"Dota 2" tournament The International 10 will no longer happen in Stockholm, Sweden, according to the Swedish Esports Association.
According to a report by PC Gamer, the association confirmed the news, stating that Valve, the developer of "Dota 2" has decided to relocate the tournament instead. Valve is now in search of a new host city.
The latest development follows an earlier announcement from the developer that it is considering alternate locations for the annual tournament. This is due to the Swedish government's refusal to classify The International as an "elite sporting event."
According to Dot Esports, both the government and Swedish Sports Federation voted against accepting esports into the sporting federation.
The lack of such classification puts into question whether or not the participants of The International 10 can even enter the country to participate. Only participants of events classified as "elite sporting events" can enter the country due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The International 10 is scheduled to take place in August.
Dota 2 The International 10 Plans Goes Awry in Sweden
"Dota 2" developers Valve posted a statement on the official "Dota 2" website stating that the company began working with the Swedish government in 2019 to make it possible to hold The International 10 tournament in the country in 2020. Due to COVID-19, the tournament was postponed to this year.
According to the "Dota 2" developer, they've received repeated assurances from Stockholm Live and Visit Stockholm that "The International - Dota 2 Championships qualified for the same exemptions other elite sporting events there received."
That changed when Valve was informed that the Swedish Sports Federation voted not to accept esports as part of the federation. The company was then informed that it had to request Sweden's Minister of the Interior to reclassify as an elite sporting event.
The request, according to Valve, was "immediately denied."
Valve applied an appeal directly to the Swedish government, but received no assistance in the matter.
Dota 2 Tournament: What is The International?
The International is an esports world championship event that has happened annually since 2011. It was first held at Gamescon as a promotional event. Previous host cities include Cologne, Seattle, Vancouver, and Shanghai.
18 teams participate in The International tournament. 12 of these teams earn their place in the competition via the Dota Pro Circuit.
2019's The International Tournament saw European esports organization OG winning the championship for the second straight year. The group recently made headlines when a member of the team, Anathan "Ana" Pham, decided to leave the "Dota 2" competition. Ana had just returned to the roster two months prior.
What is Dota 2?
"Defense of the Ancients 2," more commonly known as "Dota 2," is an online multiplayer battle arena game and the sequel of the first "DotA." The original "DotA" is actually a mod created for another video game, "Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos", and its "The Frozen Throne" expansion.
In the game, a match is played between two teams with five players each. Each player controls a hero in the game and each team is tasked to defend its own base camp from the opponents. A team wins when it successfully destroys a structure known as the "Ancient" of the opposing team.
A game update released in March added a new hero and cracked down on smurf accounts.
Dota 2 is one of the video games counted as an esport. Other games counted as esports include "Counter-Strike," "League of Legends," "Valorant," and "Overwatch."
Also Read: JerAx 'Dota 2' Comeback: Will He Return to Pro Play? Here's What Really Happened to Him
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Written by Isabella James
