With the delay of TI10 until October, what does that mean for the scene between now and then?
Two weeks ago, Valve announced that there were complications with TI10 happening in Sweden. It was probably the longest two weeks for most of the community and teams, awaiting what would happen with the pinnacle of all Dota 2 events. Many were worried it would be postponed yet again, others feared the worst —another cancellation.
When the software developer revealed the new location in Romania, it was also paired with the dates —October 7-17th.
There was a collective sigh of relief and then a flurry of excitement.
And then the questions.
So with the delay in TI10, what does that mean for the teams, for the viewers, and for the Dota 2 landscape over the next few months?
Pre TI events
With TI10 being three months away, most teams are not expected to begin boot camp until it is much closer to the event. That would mean that there will be plenty of open time on the calendar.
We can only speculate that there will be some form of online events popping up in various regions.
Tournament organizers such as BTS and ESL are usually well equipped to pull together some good online tournaments to fill in the gaps.
Pre TI stacks and teams
More often than not, the teams that didn't make it through the qualifiers for TI end up taking a break as they begin to think about roster changes. The Tier 1 and upper Tier 2 teams usually wait until the post-TI shuffle before making official moves as they are waiting to see what players become free agents or are hoping to get an invite to another team.
With so much time between now and there, it is doubtful these players will be able to keep away from competitive play.
We can only hope to see some temporary (possibly some more permanent) stacks form to compete in any pop-up events.
Pre TI patch and strats
Players around the globe from casual to professionals have been waiting for the new patch to drop. When it didn't happen after AniMajor, and then ESL, many shifted their expectations to after the TI qualifiers.
China and Europe are the last two regions competing in the qualifiers. The majority of the community will be counting on a new patch early next week.
But will it happen?
If the patch drops early, that gives ample time for teams to play and prepare on it for TI but also means they might be hesitant to compete in events until then. Waiting for the patch means teams can compete seriously and not focus all of their time on scrims and practice since they will be waiting for what changes will come.
DPC season 2021-2022
As The International 10 will be pushed out until October, the next DPC season will not be able to begin until at least one month later in mid-Novemeber or even early December.
The delay of the season is inevitable, but will that mean there will be only two league seasons and two majors again as it was this year? Much of the complaints lodged against the new DPC system was the two Major and league seasons didn't give much data, play, and skewed the points. It was excused because of the pandemic, but happening once again would really be a hard pill to swallow.
Will Valve attempt to squeeze in three seasons/Majors in the same time period? Potentially that would make it feel like a Speed-run Dota 2 year but would keep everyone busy and the calendar stock full of DPC events.
Another option and question is, will Valve just adjust the timing of The International? Keeping it in October from here on out so that the DPC 2021-2022 season will span over a full year? It is a possibility that would address most of the negative impacts from the delay and keep things running smoothly.
Although there are many unanswered questions, and the impact and implications of the delay are unclear, one thing is for certain.
The International is back on the menu and everyone is gearing up for the return of our beloved event.
The International 10
The International 10 is now expected to take place in October with the goup stage matches unfolding October 7 - 10, the playoffs set to kick off on the 12th of the month, and the grand finals scheduled for October 17.
It will be held at the National Arena from Bucharest, Romania —the largest stadium in the capital city, with a capacity of 55,000 seats. Valve’s official announcement gives a small hint for the possibility of having TI10 held with a live audience as well, however, no details were revealed just yet on the specifics or the ticket sales.
