The International 2018 Moves to Canada
After six years in Washington, The International, the biggest esports tournament for Dota 2, is making a big move. For the first time since 2012, the tournament will be hosted in Vancouver, Canada. The venue for the event will be Rogers Arena, a stadium with a seating capacity of approximately 19,000.
The announcement was made today by Valve, the developer of Dota 2, on the game’s official website. The tournament is scheduled to take place from August 20 to 25.
While Valve did not specify the number of teams that would participate in The International 2018, it is likely that eight teams will be directly invited based on their standings in the Pro Circuit. The remaining teams will have to qualify through regional qualifiers in various parts of the world.
This move to Canada comes as KeyArena in Washington, the previous venue for The International, undergoes a major renovation. The renovation is expected to be completed in 2020, making the venue unavailable for this year’s tournament.
Rumors about the relocation to Canada began circulating in October last year, when a photo of an unidentified stadium in the country was shared on Twitter. The photo showed the stadium’s ticker displaying a message about The International Dota 2 Championships.
Canadian Dota 2 fans are excited about hosting such a prestigious tournament, as there has only been one premier tournament held in the country before. This move is a significant boost to the stature and prize money of Canadian Dota 2.
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