As with many gaming conventions and competitions in 2020, The International Dota 2 annual esports championship was postponed indefinitely due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Because of the delay, the prize pool for Dota 2’s The International competition became the largest in esports, reaching over $34 million by August 2020.
In July 2021, thanks to the lifting of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, Valve announced that Dota 2’s The International tournament would take place in Bucharest, Romania in October, and tickets for the live audience went on sale in September. Attendees would be required to be fully vaccinated and wear masks for the duration of the event.
Just a few weeks after tickets went on sale for The International, however, Valve has canceled all ticket sales for the championship. Romania has experienced a rise in COVID cases, resulting in new restrictions in Bucharest, and the tournament administrators no longer feel they can ensure the health and safety of both competitors and attendees. Dota 2’s The International will still begin on October 7, but there will be no public attendance and those who have already purchased tickets will automatically receive a refund.
Although ticket costs are being refunded, canceling the public portion of The International Dota 2 championships less than a week before the event was set to begin may still cause inconvenience in the best case scenario and loss of money in the worst case. As some comments on social media have revealed, many attendees have already arrived in Romania, while others will have purchased plane tickets, booked hotel reservations, taken days off from work, and made other arrangements like pet or house sitting.
Unlike when The International was cancelled entirely in 2020, the 2021 event will still take place and fans will be able to view the tournament online. Because the cancellation announcement was recently made, details about when and where viewers can tune in are not yet available. But it seems safe to assume that Dota 2’s The International 2021 will be streamed on Valve’s Twitch or YouTube channels, or both.
There will be two stages to The International Dota 2 championships. The group stage will be held from October 7 to 10, during which time the participating esports teams will be divided into two groups and play in a round robin format. The leading four teams advance to the top bracket of the main event, the bottom team is eliminated, and the remaining teams enter the lower bracket of the main event. After a one-day break, the main event will take place from October 12 to 17. It’s not clear whether all 10 days of The International or only the main event will be livestreamed.
Dota 2 is available on PC.