The biggest event of Dota 2 is a few months away. While teams are preparing for their final shot to join The International 10 through the qualifiers, it seems that the tournament has hit a snag and it’s a big one. It appears that TI10 may not be held in Sweden.
Before we look into what happened, you can watch the video below for a compilation of reaction to this announcement by Valve:
Valve revealed that they have been working with the Swedish government since 2019 with the plan of having TI10 in the country for 2020. Despite a postponement of the tournament due to the pandemic, Valve continued to work with officials to ensure a successful and safe event.
For TI10, Valve has been managing to have the same exemptions being granted to other elite sporting events held in Sweden. The possibility of this being granted appeared to be on the way considering the discussions with Stockholm Live and Visit Stockholm.
This is why, according to Valve, they were surprised when two weeks ago the Swedish Sports Federation informed them that esports won’t be accepted into the sports federation. The only option left was to ask the Minister of the Interior to reclassify TI10 as an elite sporting event. However, that request was denied and the impact is a big one. By not being classified as an elite sporting event, the possibility remains high that anyone wanting a visa to travel into Sweden for TI10 could be denied. It also means additional problems for those coming from countries that are not part of the EU.
Valve actually appealed the decision but as of last week, they haven't received any answer or resolution to the matter. Because of this, Valve is now looking into other venues that can serve as a host for TI10. There are a lot of venues around the world but it seems that Valve wants this one in Europe.
Valve gave the assurance that they remain committed to holding TI10 this year but in a safe way for everyone to celebrate the game properly. Updates on this issue will be released as soon as the company can.
Valve also guaranteed that the qualifiers for TI are still happening beginning June 3.
What about you? What European country do you think should hold TI10?
