Dota 2 Developer Implements Changes for Pro Scene
The top teams in Dota 2 are preparing for the biggest tournament of the year, and the game’s developer, Valve, has announced some changes for the professional scene. In a meeting with the teams participating in The International, Valve outlined the changes for next year’s Pro Circuit.
Valve has requested teams to change their sponsorships and refrain from partnering with gambling companies or websites. This move follows similar actions by Blizzard and Riot, who have also discouraged betting sponsorships in their games. Teams have been forced to end gambling partnerships to participate in competitions organized by these developers.
It is uncertain if teams will need to make such changes before The International. Some TI8 teams, like Virtus Pro, have gambling deals currently. Valve plans to address the issue of existing sponsorships at a later date.
Additionally, Valve disclosed changes for next year’s Dota Pro Circuit during the meeting. The developer aims to broaden the points distribution for circuit events, allowing more teams to earn rewards at each tournament. They also plan to increase the number of spots for top DPC teams in the next year’s International. Instead of qualifiers, the top 12 teams will receive direct invites to the tournament, with only one slot for each region. As a result, South East Asia and China will have one less slot, while North America will have two fewer slots.
Another topic of discussion was the recent Open AI Dota 2 test. After a year of development, Open AI software managed to defeat a team of professional players. Valve wants TI8 players to take part in more tests during the upcoming event in Vancouver.