Some The International 2022 casters will cast event from home

Multiple casters and personalities set to attend The International 2022 may have to settle for a video call instead of an actual trip to Singapore.

The International is a celebration of Dota 2. Pro players get to flex their skills on the biggest stage while instantly recognizable commentators guide viewers through the action. While The International 2022 will still feature top-tier commentary, it appears that the iconic voices will be working from home.

Multiple personalities scheduled to work the event have revealed on social media that they won’t be there in person. Here’s what was said and what it means for the average TI11 viewer.

An initial tweet from personality Anthony “Scantzor” Hodgkins revealed that many talents will not be flown out to Singapore for the event. Instead, they will stream themselves and their commentary as “bedroom productions.” A second post from popular Dota 2 streamer hoxie even implied that many casters are heading to Stockholm. Valve may have set up a temporary content creation hub for TI11, but there’s no way to know until the event starts.

If you think studio work for TI is bad, casters for LCQ + groupstage will be running *bedroom* productions.

From a talent perspective, this means that 8-18 October is being treated (and priced) as the second half of TI qualifiers, as opposed to the first half of TI itself.

— Anthony Fish Hodgson (@scantzor) September 6, 2022

At past TIs, all casting was done on location, which involved flying in casters from all over the world. English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and more languages can all feature over a dozen commentators each. This ties into the international theme of the event, but it also costs a lot of money. This year’s open qualifiers and group stage have been officially outsourced to PGL.

Will The International 2022 have on-site casters?

Based on statements from Dota 2 personalities, it seems that The International 2022 will not feature on-site casters for the last chance qualifier and group stage.  

However, it’s very likely that The International 2022 will have on-site casters for the final stretch of the event. The playoffs represent the pinnacle of Dota 2 esports and it would be a shame not to have the most iconic voices there in the flesh. Furthermore, The International 2022 is a rare opportunity for Dota 2 casters to meet with their fans, sign merchandise, and take pictures. 

For Dota 2 fans, the casters themselves are also part of the entertainment. Commentators may not be the face of Dota 2, but there have been many iconic calls throughout the game’s history. Many of the best moments in Dota 2 esports history can be identified solely by how the caster reacts.

They are also heavily involved in the traditional content spots that fill time between games, delivering analysis about the competition and the game itself. Though many prominent events have gone down with off-site commentators, it would be a departure from the norm for The International.