Dota 2 pro players, teams react to The International 2020 delay

Nina Forneloza Published 14/05/2020

Dota 2 personalities took to social media to react to the official postponement of The International 2020.

As expected, the biggest event of the year had to be delayed, with Valve indefinitely delaying The International 2020. Dude to the ongoing global health situation, the developer was forced to move the tournament that was scheduled for August.

Dota 2 fans and experts had already anticipated this decision. However, they are eager to know the next steps for Dota Pro Circuit and The International 2020 Battle Pass.

Although Valve could not give the exact date for the tournament, it told fans that TI10 will likely happen in 2021. The Battle Pass will still be released this month which gives a longer time for crowdfunding than the previous years. The Dota Pro Circuit will resume this coming fall with a new format.

Dota 2 personalities shared their reactions on Twitter and Facebook. Most of them looked on the bright side and agreed that it’s the right thing to do.

Two-time TI champion OG and Dota 2 caster Alan “Nahaz” Bester stated he is looking forward to the 10th anniversary of The International.

A heartbreaking decision but the right one for sure.

Be confident that Dota fans and players alike we’ll all be present to make TI10 memorable.#DreamOG https://t.co/6nLRD8ihIA
— OG (@OGesports) May 1, 2020

This sucks. But it’s 100% the right thing to do. On the bright side, TI10 can hopefully celebrate the 10th anniversary of the first International (2011) which was also held in EU! https://t.co/aweJw5kCi5
— Nahaz vs COVID19 (@NahazDota) April 30, 2020

Henrik “AdmiralBulldog” Ahnberg and Daryl Koh “iceiceice” Pei Xiang also remarked about the situation.

The universe is determined to make sure I never attend another TI
— Henrik Ahnberg (@AdmiralBulldog) May 1, 2020

No ti I am streamer now hello
— iceiceice (@iceiceicedota) May 1, 2020

Meanwhile, Yeik “MidOne” Nai Zheng was both hilarious and dramatic.

no Ti this year im die
— MidOne (@midonedota2) May 1, 2020

Team Secret successfully put the emotions of Dota 2 fans in a GIF.

“We have made the difficult choice to delay The International […] it is likely that the event will need to happen in 2021.” pic.twitter.com/k3EPrAwjHd
— Team Secret (@teamsecret) April 30, 2020

Here’s a timely emoticon from Fnatic:

Image credit: Fnatic

Team Nigma, Roman “RAMZES666” Kushnarev, and Pan “Fade” Yi expressed their sadness on the matter.

Even though it was expected, we’re still sad to find out that there will be no TI this summer. https://t.co/0PfqPH8ahC
— Team Nigma (@TeamNigma) May 1, 2020

sadddddddddddddd????
— Roman Kushnarev (@ramzes) April 30, 2020

Sadddddd☹️☹️☹️ https://t.co/Cwyjmq4Bb9
— Fade_dota (@fade_dota) May 1, 2020

Esports gained market advantage amid COVID-19 pandemic

The current health situation has put esports in a unique position. People were forced to stay at home and spend their time, rather than going out. Gamers took advantage of this time to finally finish that one game they bought a few months ago, grind their way up the leaderboard, watch their favorite streamers, and cheer for their favorite teams.

Although live esports events were cancelled or postponed, online events filled the calendar for esports fans. Dota Pro Circuit events also shifted to online and regional leagues. The new normal introduced issues to players who were situated outside the region where their teams are playing. However, it also provided an avenue for tier-two teams to step into the limelight.

The International 2020 not happening this year broke an annual tradition, but Valve had to make this decision for everyone’s safety.

Nina Forneloza

About Nina Forneloza

Nina Forneloza is a huge fan of gaming, but her favorite genres of games above all other are gacha games, first-person shooting games, and role-playing games. When she isn’t looking for a lucky pull in the latest gacha, you’re likely to find her in a competitive Valorant lobby or playing the latest big single-player RPG. Either way, you can be assured that she’ll be into it and ready to write about the experience.

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