Valve has suspended the Dota Pro Circuit seasons

Valve is discontinuing Dota 2'sDPC seasons. The organizers of the tournaments announced this information on the official game website.

The developers have decided to abandon the current format due to negative changes. Additionally, Valve stated that details about the next season will be revealed in 2024.

The sole official league tightly controlled the scene throughout the year. Tournament organizers did not prioritize innovation but rather dedicated all their efforts to strict adherence to our rules. Their endeavors were not focused on capturing the attention of viewers and players, nor on hosting interesting and creative tournaments; instead, they were geared toward meeting Valve's numerous strict requirements, ranging from the number of participants and broadcasting languages to the format of the events and more.

Despite their efforts, the situation remained unchanged. Regardless of the good intentions and diligence of the organizers, we were diverted from the primary goals of previous years: not only showcasing Dota at its best but also nurturing interest among both participants and spectators. In simpler terms, it's better when organizers compete not for our attention but for yours.

Before the introduction of restrictions on the professional Dota scene, it was healthier, more reliable, and diverse. Tournaments were less monotonous, their formats were more original, and schedules were more flexible. Organizers experimented with the duration of events, locations, the number of teams, and even the very concept of competitive tournaments. There was something magnificent about the freedom from rule-bound uniformity, where private house parties and prize pools coexisted with giants like the Dota Asia Championship and short, exclusive competitions.

The slow but inevitable shift from fun and creativity to sterility and uniformity, which we see today, was not solely caused by our requirements, but they significantly influenced organizers and encouraged such decisions. For decades, the Dota community has been creating innovative and captivating tournaments, and the DPC system stood in the way of this creativity.

Valve

In October 2017, the Dota Pro Circuit system was launched, which included majors and minors. Teams competed in these tournaments to earn ranking points necessary to receive invitations to the global championship, The International.

However, in October 2021, Valve made changes to the DPC rules. Minors were discontinued, and instead, six regional leagues were introduced. These new competitions became a crucial part of the system and ranked second in importance after the majors.