Dota 2‘s regular annual championship series, The International, was scheduled to run in 2020 but was delayed due to COVID. Then, the event was set to run in August 2021, until Swedish officials decided that esports could not be classified as ‘elite sporting events’ – meaning players and staff couldn’t couldn’t get visas. Now, The International 10 finally has a new location, and will run this autumn in Bucharest.
TI10 is officially scheduled to kick off on October 7 at the Arena Nationala in Bucharest, Romania. Group stage play continues through October 10. Main stage play will begin on October 12, and the finals will take place on October 17, with the top teams looking to take home a chunk of a $40 million prize pool.
“We are grateful for the partnership we have formed with Romania and the city of Bucharest, and very much look forward to gathering with the global Dota 2 community, both in-person and virtually, to celebrate the elite players and amazing fandom at The International,” Valve says in the announcement.
In late June, Valve revealed that it was seeking an alternative location for TI10 and that the event may be delayed as a result. “In light of the current political situation in Sweden,” Valve said, “we have started looking for possible alternatives elsewhere in Europe to host the event this year, in case the Swedish government is unable to accommodate The International – Dota 2 Championships as planned.” Clearly, one of those alternatives has turned out alright.
Until then, catch up on the meta with a guide to the best Dota 2 heroes. For more MOBA games, you can follow that link.