The International 7: Dota 2’s Biggest Event Returning to Seattle
For the sixth consecutive year, the world’s largest Dota 2 event will be held in Seattle.
Despite concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order halting immigration from Muslim-majority countries, The International 7 will proceed in Seattle.
A press release announcing the International 7’s cosplay competition inadvertently revealed the event’s location.
This news sparked controversy within the Dota 2 community as Syria and Iran were among the banned countries. This affected players such as Team Liquid captain Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takhasomi and Digital Chaos midlaner Omar “w33” Aliwi.
Obtaining visas to attend the International has been a struggle for teams and players from regions like Southeast Asia, China, and Eastern Europe. In the previous year, LGD Gaming’s Xue “September” Zhichuan was unable to participate after his visa application was denied four times.
In a roundtable discussion with PC Gamer, Valve’s Gabe Newell and Erik Johnson expressed their desire to hold the tournament in Seattle. However, they stated that if it became too difficult, they would find an alternative location.
The International was launched in 2011 alongside the beta-release of Dota 2. It was initially held in Cologne during the GamesCom expo but has been hosted in Seattle’s Benaroya Hall and Key Arena since 2012.
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