The shutdown of the Dota 2 Pro Circuit in 2023 and Valve stepping down as the big boss in the competitive Dota 2 professional scene might be a bigger deal than we thought. Why, you ask? Well, it seems like some players who got hit with Valve’s ban hammer might just be making a comeback to the pro scene real soon.
According to insights from former Alliance team player, Yaroslav “Limitless” Parhsin, ESL, the current premier organizers of the international Dota 2 competition circuit, are set to grant reprieves to Eastern European players in December 2024. Among the ten players to be released from the ban list are Limitless, Danil “illusion” Grzhevka, and Kamil “Koma” Biktimirov, currently serving as streamers for Team Spirit.
Although ESL promises to lift the bans, they make it clear that vigilant monitoring will be in place. Any recurrence of violations will result in permanent penalties. And in case you missed it, these players faced sanctions from Valve for offenses such as match fixing and account sharing.
“We honor all publisher bans at our events for a period of 2 years for the first offense. After this time, players can participate, although repeat offenses can also be punished with a lifetime ban. The bans you refer to would expire, unless there is reason to extend them, in December 2024,” ESL replied to Limitless.
It didn’t take long for the announcement to stir a wave of discontent within the Dota 2 community. Numerous professional players voiced their disappointment on social media, expressing concerns about the potential negative impact on the tournament’s credibility.
The International 11 champion, Oliver “Skiter” Lepko, believes that granting these individuals a return to competitive Dota 2 could compromise the integrity of professional competition. He hopes that ESL reconsiders their decision.
Adding to the dissenting voices recently is Gaimin Gladiators ace, Quinn “Quinn” Callahan, who vehemently opposes match-fixing. He emphasizes that allowing these players back into the fold may lead to a breach of trust among professionals.
Beyond these professional players’ reactions, the community is raising questions about the precedent set by this decision and its potential application to players in other regions who received punishment due to similar cases, especially those in Chinese professional Dota 2 scene.
ESL finds itself at a crossroads, compelled to reevaluate the rules governing their competitive circuit to avert future unwanted incidents and losses within the realm of illegal competition activities.
