Dota 2 fans demand to retutn Last Chance Qualifier to The International 12

After the announcement of the date and venue of The International 12, many were disappointed that Valve did not mention the format of the Last Chance Qualifier.

Reddit user compiled and outlined several reasons why Valve must bring back the Last Chance Qualifier format to The International 12.

1. It will help fill a large time gap between Bali Major 2023 and The International 12, which is 3 months long.

2. It is important for the competitive health of the scene. For example, 2 out of 3 of the top teams from last year's TI11, Team Secret and Team Liquid, qualified through the LCQ. Clearly, it is an effective way to increase competition and level of play at The International, not lower them.

3. It provides more opportunities for regions with a small number of slots to qualify for The International. This seems especially important this year, as one of the weakest regions has disproportionately many slots (China), while one of the regions with the best performance has too few (South America). Or take Western Europe, where there are many strong teams and high competition (as seen with Team Secret and Team Liquid last year).

4. The Last Chance Qualifier was the most positively received feature in professional Dota 2 over the last few years. Rejecting the LCQ would mean that Valve literally doesn't care about feedback received, and will increase hostility and disappointment between players/fans and Valve.

5. The current DPC points distribution system typically rewards teams that dominate their region. Teams below 2-4th place cannot participate in LAN tournaments and earn additional DPC points. They have to rely on a single final regional qualifier. The International is heavily reliant on regional play, exacerbating problems with slot distribution by region. The Last Chance Qualifier provides these teams with another chance and reduces this issue.

6. Dota 2 tier 1.5/2 teams will literally have NOTHING to do for approximately 4, maybe even 5 months between regional qualifiers and the DPC tour next year. Only tier-3 tournaments will remain during this period. Attracting a large number of tier 1-2 players to participate in a mini-TI before the main event of the year seems like a very healthy way to stimulate a wider scene.

7. Last year's qualifiers had good viewership. No need to rent venues or hotel rooms for players, and still have a lot of viewers on streams - sounds simple and profitable.

8. Debunking the myth of Valve's greed. Major/TI only playing the last few days of the tourney in the main venue. If the number of teams is also reduced, this will only strengthen this perception.