PGL Faces Criticism for Lack of DPC Studio Broadcasts
Tournament organizer PGL has once again come under fire from the Dota 2 community for not providing DPC studio broadcasts. This has worsened its already damaged reputation following production issues and a disappointing version of The International in 2022.
Dota fans have expressed their concerns on social media after the resumption of the DPC for Tour Three, highlighting the absence of a studio setup.
Perfect World and Epulze, organizers of the Chinese and South-East Asian regions respectively, began their broadcasts with full live coverage. However, PGL opted for a remote setup for Western Europe and North America.
Dota 2 statistician Ben “Noxville” Steenhuisen pointed out that Valve had promised studio broadcasts for major DPC regions during the round-robin stages. This promise was considered an important part of the hype surrounding the new circuit and emphasized the significance of the regular season.
Despite the impact of COVID-19 and the 2022 DPC season, PGL secured the rights to host the WEU and NA broadcasts, winning the bids against other organizers who proposed live studio environments, according to Noxville.
Noxville participated in a discussion on Reddit and acknowledged that event organizers were trying to reduce costs, with Valve also cutting back on prize pool contributions and production expenses. For the 2023 season, only $3.27 million USD was allocated for three majors and 18 regional leagues, down from the original $9 million USD.
The Dota 2 community demanded more action, with one fan describing PGL’s WEU Division One broadcast as depressing. Another fan drew comparisons between PGL’s European coverage and Perfect World’s Chinese coverage, which includes LAN matches with a small audience.
PGL’s reputation in Dota 2 is dwindling, especially after the technical issues and unsatisfactory experience at The International 2022 in Singapore. The event suffered from technical faults, dropped frames, integrity issues, and a lackluster on-site experience.
Related: Dota 2 community outraged by PGL’s subpar production for The International 2022
The Counter-Strike community also shares the same negative perception of PGL, considering the organizer’s track record of production issues dating back to the 2017 Kraków Major. Despite this, PGL has been selected to host the first CS2 Major in Copenhagen in 2024.
It is unclear whether PGL will introduce live studio broadcasts for the remaining DPC season. However, Tour Three has just begun, and the journey to the final DPC Major in Bali and TI’s return to Seattle in October continues this week.
has reached out to PGL for a response to these complaints.
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