Mark Averbukh: «Offline events are not more profitable than online tournaments»
Author: Hawk Live LLC
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Mark Averbukh, a representative of Epic Esports Events, spoke on Telegram about the benefits, risks and the difference between online and LAN tournaments in Dota 2.
Mark summed up all the results, based on data for half a year, as well as the result of the resumption of seasons in many sports:
I decided to structure my position about offline events during a pandemic. Yes, offline events create more noise than online events. But they are not more profitable than online tournaments (for TO). Yes, teams might want to take part in an international tournament. But they will not travel to the airport or fly an airplane to another country as long as restrictions persist and there is a risk of ending their careers abruptly. Yes, the NBA and other sports can resume seasons as they don't have the option to play online matches. But we do not know ALL the conditions, restrictions and obligations that the league parties have undertaken. In addition, franchise leagues have a governing body that has relationships with participants, in Dota 2 there is no such thing, in CS: GO there is ESL Pro League and Blast, which are in no hurry to gather players in one location in order to hold an offline tournament. This already says a lot.
In addition, Averbukh weighed the pros and cons of holding a LAN tournament during a pandemic:
All arguments about the benefits of LAN are good only until you try it on yourself, starting to weigh the pros and cons:
+ More hype and views.
- Increased budget for the event.
- The risk of withdrawal of participants due to the sudden introduction of quarantine or restrictions in the country of their location (Top teams were confirmed, and then several of them were withdrawn)
- The risk of spreading infection in the location of the tournament / residence, which, God forbid, will lead to a complex course of illness or death of the participant.
Yes, over a short distance, in six months or a year, the absence of offline tournaments brings certain losses for eSports. But this will not in any way affect its development, but will only emphasize that esports is the sport of the future and the only thing that is holding it back from hosting the World Cup online is the speed of the Internet. This, of course, is a task for futurologists, but I am sure that sooner or later solutions will be found to reduce ping between regions
