[image credit : EPICENTER]
Valve, the game publisher of Dota 2, has announced it will be canceling the game’s fourth Major and Minor tournaments this year, in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This affects the planned EPICENTER Major in Moscow, Russia, due to take place May 2-10, as well as the AMD SAPPHIRE Dota PIT Minor in Split, Croatia, originally scheduled for April 23-26.
At this time, Valve nor the tournament organizers have indicated that online matches would be played instead. The winners of Minor tournaments qualify for their corresponding Major, with both also awarding points as part of the Dota Professional Circuit (DPC). These points allow high-performing teams to qualify for The International 2020—still due to take place in Stockholm this September, at the time of writing.
“We are very sorry to report this, but the tournament we were all looking forward to has been canceled,” said Evgeny Kalganov, event director of Epic Esports Events, in a statement. “The safety of players, fans, and employees is the most important thing for us. Anyone who has already purchased tickets for EPICENTER Major will receive a refund as soon as possible.”
