of this film was truly amazing. They had this beautiful old videos about their life and photos everything being greatly edited and also cinematic gameplays coming in when some hero gets killed or kills other which I found truly amazing it is documentary you don't show every game and they made it so great at all the parts where you get emotionally pumped up. Also the music I don't really know who did this but it was amazing perfectly made exactly for the moments exactly for the feeling you are gonna take.

This was best documentary on almost every documentation ever made.

The documentary is about the lives of pro players.

It really shows the hardships and accomplishments that come with gaming.

I suggest you give this a go, and recommend it to family and friends.

If you play games, you will probably love it.

If you don't, you'll perceive gaming in a whole new light. You may or may not change your mind, but you'll understand.

The documentary is really well done. It's more than just about a game, it's about players that want to make a living doing what they love. And eSports.

After watching this documentary, I can't help but find myself realizing that this movie was about so much more than the game it is based on. Following the life and struggle of these three exceptional players and people caught me off guard and often had me feeling sentimental. Valve did an excellent job of telling their stories without over promoting their company/game.

I found that they chose the perfect three people to base this documentary on. On one end you see the success of Danil, the struggle of Benedict, and the drive of Clinton. Three completely different people with completely different lives and different stories. The one thing in common was the struggle and the pressure they all lived. Once again Valve did an excellent job of really highlighting how great these three truly are.

I recommend this to any viewer who just wants to watch a great documentary.

This is more than just a game.

It was great ! I'm so exciting with this movie. It can make you to be cry. Good Story. Not have to use much money to make this movie! but is just use idea to make it. I can feel is too good movie. I can't explain how this feel. You must watch it by yourself. And think to much when you watch. When you come to the end of the movie You will like to share best story and maybe is can make you to be sad when you join in movie this movie have a lot of epigram to teach you! and it can be Inspiration to make you to serious in something you need and want to make it success. you will have the team you cheer buy if the lose then you feel sad but i not tell you which team is lose just watch it buy your self ha ! Don't have the say to much. Just Watch It !

This documentary is an excellent piece of work by none other than Volvo, whom is famous for being the ultimate creator of Hats among other less notable achievements like creating the Steam platform and Doto 2. We, as fans of Doto, are given the rare opportunity to get a Glimpse into what it is like to be a Doto player who RNGsus has blessed to be able to escape Elo-hell. A 75 minute thriller that is guaranteed to grip viewers to their screens as if they were Stone Gazed. As a fan of the late game, I only wish that this would have gone past 75 minutes, but alas that is not the case. However, this is still a masterpiece that will even keep fans who wished for a longer IG vs DK match entertained. Lots of Doto. Lots of Dendi. Lots of Fear. Lots of Hyhy (Mr. Switch to LOL). What else can anyone wish for? (Techies aside)I just wish Volvo would have used this as a vehicle to hint at the upcoming big hit Half-Life 3. Of course, the fact that Volvo cannot count to 3 on top of #valvetime will make this nigh impossible. Anyways, GLHF! 322/10 would watch again.

It is a movie about 3 players. 3 ordinary guys who pursed their dreams against all odds. Valve did a great job showing what love and passion people have for a video game and what does it takes to be the very best.

The story will suck you in and you will feel for these 3 players who gave up on so many things to play Dota.

I can only say that its a excellent work by Valve in every aspect. And,something which is really important,it is not required to know anything about e-sports or Dota to watch and understand this masterpiece.

i am already wait this movie very long time ago... when they announce the movie on sept 2013 in International Tournament 3.. i like this movie... so much emotion at there, so much motivation i have... i guess tears too...

much people will think that game only thing that can break you're life, but with this movie, they will tell you what the true about game and being a gamers...

3 of them at this movie, prove that, when that came to A pro Gamers its not mean you cant life...and when they came to the top pro gamers they like a celebrity, but sad in real life not all country support game or support E-sport...

If you are reading this, then chances are you are an enthusiastic person when it comes to gaming and the idea of E-Sports in general. I am a 20 year old guy, who lives in Bangladesh, a country where professional gaming is still in its baby steps. So seeing this documentary fills my heart with hope and joy, first of all let me clear up one thing, this movie is not about Dota 2, League of Legends, Counter Strike or any single competitive game. It's about the idea of competitive gaming and everything that comes with it, like every normal person i am currently studying and am trying to somehow build a successful life for myself. But that is not where my passion lies, i am simply doing it because of the sake of it, i am a decent student and am relatively well rounded in life, but nothing and i mean nothing compares to the thrill and satisfaction i get from competitive gaming. Despite being in a country where competitive gaming feels like a mere dream i have always tried to take a shot at it and like every person who is attempting to do the same i face many criticism from people all around me, but we still hope and we still keep on trying, don't we ? This is exactly what this movie/documentary captures, Gaming is no longer a thing of entertainment only, it has now become a competitive sport at an international level and that gives people like us a lot of hope.

This documentary follows the life and struggle of 3 famous players who have fought through all odds, Danil "Dendi" Ishutin from Ukraine, Benedict "HyHy" Lim from Singapore and Clinton "Fear" Loomis from USA. It presents their life style as a gamer beautifully, you feel their pain, their struggles in everyday life and above all you can truly relate to their mentality as a competitive gamer.

The movie is also very well produced, the music fits the scenes perfectly and the transition from one story to another feels smooth and never throws you off the hook of excitement. I for one was simply staring at it and seeing parts of my life pop up in front of my eyes, yes i am nowhere near as successful as the players features but i can relate nonetheless, it does not matter what games you play or even if you are into competitive gaming, i request any and every person to watch this so you can get a little insight to a competitive players mind. Especially parents who are struggling to understand their children's obsession with video games would see this so they can learn to understand them better and manage accordingly.

