Soundproofing was a hot topic during Dota 2’s The International 2022, with Valve’s decision not to use soundproof booths causing a plethora of issues, ranging from competitive integrity to overall hygiene. However, Valve seems to have learned from its mistake as the developer announced the return of soundproof booths for TI12 in a blog post today.
The lengthy blog explains the finer details of the booth system and why Valve wanted to have a boothless setup in TI11. Achieving a soundproof environment while also getting rid of the booths would give players a better setup, while the rotating stage allowed Dota 2 pros to warm up before matches, something they couldn’t do with the booth system as they were always on the main stage.
Considering only the English-speaking announcers can be heard in the arena, TI11 was overshadowed by concerns of teams having unfair advantages, with Fnatic even filing a report about the soundproofing issues at the event.
In addition to soundproofing, there were also reports stating that competitors at TI11 would find ear wax left on the earplugs at the tournament. Though most Dota 2 fans deemed Valve’s boothless experiment a failure, the developer expresses its willingness to continue testing the setup in the future, but not at TI12.
For The International 2023, Valve will dust off its trusty soundproof booths and take them to TI12’s main stage. Given the booths’ rich history and the level of detail that went into designing them, there’s also a cultural factor in play at TI as well. Aside from their soundproofing, the booths also make fans think of Dota 2’s TI, and players love such signature characteristics.
While a boothless stage setup can be experimented with during majors, Valve should never forget that TI is a different kind of beast. Even Gabe Newell walking onto the stage to welcome everyone to The International has a considerable impact on the event’s enjoyment. Valve’s founding father was absent during the first few days of TI11, before Gaben finally welcomed fans to The International 2022 after ignoring the tradition and causing community backlash.
