How Weta workshop made the 'Dota 2' championship shield, the Aegis of Champions

Valve commissioned award-winning special effects studios Weta Workshop, the company behind the creatures and props of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings films, to craft the championship trophy for the Dota 2 international tournament.

The Aegis of Champions is a shield built to be a functional and realistic-looking artifact, something that looks like it belongs in the Dota 2 world. The names of the tournament winners will be inscribed on this shield, creating a physical historical record of the tournament's champions. The trophy is constructed of bronze, leather, and electroplated silver, and the center depicts the Dota 2 symbol flanked by a motif symbolizing the struggle of the game's light and dark forces.

Weta is also currently accepting pre-orders for other mass-produced Dota 2 replicas, including a handful of swords and a Vanguard shield.

More information on how Weta crafted the Dota 2 tournament trophy can be found on the game's official website. The 2012 international tournament concluded during PAX Prime earlier this month, with Chinese team Invictus Gaming winning the $1 million grand prize and their names' inscription on the Aegis shield.