In brief: Earlier this year, Gabe Newell revealed details about his daily life and the decisions that led to the creation of one of the gaming industry's most important companies. During his opening remarks at the 2025 International, which runs through this weekend, he took the opportunity to profess his enduring enthusiasm for Dota 2, despite the trash talk he receives.
While addressing attendees at the International in Hamburg, the finale of this year's Dota 2 esports season, the co-founder of developer Valve, admitted that he still logs in daily, even if he might not be the most impressive player.
Newell claimed that seeing the inaugural International 14 years ago increased his love of the game and its community, even when players sharply criticize his skills. Newell joked that, about once a week, someone calls him a noob and demands that he uninstall the game.
Dota 2 has had a notorious learning curve since its initial launch in 2013, despite the large amount of learning material that is available both inside the MOBA and elsewhere. Still, it remains Steam's second most-played game behind Valve's other free-to-play giant, Counter-Strike 2.
This year's International runs from September 11 through Sunday, September 14, with a prize pool exceeding $2.6 million. The quarterfinals on Thursday saw victories for Xtreme Gaming from China, Team Falcons from Western Europe, and Parivision and BB Team from Eastern Europe. Nigma Galaxy and Tundra Esports from Western Europe, Heroic from South America, and Team Tidebound from China are also scheduled to compete in lower-bracket rounds before Friday's semifinals. Streams are available on Steam, Twitch, and YouTube.
Although Dota 2 might be one of Newell's favorite hobbies, he recently claimed that helping run the company each day no longer feels like work. Between Dota 2, scuba diving, and working while living on a yacht, the 62-year-old feels as if he has been long retired.
He started Valve in the mid-1990s after the success of Doom convinced him that Microsoft, where he was an executive, was falling behind the curve regarding software distribution. Years later, Valve's Steam client dominates digital sales in the PC gaming industry. The company's Steam Deck also popularized handheld PC gaming, and rumors suggest that Valve might soon launch a new piece of hardware, but it remains unclear whether it is a standalone VR headset or a console-like device.