The International 10 is facing a postponement. Developer Valve states that Stockholm could no longer be the venue. Now the search continues for a host in Europe.
Dota fans are experiencing a setback. The International 10 – TI10 for short – is not recognised as an elite sporting event by the Swedish Sports Federation. For this reason, the prestigious Dota 2 World Championship will not get special status during the Corona Pandemic. This has unexpected consequences for the actually planned final round in August in the Swedish capital Stockholm.
In a blog post on Tuesday, Dota developer Valve announced it is looking at other options for a venue to host TI10. So despite intensive planning since 2019, the pandemic has thrown a spanner in the works for the Dota 2 World Championship in Sweden.
An Important Update on TI10: The International – Dota 2 Championships in Swedenhttps://t.co/lTg7JfWreZ
— DOTA 2 (@DOTA2) June 21, 2021
“Two weeks ago we were informed that the Swedish Sports Federation voted not to accept esports in the federation,” Valve said. Even talks with the Swedish government have failed to produce an alternative solution.
Due to the classification of the Dota 2 event in Sweden, travel of players, officials and fans is at risk. Getting a visa for special sporting events is clearly regulated, while Esport events do not get it easily. Thus, as things stand, any entry request for TI10 would be turned down. One of the few exceptions for Esport visas is Germany, bringing itself into play as a possible host for the Dota 2 World Championship.
Esports visa ✅
Great venues ✅
Amazing community ✅Germany is ready to host, @DOTA2 🖐 https://t.co/ahfbJJnNG4
— ESBD – eSport-Bund Deutschland (@ESBD_Verband) June 22, 2021
The eSports Federation Germany has already reacted accordingly on Twitter and touted Germany as an option for Valve. Numerous top eSports events have already taken place in the Federal Republic. Prominent examples include the annual ESL One Cologne or the LoL Worlds finals held in Berlin in 2015.
Away from the unexpected about-face regarding the venue, the Regional Qualifiers for TI10 will begin on 23 June. The anniversary Worlds were postponed due to the pandemic last year. The finals are scheduled to take place from 5 to 15 August 2021. The prize money is over 40 million US dollars and is the highest ever in Esports history for a single event.
