Alvaro “Avo+” Sanchez Velasco has revealed insane details on the Lima Major, including the fact that the event ran on roughshod equipment.
The Lima Major is already considered one of the worst-run events in Dota 2 esports, but fans still don’t realize just how bad things got behind the scenes. In the most recent episode of the Side Pull Podcast hosted by Austin “Cap” Walsh and Joey “Leafeator” Thimian, Spanish caster and analyst Avo+ gave more frightening details about the event.
The $500,000 tournament allegedly ran on broken equipment and was salvaged using casters’ own gear along with assets purchased from a flea market.
During the podcast, the production process for the Lima Major was a major topic. Avo+ explained that there were only four people responsible for running the show with a ton of contracted talent. The Spanish personality wound up fulfilling multiple roles, including scenographer, stylist, and more. He also claimed that around 50% of contractors didn’t show up to the event at all, putting even more pressure on production. Some translators even attempted to raise their pay rate right before going on stage, which Avo+ quickly shut down.
The biggest bombshell of all was the equipment used for the event, a topic which even Avo+ had to tiptoe around. He explained that buyers purchased the incorrect equipment which would break during the event, so some producers had to visit flea markets to purchase replacements. In addition, the casters wound up bringing their own equipment to replace broken mics, cables, and more.
Was the Lima Major the worst Dota 2 major?
Even before it was revealed that Lima Major involved used gear, less experienced Dota 2 fans were claiming that it was the worst major in the game’s history.
There are plenty of reasons to think this. Scheduling errors resulted in some important matches being played in an empty stadium. The stage and set were tiny compared to other international events, and crowd reactions could have given away crucial moments, such as incoming smoke ganks. Some viewers even claimed that the backdrop used for stream overlay caused them physical pain.
However, the title for worst Dota 2 major is difficult to pry away from the Shanghai Major. The 2016 event featured innumerable production problems resulting in the entire production staff being fired mid-tournament. Disagreements with talent resulted in Gabe Newell personally firing James “2GD” Harding via Reddit post. Several pros’ keyboards were allegedly stolen during the event and the stream problems are too many to count.
While the Lima Major had its problems, including the reported use of secondhand equipment, it still has nothing on Shanghai.
