Puppey Criticizes Valve’s Dota Pro Circuit for Flaws and Lackluster Format
The current iteration of Valve’s Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) has been heavily criticized by players and fans for its flaws and lackluster format. Team Secret captain and Dota legend Puppey is one of the vocal figures who believes that the DPC is actively hurting the game in multiple ways.
Issues with the Regional Focus of the DPC
Puppey, who has been active in the Dota scene for almost 15 years, highlights some of the issues with the current DPC’s regional play focus. He expresses his preference for a more tournament-based format rather than dragged-out leagues, emphasizing that Dota is a fast-paced game that needs to unfold quickly.
Puppey credits Valve for shortening the DPC season to three weeks instead of six, but he still finds the overall pace slow and unappealing. He believes that the previous five-Major system offered an abundance of tournaments that players, fans, and organizers could enjoy.
Frustrations with Point Distribution and International Representation
Puppey argues that the current DPC’s point distribution is not correct because it allows teams to secure invites to The International without performing well at Majors or proving themselves through qualifiers. He feels that this regional focus undermines the importance of international events in determining which team is truly at the top.
In Puppey’s view, the DPC now reflects Valve’s desire to ensure that every region has a chance to showcase itself at the international level, but he believes this approach is not right. Nevertheless, he acknowledges that Valve is doing what it wants and molding the DPC to reflect its vision for The International.
Possibility of Implementing Elo Ratings
Puppey suggests that Valve could consider implementing an Elo rating system, similar to what the company used in the early days of competitive Dota 2. He believes that this could be a way to address the current flaws in the DPC system and make tournaments matter more.
Although Puppey acknowledges that the simplicity of the past is behind us, he remains optimistic that with some effort, Valve can improve the DPC and create a system where tournaments have greater value.
In the meantime, Puppey and Team Secret will be working to qualify for The International through the WEU qualifiers, aiming to maintain Puppey’s record of attending every iteration of TI.