Dota 2 – Valve looking for alternative Venues for TI10

Leading developer Valve has confirmed that The International 10 will no longer take place in Stockholm, Sweden, with potential alternatives already being explored. The Swedish Esports Association stated that the tournament would not be classed as an “elite sporting event, which meant that players would potentially be denied entry into the country due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The International is an annual Dota 2 event, offering the greatest prize money in the whole of Esports, at $40 million. Breaking the news via a press release, the Swedish Esports Association wrote that: “To save The International, the competition needs to be sanctioned through the sports movement and by international federations and that a dialogue will begin as soon as possible with the organizer Valve.”

Why Stockholm is a no go for The International 10

While the possibility of the event taking place in Sweden had not been ruled out completely, with Valve having still hoped that the relevant regulators can come to some sort of agreement, it has now been put to bed. Valve is exploring possible host cities, however no names have been put forward at this point.

Contiuning in their statement, the Swedish Esports Association stated: “We have now got in touch with Valve who announces that they will not complete the plans with The International in Stockholm,” the association tweeted. With that decision now taken, the organization said that it will now focus its efforts on ensuring that similar situations don’t happen in the future.”

Could We See The International Return to Stockholm in the Future?,

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Association, Sammi Kaidi, stated that future Esports events would certainly be held in Stockholm, however only when the time is right. Many fans were quick to point out that the announcement regarding the relocation came shortly after a potential compromise had been discussed. The organization involved had given the following message at this point:

“The union has sent several messages directly to the organizer and via the Swedish professional teams and other esports organizations. We hope to be able to create the conditions needed to change the status of the competition and be able to initiate a dialogue with the organizers that allows The International to be implemented in Stockholm.”