Exact dates are yet to be finalised by organisers, but the 17,000 capacity Key Arena in Seattle will play host. League bosses concerned over ‘player stress’ from schedules.
Major League Gaming has expressed how problems will arise if scheduling of events and travel arrangements aren’t better refined, as professional players will suffer.
”The growth and excitement around both eSports and Dota 2 activity over the last year has been exponential,” said MLG executive VP Adam Apicella. ”While we are happy to see the continued popularity and support, we are concerned that the sheer number and proximity of events can have a negative impact on the players and make travel difficult for teams to afford and manage. We always strive to provide our competitors with the greatest conditions and experience possible to ensure they can compete at their best.”
”However, holding tournaments so close together puts tremendous stress on players and affects their overall performance. Although we announced our plans months ago, we are currently discussing the schedule with teams and reassessing our plans to determine what will be the least stressful and most beneficial for all involved.”
The International 2014 is worth a million dollars for professional DOTA 2 teams, so the pressure’s on. Gabe Newell made the confirmation of the tournament being held in his own backyard through a Reddit AMA.
