On the night of July 8, Valve announced that The International 10 Dota 2 program will take place in the fall in Bucharest. The news about the postponement of the tournament to October caused a heated discussion on the network, but the community could not come to a unanimous assessment of this decision. In this article, the Cybersport.ru editors are looking for positive moments in the current situation and explain why Valve did the right thing.
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Gentle transfer for Valve
The fact that Valve pushed The International 10 back by just a few months rather than postponing it until 2023 is a good thing (although anything else could happen). After the forced abandonment of Sweden, it was obvious that the developers simply would not have time to transfer the tournament to a new location and hold it on the previously set dates. Events of this scale are planned in advance – six months or even a year in advance, so it would be almost impossible to keep the same schedule.
Dota 2 fans should be glad that The International 10 will still take place this year, albeit with a slight delay. In the circumstances, Valve chose the most adequate option with minimal reputational risks for itself. Yes, the tournament was postponed, but if the fans want to hate someone, they can send “letters of happiness” to the Swedish Prime Minister.
It is important to note that Valve will now have not one month, but three months to prepare for the tournament. This allows us to hope that teams and spectators will not have to worry about the quality of the organization, and the long-awaited World Championship will be held at a decent level. Moreover, we are not talking about online, but about a full-fledged LAN event at a huge stadium with spectators.
The tournament will be held by PGL studio – a faithful “squire” and the main contractor of Valve at esports events. By the way, the PGL headquarters is located in Bucharest, which is very convenient for the organizers.
Rest for players and time for clubs
The postponement of the tournament for three months means that the players will have time not only for preparation, but also for rest. The new schedule will slightly change the usual season schedule. If earlier esports players took holidays immediately after The International, now, most likely, they will do it before the tournament. Perhaps, then such a move will qualitatively affect their motivation and individual form. There have not been such precedents yet, so I wonder who will decide how to distribute forces and where this will lead.
Now many say that the transfer of the tournament will be a serious test of strength for the rosters – allegedly, over these months, players can get tired of each other, burn out or quarrel. However, the clubs are unlikely to really force players to sit at the bootcamp all this time and prepare for The International. Rather, everything will be exactly the opposite – the teams will rest for a month and a half, and then a month before the tournament they will gather the players and start training.
Clubs will be able to spend an additional three months on organizational issues – bootcamp logistics, visa processing, player vaccination, search for new sponsors, etc. I am sure that there will be no problems with the extension of contracts either, although many players will end on September 1.
Lounge in the PGL office. Possibly headquarters to host bootcamp | Image: PGL Twitter
Patch release and new tournaments
Previously, many feared that Valve would release a new patch just a few weeks before The International 10 and that teams would have too little time to master it. Others worried that the update would appear only after the tournament, so at the World Championships they would have to watch the already somewhat outdated and a little boring meta. Now the situation has changed: developers have three months to release a new patch (and hotfixes to it), and players will have time to study it. Perhaps the big patch will attract a new audience to the game and the tournament, and loyal viewers will find it much more interesting to look at the slightly “refreshed” Dota 2.
Recall that earlier Valve promised to release a new event immediately after The International 10, as well as show a new hero. There is a chance that the release schedule will now shift slightly and fans will get access to new content earlier than planned.
Independent organizers can also benefit from the postponement of The International for the fall. In three months, you can host both a full-fledged league and a LAN tournament in a studio or in a small arena. Perhaps WePlay, Epic Esports Events or other operators will use this window to present their events. There is a chance to gather a good lineup of participants who will want to use the tournament as a “field training” or to test strategies after the patch.
Bucharest awaits spectators
The International 10 will be the first Dota 2 LAN tournament in this pandemic era to take place with spectators in a large arena. There are timid hopes that in three months the situation with the coronavirus will get better – more people are being vaccinated, which means that we should expect a gradual easing of quarantine restrictions.
According to Maincast commentator Vitaly v1lat Dragging, players and fans will be able to get to Romania without any problems both from Europe and from the CIS. Prices in Bucharest are two times lower than in Stockholm, which also increases the tourist attractiveness of the new location. The national stadium, which will host The International 10, has already hosted major sporting events this year, including the 2023 UEFA European Football Championship. It is a large venue with a capacity of almost 55,000 people, covered stands and a huge screen above the pitch. Dota 2 championships have never had such a large arena.
National Stadium in Bucharest | Image: stadions.org
