Valve Software made the difficult decision to refund all tickets for DOTA 2’s The International mere days before the tournament begins on Oct. 7 due to rising COVID-19 cases in Romania.
“We have been carefully evaluating the continued rise of Covid rates in Romania, as well as the resulting introduction of new local restrictions in Bucharest,” Valve said on DOTA 2’s blog. “To ensure the safety of all players, talent, and production staff participating in the event, we have decided to refund all ticket sales for The International 2021.”
The statement continued: “We wanted nothing more than to welcome fans live to the event, but we can no longer do so in a way that allows us to prioritize the health and well-being of both audience members and participants. Those who purchased tickets will be issued a full refund automatically.”
To ensure the safety of all players, talent, and production staff participating in the event, we have decided to refund all ticket sales for the live audience at The International 2021 — https://t.co/JOZQzxZ8Sf pic.twitter.com/77xnfvC5kv
— DOTA 2 (@DOTA2) October 3, 2021
President of PGL Esports, the company that helps Valve organize The International, said that he believes tournaments of this scale can only return if all attendees are vaccinated. So no doubt that they have taken this situation seriously from the beginning. It’s a shame, though, that some DOTA 2 fans who traveled across to watch The International live are only just getting this news now, though.
Got here 5 hours ago… all the way from Brazil
— Mateus Cysne Barbosa (@CysneMateus) October 3, 2021
It’s certainly risky to plan any travel during the pandemic.
Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.
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