The 2023 Dota Pro Circuit is officially underway, as rosters are now locked. Though the new season technically started already, South American teams have been reporting that they haven’t been paid for the last DPC tour in the summer of 2022.
While the initial reports came in early November, it looks like SA DPC teams are still on hold, as SG Esports released another statement today.
SG has been trying to contact Valve regarding the matter, but they allegedly haven’t received a response from Dota 2’s developer. During this time, the organization reportedly heard back from the SA DPC organizer, 4D Esports, claiming they would get paid by Dec.9.
4D reportedly couldn’t keep up with their own timeline, and SG was forced to take out bank loans to pay their bills and the players. Considering most players and teams that participate in the DPC rely on the prize money to sustain their costs, what’s currently happening in SA is downright unacceptable.
Third-party organizers can end up being wild cards at times, but the DPC is a Valve event, meaning the developer should have stepped in by now to make sure no parties were harmed. Given the fact that the community funds millions for The International every year, it would be the least Valve could do to protect the players.
At the time of writing, SG and many other SA players are still waiting for their prize money from the third DPC tour of 2022. This not only creates a difficult situation for players, but it also lowers the reputation of Dota 2 in the eyes of organizations that are looking to step into the scene.
It’s currently unclear whether 4D Esports will be able to pay out the prize money, but they won’t be present in the 2023 DPC as the SA division will be organized by ESB.
