Seems like Valve can't catch a break with The International 2021 thanks to COVID-19. After having to move venues, they've now cancelled and refunded all live tickets. This is a pretty big blow to the biggest esports event of the year, with it having the biggest prize-pool ever for a single event at $40,018,195.
Valve said they had be watching rising COVID rates in Romania and were aware of new local restrictions, so it seems requiring attendees to be fully vaccinated and masked was just not enough as they said:
We wanted nothing more than to welcome fans live to the event, but we can no longer do so in a way that allows us to prioritize the health and well-being of both audience members and participants. Those who purchased tickets will be issued a full refund automatically.
There were also reports of members from multiple Dota 2 Pro teams (and their staff) testing positive for COVID-19, so nothing has really gone well for the event overall.
Thankfully the rest of the event will still be going ahead on October 7. These are the dates sticking as far as we know:
- Group Stage will run October 7 - 10
- Main Stage play starts October 12
- The final will be on October 17
In other Dota 2 news, Valve recently announced they will remove 32bit support and OpenGL, with the Linux version bumping up the Vulkan version.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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The comments on this article are closed.
Maybe they should come back to Sweden then, we just decided to drop all restrictions and pretend the pandemic is over even though we have several fatalities and hundreds of new cases every day. What can go wrong... 
4 Likes, Who?
Quoting: dpanterMaybe they should come back to Sweden then, we just decided to drop all restrictions and pretend the pandemic is over even though we have several fatalities and hundreds of new cases every day. What can go wrong...
Still massively better (all trends are going down) than the situation on Romania (all trends are going massively up), compare the trend curves:
Sweden: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/sweden/
Romania: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/romania/
The difference most likely down to vaccination rates, Sweden have so far vaccinated 63.7% of the entire population while Romania 28.1%
Valve where idiots for first complaining that Sweden refused to host their event in the middle of a pandemic and trying to actually host one in Romania, just as I said back when they announced that they would switch.
Last edited by F.Ultra on 4 October 2021 at 10:25 am UTC
3 Likes, Who?
I still remember specialists in public health estimating the pandemic would roll for a couple months... Boy did they underestimate the public effort in not cooperating with the recommendations of health organizations.
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Well, it was a bit optimistic for them to hope the good situation (back then) to last.
As soon as the things get better, people get sloppy and get infected again. Is like they have goldfish memory, Romania or anywhere else.
As soon as the things get better, people get sloppy and get infected again. Is like they have goldfish memory, Romania or anywhere else.
2 Likes, Who?
Quoting: Guestso just back to game topic pleaseThese article comments are for commenting on the article and its subject matter, the pandemic being an inescapable factor in Valves decision to cancel the live audience. None of us like what is happening.
In my meaningless opinion, Valve did the right thing here, albeit after possibly doing the wrong thing twice. Allowing a live audience in the first place was probably not a good call, and moving to another country thinking the pandemic would be less of an issue there seems almost naive.
I care far more about Valve as a company than I do about this specific game or tournament. Making poor decisions seemingly ignorant of the state of the world is worrisome.
3 Likes, Who?
Quoting: F.UltraThe difference most likely down to vaccination rates, Sweden have so far vaccinated 63.7% of the entire population while Romania 28.1%Our vaccination rates are higher than Sweden's in Canada and we have a wave happening. It's the Delta variant; if that takes hold you need near complete vaccination coverage before it would decline with no other measures, because it's way more infectious. So the Swedes better hope they don't have any Delta.
And yeah, I think Valve made the right call here. Thinking of variants, an international gathering like that would bring them all; then they'd duke it out in a tournament and the most infectious would win. The prize? Getting to go back to all the countries the participants came from . . .
Last edited by Purple Library Guy on 4 October 2021 at 5:10 pm UTC
0 Likes
Quoting: GuestPlace when I life this year: excess number of deaths is above 100 000 and Covid kill 6 000, fight against covid kill much more humans that covid did, people were dying in hospitals because the doctors were afraid to help them (because of covid)I suspect you are misinterpreting something. I am aware of many places where people are/were dying in hospitals because Covid patients (disproportionately anti-vaxxers) are taking up all the beds and there aren't enough staff to treat everyone. I have never heard of a single case of doctors refusing to treat people because they fear Covid--even though they do, in fact, fear it and are stressed as hell as a result. Although they probably fear it less now, because they're all vaccinated.
