Valve’s toxic community and politics are five reasons gamers are again talking about the death of Dota 2

Community

A toxic community is one of the main problems of Dota 2, which has been haunting the game since the beta. Dota is complex in itself and has a very high entry threshold, but experienced users do not forgive beginners even the smallest mistakes, thus exacerbating the situation. Most players will prefer to insult the teammate, rather than give him a couple of practical tips. In addition, “feeders” and “liveries” are regularly met in Dota 2 – and at all ranks.

To understand the basic mechanics and master at least a few heroes, beginners first need to listen to a lot of negativity and overcome many spoiled matches. Not everyone is ready to tolerate it, and therefore, in Dota 2, the influx of new users is steadily decreasing and the overall online is gradually falling. The peak of the players was recorded in 2016 and then amounted to 1.29 million people. At the time of publication of the material, it is at around 730 thousand people. We can say that online in Dota 2 often depends on the season, but if you look at the trend as a whole, it looks depressing.

Fake matches

Contractual matches are another scourge of modern Dota 2, which harms the professional scene and negatively affects the reputation of the game itself. Due to the fraudulent nature of the matches, the sports component is lost, which means that entertainment suffers and the interest of the audience is reduced. Teams and players caught in the “agreements” lose their reputation in the eyes of fans and often lose the opportunity to play in major tournaments. And potential sponsors may change their minds about investing in leagues, studios and e-sports clubs from troubled regions – after all, who wants his brand to be associated with scammers?

Another problem with contractual matches is that the desire for easy money often outweighs the desire of e-sportsmen to work for the long term. Because of this, many talented players consciously remain on the approaches to the professional scene, changing ambitions for quick money.

Perhaps in our region there would be more cool players if they did not stay in local leagues, where it is easier to conduct fake matches. Worst of all, such e-sportsmen are depriving their careers not only of themselves, but of their teammates, who sometimes simply become hostages of the situation.

Unfortunately, Valve very clumsy solves problems with fake matches: if a player was caught once, then he can say goodbye to the professional scene forever. Because of this, cybersportsmen are deprived of a chance to correct their mistakes. For many years now, fans have been asking developers for some kind of amnesty procedure, but they are still adamant.

The international

The International is the first thing that comes to mind when you are asked to tell something about e-sports to uninitiated people. This tournament has become a key brand of Valve and a powerful symbol of the industry itself, however, its value for the professional Dota 2 scene has recently raised more and more questions.

Due to the inflated prize pool of the main tournament of the year, the players have changed their approach not only to other competitions, but also to relations with clubs. Now eSportsmen rarely sign long-term contracts with organizations to be able to change their roster before the World Cup. In addition, players Og twice showed that to win at The International it is not necessary to give all the best throughout the season – and thereby set an example to other clubs. Because of this, the first half of the 2019/2020 DPC season was significantly less spectacular than it could be, and this is a big problem for the entire professional scene.

The International is very cool, but with its coolness it sets off other competitions, which against its background become faded and less significant. The opportunity to become millionaires appeals to everyone, but units win. The community and the e-sportsmen themselves have repeatedly asked Valve to review the distribution of The International prize pool and give some of the money to develop the tier-2 scene. It seems that in 2023, the developers finally listened to these ideas, but the coronavirus pandemic caught everyone by surprise. How this will affect the future of the scene is still difficult to understand.

Valve

Valve is often criticized for how it relates to Dota 2. In recent years, the company has made several controversial decisions, setting itself against most of the community. In July 2015, Valve removed Treasure Keys, which were the main currency on the Marketplace, from the game, and in 2017 prohibited tournament operators from issuing their tickets, compendiums and treasures with company sets. Because of this, the organizers lost the opportunity to increase the prize pools of their competitions with the help of the audience.

Worse than these actions, Valve was only her inaction in a number of other issues. The company for a long time ignored the problem with toxic players and boosters, and newcomers seem to have resigned themselves to never receive the current training mode. The developers did not immediately come to understand that it is better not to release large balanced patches in the middle of the tournament, and it is advisable to plan the season schedule in advance so that the events do not overlap each other. From acute conflicts and disputes in the community, Valve generally prefers to disengage and respond to them only in exceptional cases.

The developers actually started to develop the professional Dota 2 scene by chance, refusing to regulate it, introducing some general rules of conduct for clubs, players, etc. Even to the question of extraneous broadcasts of official Valve tournaments answered as generalized as possibleby inviting streamers and organizers to figure it out on their own.

Glut

Competition is important for the development and progress of something, but in the context of the Dota pandemic, it most likely suffered because of it. After the season ended early and official DPC tournaments were canceled, many online leagues appeared on the scene, which oversaturated e-sports. There were so many matches that the audience didn’t have time to follow this “conveyor”. Some commentators openly admit that they are tired of an endless series of games and no longer enjoy watching the once-cool derby. Against the background of the lack of LAN-tournaments, the competition for the attention of viewers online has significantly intensified. Streamers and studios are arguing again about unofficial broadcasts, blaming each other on social networks and throwing strikes on channels. At the same time, Valve traditionally remains indifferent.

Due to the tight schedule, teams whose performance worsens from tournament to tournament also suffer – many do not find time for training between matches or simply do not see the motivation to play at full strength in competitions. Someone is not suitable for a remote format for communicating with teammates, while other teams are forced to play incomplete compositions, as their main players are stuck on other continents. As a result, I have to speak a lot, but the conditions for this are far from always comfortable.

So it turns out that now Dota 2 brings less and less joy to all participants in the professional scene, from players to spectators. I want to believe that with the return of LAN tournaments, the mood in the community will change.

Despite all the difficulties listed above, Valve’s MOBA continues to exist and delight loyal fans. Yes, the game has many problems, but almost all of them are solvable, which means that it is definitely not worth “burying” it ahead of time.