It has become clear why Valve actually changed the rules for The International 2024

Ben "Noxville" Steenhuisen, a Dota 2 analyst, stated that Valve might have changed the rules for The International 2024 to comply with Danish laws, where the world championship will take place.

He wrote about this on his X (Twitter) page.

"I was reviewing the lists of non-gambling sponsors on some of the TI participants' websites (some don’t have websites, so there's no information)... So, even if Valve can't allow certain types of sponsorships due to Danish legislation, there are other sponsors who could fill the gap"

The potential risks of violating Danish laws may have prompted Valve to ban in-game advertising. This rule change shocked the Dota 2 community and could significantly affect team funding. However, in-game advertising might indeed be considered a violation, so the TI13 organizers may have decided it was better to avoid possible legal disputes.

Credit: X/Noxville

It's worth noting that due to Valve's decision, esports players could lose millions of dollars because of the new rules for The International 2024.