If you are not misinterpreting your information source, I suspect that instead your information source was slandering doctors with false allegations, a practice I disapprove of and which has become all too common during Covid among certain political groups.
1 Likes, Who?
ElectricPrism Oct 4, 2021
1/2
Have you seen the data on Sweden? (To be blunt: It looks like your most vulnerable -- obese, diabetic & old probably already were taken out, thus the lower death rates in the present)
https://covid.yanoagenda.com/countries/SE/
Agree. Longest 3 weeks of my life. We can thank Wuhan China for that -- after all as I recall, they banned [ Domestic Flights ] but not [ International Flights ].
No. In the context of the news article, the two are inseparable (Although I sympathize with your "burnout" on the topic).
Agree. In fact, as I recall, they found 1/3 of the White Tail Deer population were infected with SARS-nCOV-19-Wuhan-Pnumonia -- what this means is -- the kitten has become a cat & cat's out of the bag -- we can't put the cat back into the bag -- meaning, we can't vaccinate our way out of this -- the animals are infected & the best strategy would be to help the virus mutate into a weak and pathetic version of itself -- this occurs naturally over time (except the antibody dependent enhancement from the vaccines are making it more lethal {think what would happen to viruses if the whole planet took penicillin for a year straight -- we would make them antibody resistant}). They should have reserve vaccines for the vulnerable -- the elderly, those with heart problems, the diabetic, the obese, and other vulnerable groups -- at present for example suicide rates under age 18 from the lockdowns are exceeding the death rates to under 18 from the disease by a exponential amount. Imagine all the anti-social & psychotic behavioural damage we have done to the youngest generation from extreme isolation -- which I thought was a form of torture with imprisonment (solitary confinement). My point is -- events are the product of hysteria & reinforcing political power structure meanwhile doing untold damage -- our strategies aren't working as you pointed out with Australia.
2/2
As someone who has been interested in attending TI, even I would have been aware of the element of risk planning such a complex vacation in a pandemic. I am disappointed in Romania, however I understand they are doing what they think is right.
If I was Valve, I would probably have broken it up into different locations across the continents.
These circumstances are a challenge for companies and individuals alike -- adapt to survive.
Cancelling 2020 was a mistake. Cancelling 2021 would be a mistake. The show must go on. As it was comically pointed out -- host it on a Cruise ship if you have to. Host it in Flordia. Host it remotely (travel can be difficult) presently. But whatever you do -- do NOT cancel it.
People are more socially fragmented than ever before, and bringing them together over entertainment is exactly what the world needs, and a distraction that could bring a lot of wellness and happiness to people's lives. Drop ANY attendance fees, and do whatever it takes to make the game grow in this climate. Every climate creates new opportunity.
Quoting: dpanterMaybe they should come back to Sweden then, we just decided to drop all restrictions and pretend the pandemic is over even though we have several fatalities and hundreds of new cases every day. What can go wrong...
Have you seen the data on Sweden? (To be blunt: It looks like your most vulnerable -- obese, diabetic & old probably already were taken out, thus the lower death rates in the present)
https://covid.yanoagenda.com/countries/SE/
Quoting: M@GOidI still remember specialists in public health estimating the pandemic would roll for a couple months... Boy did they underestimate the public effort in not cooperating with the recommendations of health organizations.
Agree. Longest 3 weeks of my life. We can thank Wuhan China for that -- after all as I recall, they banned [ Domestic Flights ] but not [ International Flights ].
Quoting: Guestplease stop talking about Covid just talk about game
No. In the context of the news article, the two are inseparable (Although I sympathize with your "burnout" on the topic).
