Valve is refunding all tickets for the DOTA 2 International tournament

[midian182]

What just happened? The long-running saga that is DOTA 2's The International tournament has taken a sad turn. Valve has canceled plans to have a live audience at the show and said it would refund all tickets just days before the ten-day event begins.

Back in June, Valve said it had been working with Sweden since 2019 to ensure the tenth DOTA 2 International tournament could be held in the country during 2020. The pandemic put a spanner in those plans, but the company was given assurances by Stockholm Live and Visit Stockholm that this year's Championships would qualify for the same exemptions as other elite sporting events.

Ultimately, however, the Swedish Sports Federation refused to classify The International as an "elite sporting event," meaning anyone attempting to gain a visa for travel to Sweden, including players, talent, and staff would likely be denied due to Covid-19 restrictions. Valve appealed and tried some last-minute attempts to come to an agreement, but it was unsuccessful, leading to a new country and venue: Romania's 55,634-capacity Arena Nationala in the capital of Bucharest.

Valve started selling tickets to the tournament on September 12, noting that all attendees must be fully vaccinated and masked. Sadly, Covid-19 has once again intervened. Rising cases in Romania, which have led to new restrictions in Bucharest, have seen Valve cancel plans for a live audience. The event will continue as planned, just without a crowd.

"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," writes Valve. "Those who purchased tickets will be issued a full refund automatically."

Last week saw high-profile DOTA 2 team Team Aster reveal that several members had tested positive for Covid-19, including three of its five players.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/91551-valve-refunding-all-tickets-dota-2-international-tournament.html

 

[Sausagemeat]

This is it now for the rest of our lives. Covid is never going away. Except eventually we will learn this and events like this won’t get cancelled, borders won’t be sealed and travel and life will resume like it always has done. We will have emancipation. It’s a shame it’s taking the political class literally years to work this out whilst they bludgeon populations with restrictions in some attempt to save their own faces.

 

[Puiu]

This is it now for the rest of our lives. Covid is never going away. Except eventually we will learn this and events like this won’t get cancelled, borders won’t be sealed and travel and life will resume like it always has done. We will have emancipation. It’s a shame it’s taking the political class literally years to work this out whilst they bludgeon populations with restrictions in some attempt to save their own faces.

Or you know, people need to stop being stubborn and stupid and f-ing vaccinate already. The longer we extend this crap the higher the chance that the virus will mutate and the vaccines become useless.

 

[Nobina]

Or you know, people need to stop being stubborn and stupid and f-ing vaccinate already. The longer we extend this crap the higher the chance that the virus will mutate and the vaccines become useless.

Whether you are for or against the vaccine doesn't matter but what does is that people will never collectively agree on something like this so to say everyone needs to vaccinate is pointless cause that's never going to happen in reality.

 

[Puiu]

Whether you are for or against the vaccine doesn't matter but what does is that people will never collectively agree on something like this so to say everyone needs to vaccinate is pointless cause that's never going to happen in reality.

It did happen in the past and it can happen again. it's just that people read too much crap online now. reaching 80+ % in developed countries should not be that difficult.

 

[Nobina]

It did happen in the past and it can happen again. it's just that people read too much crap online now. reaching 80+ % in developed countries should not be that difficult.

People reading too much crap online are likely those in developed countries.

 

[cliffordcooley]

I am and will always be an anti-vaxxer. When you push for people to vaccinate. It would help. If the vaccination actually prevented people from catching this fake-epidemic virus covid.

As for closing international sports/esports. I see nothing wrong in closing all international travels. I've been pro-closing international travels since the beginning. If we even suspect an epidemic, all international travel should be halted.

 

[Puiu]

People reading too much crap online are likely those in developed countries.

Obviously.

 

[Puiu]

I am and will always be an anti-vaxxer. When you push for people to vaccinate. It would help. If the vaccination actually prevented people from catching this fake-epidemic virus covid.

As for closing international sports/esports. I see nothing wrong in closing all international travels. I've been pro-closing international travels since the beginning. If we even suspect an epidemic, all international travel should be halted.

No vaccine prevents you from catching the a virus, they help you create a better immune response for when you catch the virus. The virus is eliminated faster and you don't become a super-spreader after the virus fully invades your body.

Thus you entire anti-vaxx argument makes no sense. It's arguments like this why people make fun of anti-vaxxers.