Last week, Valve canceled the ESL One Los Angeles Major due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now the upcoming minor and major events have been canceled too. It was a difficult decision. But it will keep players, staff, and fans safe.
After careful consideration of the current state and trajectory of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the health risk that this presents to competitors, staff and fans alike, we have made the difficult decision to cancel to the 4th minor and major tournaments of the DPC season.
— DOTA 2 (@DOTA2) March 15, 2020
Valve has no plans to fill the gap left behind. The next scheduled event is the ONE Esports Singapore Major, which starts on June 20. But there will be another minor tournament before that. And it hasn’t even been announced yet. Of course, three months is a long way away. But a lot can happen in the meantime. And there’s a good chance those events might not go ahead either. After all, the pandemic is expected to worsen and preventative measures could last months. Valve hasn’t jumped to any conclusions yet. But they will keep a close eye on the situation and make an informed decision when the time is right.
Given the high fluidity of the state of both the pandemic and geopolitical landscape, we will keep following the situation and decide how to approach the final major and minor of the season as the weeks progress.
— DOTA 2 (@DOTA2) March 15, 2020
If those events don’t go ahead, The International will be the next tournament in the season. It’s the crown jewel of the competitive Dota 2 scene. And it’s the event that players, organizations and fans care about the most. It will take place in Stockholm on August 18. Of course, there’s a chance it might not go ahead if the pandemic is still running rampant. But that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. The offseason is long and boring. And that means there is plenty of time to work with. Chances are it will be rescheduled at a later date. Still, Valve has a lot to consider in the upcoming weeks and months. But until more news comes to light, all we can do is sit tight, queue some games, and watch our favorite players stream online.
