ptkovsky
The International 10 championship, which is one the biggest annual world tournaments in esports, continues to be under the heavy coronavirus threat. The Dota 2 community is already buzzing about the latest news coming straight from the best Dota 2 teams, who are already bootcamping in Europe in preparation for the newest iteration of the International series event.
The Chinese
Recently, it was reported from the sources in the Chinese social network Weibo, that some of the participating Chinese Dota 2 players may be diagnosed COVID-positive.
Multiple Chinese Dota 2 organizations are currently residing in Bucharest, Romania, and are set to compete in the Valve’s concluding offline event of the Dota Pro Circuit series. The list of these esports organizations includes various teams, such as PSG.LGD, Invictus Gaming, Vici Gaming, Team Aster, and Elephant.
These five Chinese Dota 2 squads are living in the same hotel, and due to the risk of the uncontrolled infection spreading, they have already begun their additional isolation, testing, and treatment activities.
Team Aster’s situation
Earlier, team Aster’s official account posted a disturbing announcement. It was said that at least three players on the Chinese esports team, and also some of the supporting and assistant personnel, such as coach and staff, were tested COVID-positive. The Dota 2 team’s members already started the necessary processes of their treatment and self-isolation.
It is said that most of the Team Aster’s participants are feeling fine, and the reigning champions of all the i-League series events, such as i-League 2021 Season 1 and Season 2, are very motivated to showcase their best performance not only in China, but also at the upcoming international Dota 2 tournament.
It was previously rumored in the esports community, that some of the Vici Gaming’s team members were infected too, but the team’s representatives denied these kinds of reports.
Some of the most experienced and famous Chinese Dota 2 professionals are not that satisfied with the ongoing situation in Bucharest, and commented on the situation on their social media accounts.
Player’s opinion
One of the most authoritative players on the scene, who is currently coaching Team Aster — Zhang “LaNm” Zhicheng, spoke that the organizers were not even attempting to do any prior tests, and the teams needed to ask for them, if they were feeling sick. PGL also failed to supply food or water to the participants of the tournament. Zhicheng mentioned, that for these reasons, someone from the team’s staff eventually needed to go out themselves and risk their health.
LaNm believes that the overall quality of the PGL’s tournament is not in line with the usual high level of Valve’s The International series of events. He told that some people in the hotel do not wear masks, and the bars, where the players were going, and other places like the lobby are usually pretty crowded. His team’s members, who were already diagnosed with COVID-19, did not get single rooms from the organizers, for their self-isolation precautions.
What’s going on?
One of the alternative views on the current issue was also expressed in the community. According to this point of view, it is expected that all of the Dota 2 teams are still fully responsible for themselves on the ongoing bootcamp in Romania, which is held in the preparation of the event, until the Valve’s tournament actually starts.
The potential number of possible coronavirus infections may grow unexpectedly, and easily get out of control, as all of the Dota 2 professionals from China represent about 25% of all the participating players at the Valve’s tenth anniversary event in Bucharest.
The International 10 championship is set to begin on October 7, when 18 best Dota 2 teams in the world will compete at the Arena Nationala venue for more than $40,000,000 in prize money.