Valve will stop holding DPC seasons on Dota 2. The organizers of the tournaments reported this on the official website of the game.
The developers decided to abandon the current format due to negative changes. In addition, Valve said that details about the next season will be revealed in 2024.
The only official league tightly controlled the scene throughout the year. Tournament organizers did not prioritize innovation, but devoted all their efforts to strictly enforcing the rules. Their efforts were not focused on attracting the attention of viewers and players, not on holding interesting and creative tournaments, but on meeting Valve’s numerous strict requirements – from the number of participants and broadcast languages to the format of competitions, etc.
Despite all efforts, the situation has not changed. Despite the good intentions and diligence of the organizers, we have been distracted from the main goal of the previous years: not only to show Dota at its best, but also to instill interest in both participants and spectators. Simply put, it’s better when organizers compete for your attention, not ours.
Before the restrictions, the professional Dota scene was healthier, more robust, and more diverse. Tournaments were less monotonous, their formats more original, and schedules more flexible. Organizers experimented with the duration of events, the venue, the number of teams, and even the very concept of competitive tournaments. There was something great about freedom from the monotony of the rules, where private house parties and prize pools coexisted with giants like the Dota Asia Championship and short, exclusive competitions.
The slow but inevitable transition from fun and creativity to sterility and monotony that we see today was not only caused by our demands, but they significantly influenced and pushed the organizers to make similar decisions. The Dota community has been creating innovative and exciting tournaments for decades, and the DPC system has stood in the way of that creativity.
In October 2017, the Dota Pro Circuit system was launched, which included majors and minors. At these tournaments, teams earned ranking points needed to earn invitations to The International global championship.
However, in October 2021, Valve made changes to the DPC rules. Small tournaments were abolished and six regional leagues were introduced instead. These new tournaments became the most important part of the system and became the second most important after the majors.
