Dota 2 tournament The International 2017 will be hosted in Seattle
Valve has confirmed its annual Dota 2 tournament The International will be returning to Seattle for 2017.
The developer revealed the news somewhat indirectly, via an announcement for its cosplay competition at The International 2017. In it, Valve confirms that the Main Event of The International will be held in Seattle this August.
Previously, Valve’s Gabe Newell had said that this year’s International may be moved to a different location outside of the United States as a result of Trump’s visa restrictions. At the time, Valve executive Erik Johnson commented that visa restrictions “are already a problem for the tournament.”
It’s worth noting that Valve did not confirm whether the event will be returning to the Key Arena.
The Cosplay Competition will have a $15,000 prize pool. Those who wish to enter do not need to have tickets to The International, and can simply register to participate in the prejudging phase. The Performance Finals will be held on the Main Event stage.
All participants will receive a Dota 2 Cosplay Crest for appearing in cosplay during the competition prejudging phase. The event will be administered by PGL, who judged last year’s cosplay competition.
The International 2017 will run its qualifiers in June, with the main event scheduled for some time in the “first half of August 2017.” The International 2016 saw six invited teams, eight qualified teams, and four wildcard teams match up in the tournament. We’ll be keeping an eye out for more details on the event as they emerge, so be sure to stay tuned to Yahoo Esports for more news as it breaks.
Zorine has a true love for Dota 2, and thinks it is THE beautiful game. Follow her on Twitter @ztharli
