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In a series of shocking news reports, Valve confirmed that their long-awaited Dota 2 The International 10, which was set to take place in Stockholm, Sweden, is going to be relocated due to complications.
As the top 12 teams from the Dota 2 Pro Circuit (DPC) standings have been confirmed as direct invitees for the upcoming international and regional qualifiers are set to begin tomorrow for the remaining 6 slots, big news such as this will surely shake the Dota 2 community to its core.
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Due to the worldwide pandemic last year, The International 10 was canceled until further notice. But this year, Valve finally confirmed that The International 10 will be taking place, and the final arena for all 18 teams to test their might will be set in Stockholm, Sweden.
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However, Valve confirmed today that according to the Swedish Sports Federation, the latter had just voted not to accept esports into the sports federation.
How does this impact the Dota 2 community?
Be it a hard-core Dota 2 player or just someone who enjoys playing the game and wants to spend some casual time, The International 10 is the event that nobody would dare miss. It is the crown jewel in the monarchy of Dota 2 esports. With millions of dollars and the title of TI Winner on the line, all the qualifying teams give their utmost to win this all-important tournament.
Every year, after the completion of a TI, Valve announces when and where the next TI will be hosted. And following that same trend, Stockholm was announced as the next destination for hosting TI 10.
With only one day remaining before the start of the regional qualifiers, Valve dropped the massive news that, if not resolved soon enough, they could end up canceling The International 10 entirely.
In their own statement, for the past whole year, both Stockholm Live and Visit Stockholm reassured Valve that just like any other elite sports event hosted there, The International 10 will receive the same benefits and stature as an esports event.
However, two weeks ago, the Swedish Sports Federation made a unanimous decision of not letting esports enter the sports federation, crippling any chances of hosting Dota 2 The International 10.
Regarding their only option henceforth, Valve stated,
In subsequent (and immediate) meetings with the Swedish Esports Federation (SESF) and Visit Stockholm we discovered our only remaining option was to ask Sweden's Minister of the Interior to reclassify The International - Dota 2 Championships as an elite sporting event. Our request was immediately denied.
Valve added,
With the Minister of the Interior failing to recognize The International - Dota 2 Championships as an elite sporting event, anyone attempting to procure a visa for travel into Sweden for TI10 (including players, talent, and staff) would be denied. The absence of this official recognition also means individual border agents would be making decisions about entry for those traveling to the event from countries outside the EU who do not typically need a visa to enter Sweden.
However saddening the news is, it doesn't mean that Dota 2 The International 10 will not be hosted. Valve reassures the Dota 2 community of their commitment towards making The International 10 a reality. According to Valve
We filed an appeal directly with the Swedish government on June 9, but they were unable to provide assistance. On June 14 we followed up asking them to reconsider, and they have so far been unable to offer a resolution. As a result, and in light of the current political situation in Sweden, we have started looking for possible alternatives elsewhere in Europe to host the event this year, in case the Swedish government is unable to accommodate The International - Dota 2 Championships as planned. We feel confident that in either instance we will have a solution that allows us to hold TI10 in Europe this year, and that we will be able to announce an updated plan in the very near future.
As an ending note, Valve shared some cheerful news as well, as they announced that later this week, “the all-new summer event Nemestice will arrive.”
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