Last Friday, Valve provided fans an update on the previously postponed Eastern Europe regional league for the 2022 Dota Pro Circuit’s Spring Tour, announcing that the team did not see a way that it could continue as envisioned “the foreseeable future” due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Now, Sports.ru reports that Valve has actually provided an updated timeline for a potential return to the Dota 2 teams currently involved in the EEU DPC.
According to Sports.ru, a Valve representative has reached out to teams and organizations in EEU to set forth a list of requirements each would have to meet for a potential return to competition to be feasible during the ongoing conflict affecting the entire region.
Among these reported requirements, Valve asked that teams confirm ahead of time that they will be able to play in matches at “any time in the future,” likely referring to a set schedule that will involve streaming the games for fans at specific time slots. Valve also needs confirmation that teams can receive prize money at the end of the season and will be able to reliably distribute it to their players.
Additionally, Valve wants to ensure eligible teams have or can obtain a visa for travel to Stockholm for the Spring Tour Major from May 12 to 22. This is to make sure no team will qualify, since EEU gets three spots at the event, and will be unable to attend at the last minute due to travel concerns.
All of this lines up with Valve’s previous announcement, where the company noted it was “engaging directly with all of the teams and players in the league” on their individual situations so the company could further assess its options.
This is likely due to the company reportedly operating under the belief that teams specifically working or playing out of Russia, Ukraine, and its immediate surrounding countries are currently unable to match those requirements and wanting to keep updated if anything changes. Sports.ru even adds that, if a team does not send a letter to Valve, it is likely to be considered that they cannot guarantee their participation in the Spring Tour.
Valve is also reportedly not in a place to work with another TO for the EEU DPC after Epic Esports Events reached out to up the broadcast and hosting rights to ensure “that players, teams, and the community can focus on safety and security.”
In a separate statement, Epic Esports announced it is ready “to fulfill the tasks specified in the contract between Valve and the tournament operator of the DPC season.”
“It is not easy to find a replacement for us in a short time, the situation threatens to disrupt the season, which is why we offered the publisher to continue working under the contract,” Epic Esports said to Cybersport.ru. “We urge all participants in the negotiation process to adhere to the uniform rules of communication and to observe the level of confidentiality expected from us.”
The DPC’s Spring Tour was originally supposed to begin on March 14 for all regions, and has is already underway for every region but EEU, which has yet to even host qualifiers for the open spots left in its Division II regional league.
Any future updates on the EEU Spring Tour will be shared as Valve continues to communicate with teams within the region and works out a way to broadcast them.
