Uncertainty Over The International 10 Grows As Swedish Sports Federation Votes Against The Event


Valve recently issued an update regarding The International 10 (TI10) DOTA 2 Championships being held in Sweden.

Valve stated that despite receiving several reassurances from Stockholm Live and Visit Stockholm throughout the course of 2020, the Swedish Sports Federation had voted against the inclusion of esports into the sports federation.

According to the official release from Valve, this voting procedure took place a couple of weeks ago and since then the developers have taken various steps for TI10 to happen in Sweden.

The International 10 canceled from Sweden

When expressing the procedures they have undertaken, Valve stated,

"In subsequent (and immediate) meetings with the Swedish Esports Federation (SESF) and Visit Stockholm we discovered our only remaining option was to ask Sweden's Minister of the Interior to reclassify The International - Dota 2 Championships as an elite sporting event. Our request was immediately denied."

The official report further added,

"With the Minister of the Interior failing to recognize The International - Dota 2 Championships as an elite sporting event, anyone attempting to procure a visa for travel into Sweden for TI10 (including players, talent, and staff) would be denied. The absence of this official recognition also means individual border agents would be making decisions about entry for those traveling to the event from countries outside the EU who do not typically need a visa to enter Sweden."

Bearing all of these factors in mind, hosting TI10 in Sweden can become a massive problem for everyone attending the event.

Having said that, Valve did shed some light on what the community can expect from the developers regarding TI10. Valve stated,

"...in light of the current political situation in Sweden, we have started looking for possible alternatives elsewhere in Europe to host the event this year, in case the Swedish government is unable to accommodate The International - Dota 2 Championships as planned. We feel confident that in either instance we will have a solution that allows us to hold TI10 in Europe this year, and that we will be able to announce an updated plan in the very near future."

The Future of The International 10

It is safe to say that Valve is trying its best to host The Internation 10 in 2021 itself. This goes to show as the company has also confirmed that their first priority will be to host the tournament somewhere in Europe. This would not only provide a safe environment for players and everyone attending but also an easily accessible venue that can host an event of this scale.

Additionally, the official statement has also reassured community members that the developers will provide further updates regarding the situation as soon as they can. However, judging by Valve's history, it is more likely that we will receive finalized information when we hear from them again.

On top of everything, the in-game event that Valve had promised for DOTA 2 in mid-late June will also be arriving this week. Nemestice, the name of the event that was revealed by Valve, could feature a bunch of new content and cosmetics for players to make up for the lack of a traditional Battle Pass.

Update: The International 10 has a new venue with new dates

Read More: Everything to know about DOTA 2's The International 10

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