Newbee Acquires Ex-Forward Gaming Roster for TI
Newbee, the International 2014 Champions, have secured representation at the biggest Dota 2 event by picking up the ex-Forward Gaming roster. What’s more, the roster will have access to facilities in Shanghai, where the tournament is taking place.
According to Jack “KBBQ” Chen, several parties showed interest in acquiring the team, but Newbee presented a “unique opportunity” which they couldn’t resist. With the time constraints the roster faced after the disbandment of Forward Gaming, the decision to join the Chinese organization was likely influenced by the proximity and capabilities of Newbee’s Shanghai facilities in relation to the International.
Newbee was at risk of missing the International for the first time in their history after failing to qualify through the China regional qualifiers. This raises the question of whether Newbee’s actions went against Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) rules.
Following TI7, Valve implemented the DPC to organize tournaments, sponsor prize pools, and allocate DPC points for team invites to the International. However, the system led to issues, including an increase in offshoot teams and ownership conflicts.
Valve made changes in the second season of the DPC to address these problems. The organization stated that only one team per organization would be eligible to compete in the International, and ownership conflicts needed to be resolved before the Regional Qualifiers. This resulted in teams like VGJ Thunder disbanding and VGJ Storm rebranding as J.Storm.
Now, let’s address the issue at hand: has Newbee already competed in the International? Do the International qualifiers count as part of the International?
In the first Major of the season, paiN Gaming fielded two squads in the South American qualifier, despite Valve’s mention of multiple rosters. If both teams had qualified for the International, paiN would have had to choose one squad to give up their spot. In the case of Newbee’s new North American roster, they have not competed under the Newbee banner for the entire season.
While Valve is known for taking a hands-off approach, it is unlikely that Newbee will face repercussions unless Valve considers the qualifiers to be an extension of the International. However, the lack of any prize money for the team may lead the Dota 2 community to find this logic questionable. Given Valve’s handling of previous situations, it may be best to let this issue resolve itself.
Valve’s policies are designed to benefit players, with the International being one of the few esports events where players receive direct payment. Considering the difficult circumstances faced by the ex-Forward Gaming roster, their decision to join Newbee shouldn’t pose a problem. We look forward to seeing the NA boys in blue as Newbee competes at The International 9 on Aug. 15.
Newbee, Forward Gaming, Dota 2, The International, esports