Valve abandon the DPC in the next seasonDota 2: What does this mean?

Valve has canceled the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) for the next season of Dota 2, as announced by the company on Steam. Valve hopes that the decision to abandon the DPC will refocus attention on creating innovative and exciting tournaments, rekindling the spirit of competition not only among players but also among event organizers who aim to capture the attention of viewers.

The Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) is a system of regional leagues and tournaments for Dota 2 in which teams earn DPC points. At the end of the season, teams with the most points secure slots at The International championship series. Other Dota Pro Circuit participants compete for remaining slots in regional qualifiers.

Valve introduced the DPC system after The International 2017. Prior to that, Dota 2 developers themselves determined which teams would receive invitations to the main tournament of the year.

While the global prize pool may not fully compensate for the loss of financial support from Valve, some regions may face significant challenges. However, in 2024, we can expect improvements in terms of the entertainment value of events. Two out of three major leagues this year have been disappointing, and regional leagues have occasionally faced difficulties with broadcast quality.

Currently, there is no official information about the replacement system for the Dota Pro Circuit. It is quite likely that both the quantity and quality of tournaments will increase. Viewers will have the freedom to choose what to watch, while professionals can decide what to participate in. Events with a more diverse program, rules, and innovations may replace the tournaments that were previously tightly controlled.

Regional organizers will no longer have to compete for Valve's attention. This means they can focus on delivering real spectacles to the audience, while players will have more incentives to attend events. It is likely that Dota 2 creators will soon announce how points will be awarded and invitations will be extended to The International after such a sudden change in the rules.