Read: 2409
Every year since 2011, millions of Dota 2 fans converge in early August to witness the most prestigious and well-funded esports competition - The International. In 2020, however, the event scheduled for Stockholm, Sweden, as its first-ever host location, was postponed due to COVID-19 with no new date announced.
This year saw a revelation that The International would return in August of 2021, with Stockholm still set as the venue. Yet, on Tuesday, June 22nd, Valve announced via their blogpost that plans for The International 10 have encountered an obstacle. Allegedly, the Swedish government refused to grant special permission for the event due to esports not being acknowledged as a discipline within elite sports by their governing bodya fact confirmed in a detled interview with the Chrman of the Swedish Esports Federation.
The crux of this dilemma lies in visa permissions for The International’s participants heavily relying on elite sport validation. Without this approval, the event's feasibility is jeopardized.
SWEDEN'S LOSS: ANOTHER COUNTRY'S GN
Swedish esports boasts a rich history marked by successful teams like Alliance and Ninjas In Pyjamas, who have clmed various titles across multiple genres. Esteemed gamers such as Adam “Armada” Lindgren Super Smash Bros., Martin “Rekkless” Larsson League of Legs, and Jonathan “Loda” Berg Dota 2 are among its illustrious figures.
Jonathan “Loda”, a legary Dota player who won The International 2013 with his all-Swedish lineup, Alliance, voiced pessimism regarding the future of esports in Sweden. He mentioned that as an organization, they were contemplating relocating due to these issues. I don't understand it on so many levels, he told Expressen. TI is the world's largest esports event; other countries have begged for hosting rights and we're being denied.
Enter Denmark - a country where former Prime Minister visited Danish teams bootcamps, atted esports events, even declared, “You are truly sportsmen!” during BLAST Pro Series in 2018 to competing stars.
But, one must ponder what will become of the Swedish esports scene with its elite teams being forced out and budding talents losing fth due to misguided decisions by their government.
With news of TI’s challenges spreading, fans and tournament organizers worldwide started advocating for The International to be hosted in their city, offering a lifeline to sectors severely impacted by COVID-19, including tourism, venues, sports, etc. In 2020, the Swedish government allocated €150 million just to save sports clubs and associations from financial ruin.
Now, they appear unwilling to embrace an event of considerable magnitude that could bring significant economic benefits for their host city - if strict conditions are met like vaccine requirements, spectator management, isolation bubbles, etc. Dota 2 has successfully hosted Major events under these conditions in Singapore Kyiv recently, demonstrating a path forward for the lucky city hosting this esports industry's pinnacle.
As the billion-dollar industry of esports experiences growth due to COVID-19 and is forecasted to reach viewership levels of 495 million by year- alone, it seems that Sweden loses more than they gn here.
Just as one man's trash is another man's treasure, so too will The International likely find a new home where its return is not only welcomed but celebrated.
JOIN THE LEAGUE OF WINNERS WITH OFFICIAL LIVE MATCH DATA
The Official Source for Live Esports Data
Products
Live Odds
Live Match Data
Dashboard for Traders
Video for Traders
Video for Bettors
Widget for Betting
Fantasy Stats
Highlights
Match Stats
Live Match Predictions
Widget for Media
Newsroom
Press Releases
Blog
Success Stories
Media Assets
Company
About
FAQs
Career
Contact
Esports Resources
Official vs Scraped Data
Tournament Calar
FOLLOW US
Bayes Esports Solutions GmbH 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy
Data Protection Guidelines
Imprint
This article is reproduced from: https://www.bayesesports.com/blog/the-legitimacy-of-esports
Please indicate when reprinting from: https://www.361o.com/Electronic_Sports_Dota_2/Esports_International_Hosting_Dilemma_Sweden_Denmark.html
The International 2021 Venue Change Swedens Esports Discourse Crisis Danish Invitation for Dota 2 Event Governments Role in eSports Growth Economic Benefits of Hosting The International Global Community Responds to TI Move