Gabe Newell surprised everyone with a harsh message to the Dota 2 community at The International 2025

Gabe Newell, also known as Gaben, the founder of Valve, delivered a welcome speech at the opening of The International 2025, surprising everyone with a harsh admission about the toxicity directed at him. He admitted that it happens often, but he still loves the Dota 2 community.

The message was shown during the official Twitch broadcast.

“Hi, this is Gabe Newell. 14 years ago, we held the first The International in the German city of Cologne. The first International truly amazed me. It was amazing to see the players’ skill and the passion of the community. Before the first International, I really liked the game, but after TI I fell in love with it. I love not only the game, but also the community.

Sometimes people in chat trash-talk me, and once a week someone says, ‘Hey noob, delete the game and *****.’ But this comes from the passion for the game and the drive that players have. That’s why, after all these years, I still play Dota every day. And now we are back in Germany again to cheer and celebrate. Guys, it’s going to be so much fun. To all the Dota fans who have been with us from the very beginning, those who joined along the way, and everyone tuning in for the first time, I say: Welcome to The International 2025”

Gabe Newell admitted that even after 14 years, he loves Dota 2 and its community, despite some toxicity. He also noted that some teammates even told him to delete the game because they didn’t know Gaben was playing with them.

Previously, the first photos of the incredible arena for The International 2025 were finally released.