Quoting: Guestwhat is happening in Australia show that restrictions doesn't work
Agree. In fact, as I recall, they found 1/3 of the White Tail Deer population were infected with SARS-nCOV-19-Wuhan-Pnumonia -- what this means is -- the kitten has become a cat & cat's out of the bag -- we can't put the cat back into the bag -- meaning, we can't vaccinate our way out of this -- the animals are infected & the best strategy would be to help the virus mutate into a weak and pathetic version of itself -- this occurs naturally over time (except the antibody dependent enhancement from the vaccines are making it more lethal {think what would happen to viruses if the whole planet took penicillin for a year straight -- we would make them antibody resistant}). They should have reserve vaccines for the vulnerable -- the elderly, those with heart problems, the diabetic, the obese, and other vulnerable groups -- at present for example suicide rates under age 18 from the lockdowns are exceeding the death rates to under 18 from the disease by a exponential amount. Imagine all the anti-social & psychotic behavioural damage we have done to the youngest generation from extreme isolation -- which I thought was a form of torture with imprisonment (solitary confinement). My point is -- events are the product of hysteria & reinforcing political power structure meanwhile doing untold damage -- our strategies aren't working as you pointed out with Australia.
2/2
As someone who has been interested in attending TI, even I would have been aware of the element of risk planning such a complex vacation in a pandemic. I am disappointed in Romania, however I understand they are doing what they think is right.
If I was Valve, I would probably have broken it up into different locations across the continents.
These circumstances are a challenge for companies and individuals alike -- adapt to survive.
Cancelling 2020 was a mistake. Cancelling 2021 would be a mistake. The show must go on. As it was comically pointed out -- host it on a Cruise ship if you have to. Host it in Flordia. Host it remotely (travel can be difficult) presently. But whatever you do -- do NOT cancel it.
People are more socially fragmented than ever before, and bringing them together over entertainment is exactly what the world needs, and a distraction that could bring a lot of wellness and happiness to people's lives. Drop ANY attendance fees, and do whatever it takes to make the game grow in this climate. Every climate creates new opportunity.
3 Likes, Who?
Good on Valve to cancel. It's entertainment; no need to risk someone's health over tournament profits.
0 Likes
MisterPaytwick Oct 4, 2021
It isn't canceled. While there is no live audience, a 5-man team has coaches and tons of people graviting around it, there is 12 teams. Plus production, and so on.
No audience kind of sucks, but it's also the right call. The issues with teams (ie Team Aster) testing positives may found sources in pre-flight times (then in their home countries), or on PGL's (the orginizer that Valve has hired) watch. IIRC they are there for like 3 weeks now (so it'd fall on PGL. Yet do note I'm pretty disppointed that Valve went again "hands off" despite the whole thing going on).
While I disagree on some of the parts from the rest of the message on the topic, I'd stick to this: Hell, even if it's just 100% free battlepass and paying out more than a few channels and what's not (like Frogged TV to do more like during the Disneyland Major and less their own thing) to advertise the event, I'm down for it. The game has way too many good things, storylines, castings, personalities and nerd population, the kind that will tell you about the game, that move and all the little details, the kind that fucking love their game, it brings people together.
Last edited by MisterPaytwick on 4 October 2021 at 10:34 pm UTC
No audience kind of sucks, but it's also the right call. The issues with teams (ie Team Aster) testing positives may found sources in pre-flight times (then in their home countries), or on PGL's (the orginizer that Valve has hired) watch. IIRC they are there for like 3 weeks now (so it'd fall on PGL. Yet do note I'm pretty disppointed that Valve went again "hands off" despite the whole thing going on).
Quoting: ElectricPrismCancelling 2020 was a mistake. Cancelling 2021 would be a mistake. [...]
People are more socially fragmented than ever before, and bringing them together over entertainment is exactly what the world needs, and a distraction that could bring a lot of wellness and happiness to people's lives. Drop ANY attendance fees, and do whatever it takes to make the game grow in this climate. Every climate creates new opportunity.
While I disagree on some of the parts from the rest of the message on the topic, I'd stick to this: Hell, even if it's just 100% free battlepass and paying out more than a few channels and what's not (like Frogged TV to do more like during the Disneyland Major and less their own thing) to advertise the event, I'm down for it. The game has way too many good things, storylines, castings, personalities and nerd population, the kind that will tell you about the game, that move and all the little details, the kind that fucking love their game, it brings people together.
Last edited by MisterPaytwick on 4 October 2021 at 10:34 pm UTC
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