All said and done Free to Play is one of Valve's greatest creation and it is something every gamer and the people around them should watch.

GG WP VALVE

I play Dota myself occasionally and only through this game have I become introduced to the E-Sports scene. I have never accepted and recognised the sacrifices that these E-Sport players really make. When I thought of pro-gaming, I imagined a normal teenager juggling his social life, studies and gaming separately with ease. It is only through this documentary that I have come to come to terms the real sacrifices that a gamer in the pro scene makes, the life changing decisions they make and the struggle to get to where they have become and to break out into the scene. It does stir some emotions within you and you really start to appreciate the decisions they have made to pursue a career that has not been well recognised by modern society, a career that has been stigmatised with addiction and just plainly being a 'waste of time'. The documentary delves deep into these issues and the shows the attempts made by pro gamers to break free from these false views to truly make this career something they love doing and a career that others can appreciate. It shows how the prize pool for DOTA 2 International laid the foundations for the strong E-Sports community that is present today and the establishment for a much bigger scene in the future.

It's about growth of e-sport entertainment which will be the next generation of sports worldwide. Starting with a minor tournament to a major tournament which hits everyone's eye. It's certainly one of the best documentary I've ever watched. Everything is beautifully captured, pursuing their dreams on becoming world champion in e-sport organization is definitely not something people think of. Until one day the prize pool of 1 million dollar pop people's eye. Simply amazing how things goes from time to time. From the minute they step in to the hall it just moved everyone who watched it. I never reviews such things like this but this is worth to review as it might give some perspectives to others how e-sport can be a career for the youths. Risking everything they had for the dream on becoming world DotA champion.

This movie really surprised,it was very interesting and teaching,it showed us what did all they go through to succeed in Dota and become famous,and very possible gaming competitive future that is coming on the big screen. Dendi is one of my favorite players and what i liked about this is that it show its passion to the game that overcame everything else and eventually made him very famous,and that his piano skills later helped him play the game.Movie also explains a lot about the game and its system showing us how the top players clash against one another expanding the borders of their capabilities with every game.Just like they said Dota will probably in 10 years be as famous as basketball or football and it will be worldwide but all will remember the pioneers who started it all and made it continue.Greate movie with no doubt 10/10 i would recommend any1 to watch it even if they aren't interest in games because they can learn a lot from it.

Video game producer Valve Corporation's Free To Play is an essential film for documentary lovers and video game enthusiasts. At a light 75 minute running time, it's an accessible pill to swallow, one naturally only brushing the surface, but in an entertaining way. The documentary details the events of The International 2011 based in Germany, the first gaming tournament for the game DOTA 2 with a record-breaking top prize of $1.6 million. Unfortunately as many of its players are teenagers, the tournament was scheduled during exam periods and many potential winners had to sacrifice a lot at home just for the chance at the jackpot.

However, the film wisely chooses three competitors from different teams to sum up the ethos of the tournament and its players, dipping into their backstories at will. They include a Singaporean player who's dealing with a broken heart and a disapproving family, an American player who's suffered from a life of financial trouble and a Ukrainian player who's father recently passed away. Their passion for gaming always shines through. Although many times their stories feel like the typical sob stories you find in entertainment shows, they add an essential conflict and internal desire to the story to make it more engaging. Their hardships are quite down to Earth and relatable, if somewhat sentimentally presented. It at least humanizes the players in a way that makes it feel like the tournament have more camaraderie with something at stake.

You don't need to know anything about DOTA 2 to enjoy the film as it features entertaining and impressive CGI interpretations of the battle, but still as a non-gamer it is difficult to see why the fuss over the game is warranted. It's the one thing that the documentary is lacking on, but it doesn't hinder it too much. Free To Play's main objective is to legitimize the career of a professional gamer, and it works quite well, making it quite tempting. Lacking a credited director, you can only assume that its lead editor had the biggest influence regarding a consistent style and focus, other than the current heads of Valve. Even so, the style is still quite distinct in its slick intimate look, use of text and contemporary choice of electronic music. It's a film that feels breezy and fresh, just trying to bring attention to the next big thing in popular culture, though it's arguable that it's already here. The e-sport will soon become a plain old sport.

8/10

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Literally the perfect documentary, made me feel all the feels. I found myself tearing up several times during my viewing and not for one second did I lose interest. I felt that everything was explained really well, as I might imagine is important for someone not familiar with DotA. Dendi's story is what hooked me the most(no pun intended) and I could relate really well to it, other than the part with his father. What I did find myself drawn to as far as the father figure goes is Fear's life. The only downside I found about it is the fact that they didn't feature the gamer names of most of the players, players who have been just as successful if not more successful than the main three. All in all I think this is an amazing documentary that really takes you into the life of a professional gamer, and the hardships they have to go through in order to make it, where real life is often as tough to conquer as their opponents.

If you're only going to watch one documentary in your life, this has to be it.

Hello mi name Eries Luís and i is from Le Portugal. Me is also a player from Dota 2 and be following that game from DotA. This film is very like my life with the difference that i play bad do-to and nobody noes me. It is my dream to be don-do and teener Una sister like don-do sister. Hyhy and fear are bad at do-to and have no sisters like don-do sister. Love this Filmer pols watch. Me favored champ is pudgy and DAT why i love don-do and his Hermina. If somebody noes don-do sister pals tell him to her teach me to finger like playing don-do invoker. Pls no coppering pasturing fricasseeing my dangering sorry for my bad englander.