Valve Pulls Support From Filipino 'Dota 2' Tournament Due To Government Regulation

In what is perhaps one of the biggest gaming controversies of 2018, Valve has pulled its support to the upcoming "Dota 2" Galaxy Battles Major to be held in the Philippines. The company has cited new government regulations for esports players entering the country as the reason for the decision.

As a result of the decision, Valve has pulled its financial support to the tournament totalling $500, 000 effectively reducing the prize pool by half. The tournament will also not be awarding "Dota 2" Pro Circuit Points to the winners which are necessary to qualify for this year's The International.

So far, six teams have withdrawn from the tournament due to these reasons with Russian powerhouse Virtus.Pro is the first to announce their decision to pull out. They were soon followed by Team Secret, Team Liquid, Optic Gaming, Newbee, and Mineski.

The regulation Valve is referring two is the new law imposed by the Philippine government regarding esports players, which are now considered by the country as professional athletes. As such, rules that apply to foreign athletes are now required to be met by esports players, particularly those concerning drugs.

According to Valve, such rules have led them to withdraw support to the tournament mainly due to concerns for the participating players' privacy. The decision drew mixed reactions from the Dota 2 community with many claiming it was detrimental to the quest for esports to be recognized as a legitimate sport.

Others were supportive of the move mainly due to the Philippine government's new-found reputation with regards to human rights. One thing is for certain, Filipino fans are worried about whether the decision will have long-standing consequences for future of Valve-sponsored tournaments in the country.

Despite the withdrawal of many top-tier teams from the tournament, organizer Fallout Gaming has not announced the tournament's cancellation. They have also yet to announce replacements for the teams that pulled out from the tournament.