NS explained why he supports the cancellation of show matches at The International

Yaroslav “NS” Kuznetsov said that he never liked show matches at The International tournaments, but at a certain point, they completely devalued the tournament and the players.

The streamer shared this opinion on Twitch.

“I never really liked show matches at TI. I don't know why Valve decided to cancel show matches, but for me personally, especially at a certain point, it was a kind of devaluation of the tournament. A devaluation of the players.”

According to Yaroslav “NS” Kuznetsov, organizing such matches with commentators and studio employees in the same rooms where the main participants play devalues them, as the content creator believes that the right to be there should be a privilege of pro players who have put in a lot of effort to get there.

"When you have commentators and studio workers playing in a show match, and they play in the same booths where the grand final will be played half an hour after them, for me, it's a kind of devaluation of the final itself. It's as if being there is a serious privilege. People work very hard to get there, some for decades. Just to sit there and play."

Earlier, Alexey “Solo” Berezin shared his impressions after watching The International 2025 matches.