Kaci Aitchison joins Valve in full-time role, looks forward to TI10

Nina Forneloza Published 11/10/2019

Kaci Aitchison, who has been an interviewer and host for Dota 2’s The International, for the past seven years, announced she’s been hired full-time by Valve.

Aitchison revealed the news on her Twitter account.

“After seven years of working events for one of my favorite companies, this month I officially joined Valve full-time!” Aitchison said. “Maybe that favorite company will work out next time. Just kidding, it’s this one. Lots of exciting projects I can now jump in with both feet on, including The International 10.”

The announcement was met with congratulations from many within the Dota 2 scene, ranging from fellow broadcast personalities including Toby “TobiWan” Dawson and Jorien “Sheever” van der Heijden, to team executives such as Jonathan “Loda” Berg and Jacob “Maelk” Toft-Andersen. A slew of her followers praised the decision and many Dota 2 fans are excited to see what comes next.

Aitchison was already a professional newscaster before she was introduced to the Dota 2 audience in 2013. She was new to Dota, which resulted in a few memorable on-camera gaffes, but her expertise matched with a genuine love of the work and ability to connect with people helped her overcome those early stumbles and become a welcome face for fans.

Aitchison, originally from Seattle, had already been working for more than a decade in radio and television. She was a graduate from the University of Washington and was the News Director for KZOK-FM before becoming a co-anchor on Q13 Fox News This Morning in 2009.

Though she has worked The International annually since 2013, she has continued to work as a feature reporter on television.

Aitchison did not discuss specifics of her role with Valve, outside teasing that she will work at The International 10 in 2020. Many are expecting her to to become a steadier presence at Dota 2 events, particularly for Valve-sponsored Dota 2 majors and minors.

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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