“Dota 2 in paradise” was the promise made by Bali Major organizers Epulze and IO Esports in the lead-up to the Southeast Asian tournament, but by July 9’s grand final, many at home and in attendance will remember the event as a holiday from hell.
Dota’s return to the region was marred by an assortment of issues and faults, from the experience on the ground to the technical faults affecting players and spectators online, leaving fans seeing red. Many took to social media—particularly on the Dota 2 subreddit—to air their grievances with the tournament organizers and Valve over the state of the tournament.
Observers debated over just how much thought went into the minor details of the event, particularly focusing on the outdoor stage setup. While unique in that the playoffs were held outdoors as opposed to a darkened arena, organizers appeared to overlook a major factor—the sun. As the sun set in the afternoon, without a shaded screen, the matches could not be physically watched on the main screen.
Another fan, who lives locally, revealed they would have had to pay over half their annual salary to attend the event, echoing similar complaints as those leveled at Valve over the price and condition of The International in Singapore last year.
“The production was absolutely dogshit,” one fan said, who was contemplating attending the tournament until seeing ticket prices, which were set at $388 USD just for general admission and almost $900 USD for premium entry. “[It] feels like we’re in the twilight years of Dota 2. There was [sic] tournaments run in Dota 1 days that were better than this.”
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The Bali Major was the least popular of the three Dota Pro Circuit Majors this year according to Esports Charts. Average viewership was down 25 percent when compared to the Berlin Major in May despite equal airtime. While timezones and the location undoubtedly played a huge part in the drop in viewership as matches were played in the early hours of the European morning, the numbers are still disappointing for what is supposedly the pinnacle of mid-season Dota.
Fans were also dissatisfied with another round of off-site talent. Like TI11, many members of the talent crew were not present in Bali for this Major, with a noticeable drop in both the quality and quantity of content pieces between matches.
Throw on technical issues that extended the duration of the grand final, killing the hype of the event’s concluding chapter, and criticism over Epulze and IO Esports’ handling of the Azure Ray and BetBoom controversies, spectators are becoming accustomed to a lower standard of quality for Dota events.
All eyes are turning toward The International’s return home to Valve’s backyard in Seattle in October 2023, but with so many burned by disappointing in-person and online experiences, it will take some effort to win back the community now.
