Rumor says Valve is scrapping Dota 2’s regional leagues after TI12 but we’re not convinced

The time between major Dota 2 events is always full of rumors about the game and its competitive scene, however, the validity of those discussions is almost always suspect. That holds true with recent talk coming from the upcoming BetBoom Dacha where a few notable Dota personalities mentioned Valve potentially discontinuing the current DPC format and moving on from regional leagues. 

According to analyst Yaroslav “NS” Kuznetsov an “insider rumor” that Valve will abandon the DPC that was established in 2021 and revert back to a more hands-off approach while letting third-party organizers take control with a new system. 

“There is an insider rumor, absolutely unclear where it came from, that there will be no DPC leagues next season,” NS said on stream, with Valve reportedly preparing to “introduce a system with a bunch of commercial tournaments again.”

NS followed up this comment by reiterating that this is just something that is “constantly” mentioned and “goes in one ear, out the other” and laughing, but it was later brought up again by RAMZES and caster Dariya “Eiritel” Morozova.

Eiritel simply backed NS’ statement and said she has heard the same from multiple different sources over the last few days, saying “It’s true.” RAMZES, meanwhile, also commented that he had heard the rumors but that he wasn’t sure about talking about it or if any other details were true. 

Based on what was shared, this new system would mix the current DPC model with the older one where we saw third-party organizers like ESL, WePlay, MDL, PGL, and more host their own events throughout the year and roll them into the DPC. Valve would essentially approve events and work with those organizers to determine a DPC point total based on several factors, somewhat similar to how Counter-Strike still operates its pro scene.

In 2021, the Dota scene shifted to Valve working with a selection of organizers to run regional leagues during a set period of the year that would work in a closed DPC system, feeding into three Majors and featuring promotion and relegation. This has been a controversial change, with pros like Puppey talking about how “lackluster” switching to fewer DPC events has been for the scene. 

There is a good chance Valve has been working behind the scenes to reshape how the DPC will run in 2024, especially with how it has already shifted development for the game away from the TI-centric battle pass model. With how popular this rumor is getting in the Russian community and how many comments will likely come out from players and streamers over the coming weeks, we urge you to take this lightly until Valve releases an official statement likely closer to or after TI12 in October.