AFTER TWO weeks of bated breath, Valve earlier today announced the new host of The International 10: Bucharest, Romania.
Aside from the new host city, Valve has also announced a new schedule for the annual tournament. From the earlier August schedule, The International 10 will now be held from October 7 to 12.
“We are thrilled to announce The International 10 - Dota 2 Championships will be held this October in Bucharest, Romania, and the epic battle for the Aegis of Champions will fittingly unfold inside the country's largest stadium — Arena Nationala,” said the announcement.
Why Dota 2 The International moved to Romania
It was also announced that the event may feature live audiences making it the first major Dota 2 event since the Leizpig Major (January 2020) to have a live audience.
“We are grateful for the partnership we have formed with Romania and the city of Bucharest, and very much look forward to gathering with the global Dota 2 community, both in-person and virtually, to celebrate the elite players and amazing fandom at The International.”
The International is Dota 2's largest esports tournament. It is also currently the world's largest esports tournament in terms of prize pool currently at $40,018,195.
Five Pinoy players have qualified for in the annual tournament: Abed “Abed” Yusop midlaner for North American squad Evil Geniuses, Carlo “Kuku” Palad Captain of Southeast Asian squad T1, Karl “Karl” Baldovino midlaner for T1, Djardel “DJ” Mampusti captain for Southeast Asian team Fnatic, and Marc Polo “Raven” Fausto carry for Fnatic.
Last June 22, Dota 2 Valve developer surprised fans and teams alike after announcing that they will pull the tournament out of Stockholm, Sweden. It was noted that the move comes after Sweden denied esports’ acceptance into the Swedish Sports Federation, denying the tournament of a designation as an “elite sporting event”.
Without that designation, athletes, talent, and staff for The International would be denied visas, given the ongoing COVID-19 situation in Sweden.
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